Meet Nas’tassia Simpson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nas’tassia Simpson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nas’tassia , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

This is an ongoing question that I have and choose to answer daily- but I would say the most important aspect of determining your purpose is to give yourself one. I think it’s a practice for many of us to look outward to discover what our purpose is, but in reality, it’s a task that you must give yourself if it hasn’t already been done for you. In some countries, children are placed through various assessments to determine what skills they are strongest at, and find out which of them may need more practice.

You must task yourself with that same process. Continue to put yourself in spaces that challenge you, that interest you, that make you wonder. Become angry at something, then ask yourself why and how you can help. There’s always something that only you are able to articulate based on your life, because no one has lived the way you have. You have a very unique perspective, and not everyone will relate to you, but someone will.

No one else matters but yourself and those people, in regards to your talents and how you share them.

I discovered some of my purposes by this process. I wouldn’t say that I’ve completed it, or if the purpose I set out to accomplish is going to be my end goal…but I’ve definitely set out on my journey, and that’s usually the hardest part.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m currently focused on my business as an esthetician and expanding my artistic career at the same time. I have a lot of interests and divide my time accordingly so I can give attention to everything I care about.

As an esthetician, I’d say that I’m not here to impress anyone, I’m more of a guide to help you navigate this world with more awareness so you can make educated and informed choices instead of having to go to into the depths of skincare blind. I’m currently in the process of opening up a studio space in the Dumbo, Brooklyn area! With this, we’ll be partnering up with some of my favorite skincare brands to provide more in person education on how to use products and implement better self skincare practices at home, as well as provide a safe space for POC to learn about wellness and what that can look like.

We’ll also be opening up to corporate wellness partnerships by the end of this year, so keep me in mind if your employer provides corporate wellness, or if your company is doing a wellness day/retreat and would love for someone like me to be present and provide facial massage services, and eventually opening up to full body massages as my team grows.

As a photographer, one of my main goals right now is just to document beautiful things and people, and really hone in on capturing the emotion of the moment I exist in when i press that shutter button. I started off with travel photography, but these days, I’ve been exploring portraiture and how to feel comfortable directing other folks in front of my lens.

For my photography, I’m looking forward to partner up with boutique hotels, business owners, and whoever’s vision aligns with my own/ whoever resonates with my art and would love to collaborate with me on any ideas that they may have to visually articulate their feelings of whatever they are trying to build.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Don’t be afraid to spend time alone. Sometimes the noise will distract you from your own thoughts, especially if you don’t feel mentally fortified yet. I spent a lot of time alone, outdoors and moving my body intentionally, because I wanted to get stronger and didn’t know where to start. The easiest place is with yourself.

2. Give yourself tasks. You can wait around for people to task you with things if you’d like, but remember, they won’t be specific to what you want for yourself and your process. Give yourself something to do- and then do it. That’s the fastest way to continue to move forward.

3. In today’s day and age, your focus is gold. There are so many things put in place to distract you- so many things that are placed in front of you to make you start to doubt yourself and your journey. You have to- you MUST- lock in. And check yourself when you feel yourself locking in on something that isn’t what you want to align yourself with. The ability to lock in will vary from person to person, which I would recommending circling back to #1- during your alone time, spend time discovering how you can self-regulate yourself during hard times, and how to soothe yourself so that you can perform at optimal levels when you choose to.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle was a good place to start for me in regards to reframing my brain to where I am today. I read a lot of books with similar conclusions: a reminder to stay in the present as much as possible. The present is where you can adjust, navigate, and grow your life the most, not to mention…it’s all happening right now, so why not enjoy the moment at hand?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nastassiasays.com
• Instagram: nastassiasays & nastassiaskin
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nastassiasimpson3645

Image Credits

Neriah McBain (@neriahmc) – portrait of me