I’ve been connecting with Janine for a few years now on cyber-space and she has always inspired me with her art, music, healthy lifestyle and blog posts! I was recently in a random bookshop in central London when I was reminded of her work as I came across the book Sistah Vegan and I just knew that had to post up on her 🙂

Inner-View

Your favourite affirmation:

Most recently the words, “I am free to go wherever I choose.” have helped me to remember that I can explore whatever I desire.

What does creativity mean to you in your life?

In my life, creativity means being able to adjust, re-interpret, and express in ways that benefit me as well as others.

How do you express your Self through your work?

The time I’ve invested in personal development and observation of self finds its way into my work on a frequent basis. Much of what I create is a reflection of who I am or who I desire to be. It is also a form of affirmative art because it is intended to strengthen those that view the work.

How long have you been living a natural lifestyle and what inspired you to start?

I decided to change my approach to self-care 6 years ago. It was due to my desire to see a change in myself. There was also an underlying excitement in discovering whether I could do certain things differently (in comparison to how I was raised). For example, I went from eating potatoes that came from a box to being able to prepare them from scratch. That was quite a culinary transformation and I’m thankful that I created the time to learn how to care for myself in a different way.

How long have you had natural hair?

I have worn my hair naturally for at least a decade now.

What is your hair routine at the moment?

Once a week I wash it with an aloe based shampoo that I developed or I’ll clarify it with a diluted apple cider vinegar mix. My hair is cleansed while in twists so that it is easier to handle. Then I untangle and re-twist my hair so that it is protected once again and I can focus on other things during the week.

Do you do anything daily to keep your Self inspired and healthy?

Yes, each day I write morning pages (an exercise recommended by Julia Cameron). Doing this each day allows me to express, study my thoughts and receive new ideas to apply later on throughout the day.

Can you tell us about one turning point in your life that helped with your Self journey:

This seems cliche, yet it was when I let go of my permed hair (that was attached to braided extensions at the time). I was attempting to let go of certain expectations others had of me so I just cut it all off. Doing that seemed to nudge me into a direction that allowed me to explore other ways of being. Ways that seemed foreign to me prior to that event.

Name 3 of your favourite books for inspiration:

Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts
Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit
Bullsh*t or Fertilizer

What projects have you worked on in the past?

Previous projects include:
Original visual that served as inspiration for community-based radio station WMNF’s identity items (for their seasonal items).

Imagery that appears on the cover of Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society. by A. Breeze Harper

Affirmative art work that appears in issue #6 of Corset Magazine

Graphic art that appears in the upcoming issue of We’Moon 2014

Numerous projects that assisted independent businesses in achieving their art and design objectives.

Are there any current projects you are working on? Please share!

Currently working on a few projects with women who are advocates for health and authentic living. Eager to see the results of our collaboration.

Where can we connect with you? (Facebook, Website etc)

Facebook

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