Where are you?
I’m in the city with the highest covid cases in the world, New York baby! While a revolution is happening.
Are you alone?
Yes.
Are you working?
Yeah, a lot.
How do you achieve balance?
Personally, It’s super easy to be in a work mindset. I'm a Capricorn Sun and Mercury, and am ruled by Saturn... So just obsessed with work. Of self. Of body. Of mind. Of vocation. I was already a freelancer for many years and that in itself is a groove. Just to be patient with the flows is an important skill to acquire. Sometimes you don’t want do anything, and those are important moments of downtime. Of reflection and healing. It's basically important to utilize effectively whatever is coming up for you. When you live in capitalism, you think that your only value is the work you create, and I’m guilty of that for sure. Trying to go slow—with myself—is the easiest way for me to achieve balance. To really check-in, and be patient with myself. Good thing is, I feel like I’m learning to harness my time for relaxation more than I ever have before.
What does play look like for you right now?
Cooking, dancing, smoking weed, reading, writing my new poetry book, and my new book Who Is Wellness For, that I just sold. I'm thinking about what to write for my newsletter, jerking off, watching the occasionally good thing (latest faves: I May Destroy You, Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar and My Brilliant Friend) taking long sun baths in my backyard, doing shrooms, getting take out from Zaytoons or Saraghina or Diwan Grill (my top Caviar treats), drinking natural wine sparingly but just the right amount to really enjoy it, even the assortment of cool wines I’m trying has been a small gift. I’ve been buying from Thirst Wines and Bed Vyne intermittently.
How often do you step outside?
I have a weekly Union Market walk, which usually takes 45 min. The route I take is walking down the Promenade on Eastern Parkway right to Grand Army, past the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Gardens and Library. It’s so delicious. I’ve been feeling parks a lot — like Prospect Park just hits different during these times, doesn't it?
Where is your face mask from?
I have one from Collina Strada and my friend Roopa Pemmaraju gifted one, as well as one from Abacaxi. I also got this silk leopard print one from Etsy.
Skincare routine while in quarantine?
I’m loving Rohr Remedy’s Rosalina Face Cleanser, Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster and Aotea’s Mānuka Honey Day Cream and Harakeke Seed Oil Night Cream — I’ve also been putting Manuka honey on my face a lot.
What have you been doing during quarantine that you haven't before?
Spending more time alone. In New York so much of your life is taken by the throes of the city which I don’t really like. So many folks I’ve been talking to have been mentioning how they actually welcome this rest. It’s just painful because clearly, the grief is still there. So, it’s examining the sadness of the moment, of the 132,000 (plus) people who have died, the death of Toyin Salau, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain… and the constant Black death at the hands of white inferiority. It’s incredibly painful. Even before the revolution started, I had been thinking about how important it is that we take this time to heal, to evolve, to start looking toward the future. This means understand patriarchal, white supremacist and capitalist violence. It’s divesting from these oppressive systems. It’s really understanding that our evolution as a planet and a species relies on us unlearning anti-Blackness, and caring for each other.
