We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Earica “EP” Parrish. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Earica “EP” below.
Earica “EP”, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
What sustains my creativity is being able to surrender to the quiet, the mundane, and the stillness of life. I wasn’t always this way, though. And of course, I have moments where my life and schedule can get hectic. But as I get older, I grow to cherish the times when I can sit by the water or lay on the couch and drift into a soft, intentional emptiness. It’s in these pauses that I reset—not just my mind, but my spirit—replenishing the energy I need to create and dream.
Even when I go on my walks, it feels like a kind of meditation, keeping my mind and body in harmony and moving together with ease. Some of my best ideas and images have come from these stretches of wandering. By allowing myself to exist without doing too much or engaging with too many things and people, I find that inspiration flows in naturally. There is beauty in the unhurried, and it’s here that my creativity finds its roots.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Earica, but I go by EP! I’m originally from Southeast Washington, D.C. (and I love my city down). I’ve packed a lot of living into my 20-something years on this earth. My story’s long, so I won’t dive too deep.
I’m a multi-hyphenate creative, bouncing between the arts and marketing spaces respectively. I’m a visual artist and facilitator by passion, and a creative marketing strategist by trade. I think of as living a double life, kinda like Hannah Montana. But thankfully, all my skills intertwine and feed into one another in some ways, so it’s a win-win!
I’m so grateful to be in a space where I’m able to show more of my photo work across the city of Chicago, from The Chicago Art Department to Gallery Guichard. I’m also working on an indie visual arts project called Black in Black & White ©, exploring what love and liberation look like in contemporary society.
I’m a facilitator as well, where I moderate panels and lectures that are topic-based, anything ranging from sustainability, to the state of the creator economy. All of my work starts with keeping inclusivity top of mind, giving voice to those working in different pockets of the media, marketing and the arts spheres. I’ve taken a short break from facilitating discussions and have been more of a participant and active listener these last few months. But I really want to get back to it soon. I really love to connect with people and have open dialogues.
I’ve been sharing more of my writing independently for the last few years, honing my voice, which led to launching a newsletter last year. We recently gave her a name and relaunched it this past summer on Substack! It’s called ‘every other musing’, where I share human-centered insights to help creatives navigate their lives and artistic journeys.
Though my main mediums are writing and photography, I dabble in music too. It’s my escape when I’m not up for writing or creating images. Music is something else that really fuels my creativity, so I decided to mix it into my practice as well.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Oh, this is a hard question, but a fun one! I feel like I’m always learning (and relearning). But the three pieces of advice or knowledge I’ve acquired that I’ve found to be the most helpful for me in my journey are:
1. Pivot when needed: I’m a firm believer that everyday gives us an opportunity to begin again. If something isn’t working out for you, whether it’s your job or the city you’re living in, know that you can always pivot. Only you can make the changes necessary for your growth, whenever you feel it’s right for you to do so.
2. Never waiver on your values: Integrity is everything to me. I’ve been given so much unhelpful, unhealthy, and unsolicited advice in my career–most of which would have required me to change who I am and compromise on my values. When you know something isn’t right for you, and you’re weary of how it’ll affect not only your career but also your character, allow your intuition to guide you in the right direction, and make peace with saying “no”. Stand on business, but also stand up for what it is you know is right.
3. Trust your intuition: Trusting your intuition is essential because you know yourself best. If you’re spiritually led, you recognize discernment as a gift guiding you toward what’s right for you. But God also gave us free will, and we don’t always listen to our intuition. In those moments we can find ourselves pursuing things head on without fully evaluating what’s in front of us. But it’s alright, we all make mistakes and we should give ourselves the grace to make them. It’s part of being human. And it does eventually sharpen your discernment and intuitive decision-making.
Not everything or everyone is meant for you, and when your intuition tells you to retreat, it’s often for your own well-being. Following your instincts can feel isolating, but it’s necessary for self-preservation. The more you trust this inner guide, the better you’ll navigate life with clarity and confidence.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
I’ve been learning to live fully in the present, allowing life to flow as it will. This, I believe, is where I’ve experienced the most growth this past year.
For years, I was in survival mode—never pausing to savor my achievements, always focused on the next goal. Part of that stemmed from having to rely on myself for so long. But now that I’ve built a solid internal foundation and a community around me, I move with a refined confidence in knowing I already have everything I need. The future no longer feels like something to fear, because for all of us, it all ends the same way.
I used to feel like I had to meet certain milestones by a specific age. But I’ve come to make peace with the idea that what’s meant for me will unfold in its own time. Whoever I’m meant to cross paths with in this life, I will do so at its own time. When I let go of the need to control every outcome and allowed God to guide me, everything started to align effortlessly.
Now, I can truly embrace the fruits of my labor and rest in gratitude. We have only this one life, and the real work is to make the most of it while we’re here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://erparrish.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erparrish_/
- Other: Substack: https://erparrish.substack.com/
Image Credits
Personal Photo/Black & White Headshot and the Photo of me surrounded by my framed artwork Photos by Edward Gonzalez
One and The Same – Photo by Earica “EP” Parrish
A Day in Soroa – Photo by Earica “EP” Parrish
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