We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joi Purvy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Joi , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
When you’re the only person that looks like you in the room, you’re hyper-visible. It’s a feeling that is often extremely uncomfortable and daunting, but I’ve learned to leverage the “spotlight” so to speak. No matter what you do, there will always be a preconceived notion about the type of person you’re going to be when you meet them, especially when you’re the only one in the room that looks like you.
When I was a kid, I lived in rural Massachusetts and was one of 4 Black kids in my entire elementary school, so needless to say, being the only one in the room that looks like me is something I’m very acquainted with.
I’ve learned to harness that energy and use it to my advantage. It’s become sort of a super power where I use the hyper-visibility in my favor and blow what everyone’s made up perception of me out of the water.
Being the only person that looks like you in the room doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or scary, it can be an opportunity to shine. Especially since they’re gonna be focused on you anyway.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m an artist and musician and being able to say that is literally a dream come true. I play bass, guitar and sing in a queer pop-punk band called Handsome Girl Pretty Boy. We just got booked for a local festival that happens every year called Porch Fest and Mid-South Pride which I’m extremely happy about. We also recently recorded a few songs that I’m extremely excited about releasing soon. I also paint, do embroidery, ceramics, and pretty much any craft I can get my hands on. I’m currently in the process of choosing a print service to launch my own online shop so I can sell prints of my art.
You can also catch me teaching various art classes around Memphis. Keep your eyes peeled!
I’m working on a lot of stuff that I’m super excited about and can’t wait to share
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?
1. Adaptability 2. Patience
3. Authenticity
The thing I can’t stress enough is being patient with yourself and others, staying adaptable so you can be prepared for any and all changes (almost nothing works out the way you imagine –for better or worse) and staying authentic to yourself and your integrity. These three things seems extremely simple, but when you are in different professional environments sometimes it’s extremely easy to get “lost in the sauce”.
Please take care of yourself and pick up some mindful self care practices. And stay hydrated!!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They raised me to be my 100% authentic self and to not care what anyone thinks about me.
You can’t do anything successfully for yourself if you’re doing it based off of what you *think* other people think of you. It’s setting yourself up for an unfulfilling life that will leave you with a lot of regrets.
Being your authentic self is extremely difficult, and can sometimes be very lonely, but once it clicked; my peace of mind, and being true to myself outweighs any sort of loneliness that may occur. And when you’re putting out the right kind of energy (relative to what is right for you), it’s often returned in the same way. Karma is neutral, she only gives you what you put out.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joireneeart.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/xfine_auntiex
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joireneeart/
