Meet Charlesa Rice

We were lucky to catch up with Charlesa Rice recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charlesa , we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

In August of 2023, I put my creative endeavors on hold to help take care of my dad who was very sick during the time. Being so young while caring for somebody was very hard but I persisted despite the challenges. Over time I became very depressed due to the lack of help I was receiving, on top of dealing with the fact that I was about to lose a parent. I was in an extremely dark place during this time and even contemplated suicide a few times. During this time all I could think about was making my dad proud and how I was going to be able to get back into my creative bag. I had no inspiration and was spending my days either crying or scrolling mindlessly on social media. My support system wasn’t the best during this time, so a lot of stuff I had to deal with on my own emotionally, mentally and physically. Some days it was a struggle to brush my teeth or cook myself a meal. During this time I received a lot of knowledge and wisdom from wise elders around me which led to multiple epiphanies which later helped me exit my year-long depression. Being creative was so hard during this time because I had no motivation or inspiration to do the things that genuinely made me happy. It was also very challenging because people were so used to seeing me happy and creating, so when I wasn’t acting like myself people were curious as to what was wrong with me. For a year I pretty much isolated myself from society and all things “fun”, so I didn’t feel the need to share what I was going through because I knew that the only person who could help me was myself. On top of everything else, I was dealing with financial hardship during the time which made everything else 10 times harder to deal with. In June of 2024, my dad passed away and it hurt me to my core. I had been preparing myself months prior so when it happened I feel as though it didn’t hurt as much. Some days I still wake up wanting to call him or I’ll see things out in the world that remind me of him, that let me know he’s still here with me. After losing a parent I can say I’ve truly experienced a different level of pain that others may not be able to relate to or endure. Despite this time being very difficult I am very grateful for it because it has shaped me into the strong individual that I am today. I am grateful for those that were there for me during this time and I will cherish them forever because they saw me at my lowest and didn’t judge me. Since the passing of my dad, I’ve been a lot more optimistic and inspired by everything, including the pain and daily struggles that I face. I’ve been creating full-time again and have a lot of cool new projects that I’m very excited to share with you all soon.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a 22 year old entrepreneur specializing in modeling and Djing. I also dabble in creative direction, styling, photography and visual arts. Whats most exciting about what I do is that I am able to create a world so specific to me that holds everything I love, and I am able to share it with others so they can enjoy it to.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

discipline integrity and faith are the top three qualities I feel like all entrepreneurs and creatives should embody. As simple as it sounds I encourage anybody who is starting or doing anything to not give up. It can be hard to stick to your craft especially when challenges start to arise in your daily life, but I really encourage you to find a way to create through the pain and dysfunction no matter how uncomfortable it becomes. Faith comes in because deep down I truly believe that all that I’m doing will be worth it in the end, and all the pain and struggle I endured won’t be for nothing.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

my dream client is MOWALOLA. I love her drive and her style and think we would actually get along well. I love the clothing that she designs and her music. I would love to walk for her for Paris or London fashion week or even DJ one of her parties or both. An ideal client for me is someone who is fun, fair and reasonable. We also must share similar vales.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thelittleblackchild
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dj-charlee-114023109?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing