Meet Shange Jaara Lilaa

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shange Jaara Lilaa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shange , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Creativity is what keeps me alive. It’s been in my bones since I was a child and is still my way of navigating life. From music, dance, the designs in my cornrows, to the beads I adorned my braids with, creativity has always been there. It’s helped me through insecurities, encouraged me to explore and reinvent myself throughout the years. For example, when I didn’t have the clothes I wanted, I learned to repurpose what I had, and turned it into something that was uniquely me. My relationship with my 4c hair evolved through creativity. Back in the day, I was rocking a mohawk, sew-ins, wigs, crochet styles, braids down to my knees, and in every color under the sun. In 2019, my loc journey became an intentional expression of creativity, spirituality, and connectivity to myself; a voyage of embracing my true self without any cover-up. During the moments when I felt my voice was unheard, I sang. When I felt stuck, I remembered that my ancestors used movement as medicine. When I was sick or in pain, I found myself creating the herbal remedies they once used. To keep my creativity alive I stay in touch with my roots, traveling, embracing new forms of expression, connecting with nature, and honoring the wisdom of my honorable ancestors of the highest vibration.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a student of life first and foremost. As a creative practitioner, I offer handcrafted self-care products, including body butters, herbal salves, body oils, hair and scalp treatments, tinctures, herbal tea blends, and more. I also host creative somatic expression workshops that use vocal toning and sacred movement as healing modalities.

I curate both in-person and virtual spaces for people—mostly women—from all walks of life, providing a space for them to express what they need to express in order to feel present. My work encourages individuals to seek creativity, spirituality, and connectivity as tools to fulfill their purpose.

I am a digital media enthusiast and special event organizer, currently working with young adults (ages 18–24) who are interested in learning how to create digital media content, such as flyers, reels, banners, pitch decks, and style guides. I am also a singer and actress. Simply put, I am all that I am.

I’m excited to announce that my work is capturing the attention of people from around the world, which is granting me opportunities for travel and community connection. It’s a blessing and everything I dreamed of experiencing.

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?

Looking back, the three most impactful qualities on my journey have been creativity, spirituality, and connectivity for sure. Creativity has been the foundation of everything I do. Creativity is how I express myself and connect with myself and others. My advice for those early in their journey is to stay open to new experiences and find ways to express yourself authentically. Don’t be afraid to experiment and take risks.

Spirituality has also played a major role in grounding, protecting, and inspiring me. For those just beginning their journey, I encourage you to explore different spiritual practice that resonate with you. Trust your intuition and allow your spirituality to evolve, again, in a way that feels right for YOU.

Connectivity with myself and others has been so important in helping me build community and gain clarity around my purpose. I’ve seen how powerful it is to create spaces for myself to feel seen and heard authentically, and for others to have access to that same experience for themselves. For those early in their journey, I would say, build connections with like-minded individuals who inspire you, and ask for help when you require it.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I love a moment to manifest. I’m looking for mentors in the creative, spiritual, and community-based fields—people who are dedicated to uplifting the frequency within themselves and the world through creativity, spirituality, and connectivity. I’m interested in connecting with artists, healing practitioners, and community activists to do the work required to uplift ourselves within a community space. That means taking a moment for personal development, so that when we show up in our communities, we approach people from a place of wholeness and wellness.

I’m also looking for funders who are interested in donating to my business, Rebel Assemblage LLC, because we’ve got bills to pay, okay?

I’m envisioning sacred healing spaces where play is encouraged, prayer is welcome, artistic expression is expected, stillness is respected, authenticity is required, and healing is inspired. These spaces will be places where people from all walks of life can be fed in all ways—where they can take a break from the outside world and enter an oasis to reconnect with themselves. Whether through grounding, beading, resting, massages, sound healing, journaling, ceramics, watching a movie, skating, hooping, or flying a kite, I want to offer a variety of experiences that nurture mind, body, and spirit.

My goal is to create various brick-and-mortar locations around the world to facilitate these kinds of spaces. Education, life skills, and my self-care products will still very much be part of the offering, and I will absolutely be incorporating local people from each region to be a part of the experience. Those interested in collaborating can contact me at [email protected]. Thank you so much!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rebelassemblage.com
• Instagram: shangejaaralilaa
• Facebook: Rebel Assemblage LLC
• Youtube: rebelassemblagellc

Image Credits

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