We were lucky to catch up with Zavia Empey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Zavia, 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?
Being creative comes naturally to me. This started at a tender age when I became drawn to art, food, fashion and just culture in general. My fascination with the arts grew with me at every point in my life, no matter what career I was in; I would find myself always wanting to help by using my creativity. I keep my creativity alive by just doing the things I’m passionate about and sharing my ideas and creativity with others.
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 grew up in the beautiful island of Jamaica and my love for art and culture was molded there. Our motto is “Out of many, one people”, which simply means that Jamaica is a melting pot of culture (based on all the various races who call it home), but we are all one people. This caused me to experience food, art and culture from all over the world and just fell in love with the arts. Throughout my schooling and even in college I was either a part of a dance club or a teacher in charge of a dance club. I loved music and often remember my dad playing his vinyls, me listening to music on the radio or even going to someone’s wake where there used to be bands playing music to celebrate the life of the deceased.
When faced with a difficult time in my life due to an autoimmune illness, I realized that I was just living to work and pay bills, and dealing with the stresses of life. These were robbing me of my creativity and I decided to put a stop to it. I started to research handmade products that I could make and since I love fashion, I started off with handmade jewelry, handmade sandals and I used to paint on T-shirts.
Today, I am a fashion designer, chef and a teacher. I enjoy creating whether it be paintings, teaching others, designing my own prints for clothes and making beautiful, tasty food. These are truly special to me especially because of the impact that I see my products having on the people who have experienced my brands. In 2024, I am embarking on a new journey of helping other creative individuals to find the success that I’ve been able to have.
I will be having a series of pop up markets in my local community where I am inviting local chefs, bartenders, fashion designers, jewelry makers, other small artisans and creatives to showcase and sell their products. My new baby is called “ Pop Up Street, Cape Cod”. I want to give these artists a platform to not only bring their art to the Cape but internationally. Artist who participate in the pop ups will have the chance to collaborate with my lifestyle brand called Zavia Walker on various handmade, lifestyle products that are influenced by our surroundings, our backgrounds, culture etc. This is my little way of connecting us as a people. We are all different, but we are all the same and I truly believe that food, art and culture is a great way of connecting with others who may not be familiar with one’s culture but also an opportunity to teach others about one’s culture.
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?
Three areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were: 1. Nothing is wrong with starting over. Starting over can sometimes be exactly what we need and this applies to many other areas of our lives.
2. If you are very passionate about something that makes you happy, makes you feel relaxed, then this is a great way to explore your creativity and possibly make an income from it.
3. Always be confident in yourself and your abilities because to me life is about being a lifelong learner; so be confident in yourself throughout the entire journey no matter how many times you feel like giving up, as confidence is always a driving force in success.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
We all know that stress is a normal occurring thing but sometimes we may experience chronic stress which overwhelms us. This is at the top of my list for 2024 because I’ll definitely be prioritizing self care going forward. So my advice when you feel overwhelmed are: 1. Self care through the day through journaling which can be done in the morning as you plan your day, or before bed. You can also meditate and/or do deep breathing exercises; even 5 mins in the morning, at lunch and before bed. Take care of your skin by drinking lots of water.
2. Repeating affirmations throughout the day is another strategy that I employ. Firstly, remembering the affirmations and repeating them is a good activity to exercise your brain. Plus, they truly work, when combined with hard work and dedication and they always put me in a better mood.
3. Stretching and keeping the body moving will always make you feel better. These are good for your health as they will decrease cortisol levels which will aid in you feeling more relaxed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.popupstreetcapecod.com
- Instagram: @popupstreetcapecod
- Facebook: @popupstreetcapecod
- Linkedin: www.LinkedIn.com/zaviawalker-empey
