in the company of women, 2016 by grace bonney (@designsponge).
Thelma Golden, Museum Director & Chief Curator New York, NY
? • Name a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night.
“I like to think of challenges as opportunities as opportunities- opportunities to think differently & create something new & I welcome the charge I get from acknowledging them as such”
Cheryl Day, Baker, Author Savannah, GA
? • What did you want to be when you were a child?
“I wanted to be an actor, photographer, and writer. I’ve wanted to live a creative life for as long as I can remember. ”
Sarah Neuburger, Artist & Designer Decatur, GA
? • In your opinion, what are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business?
from In the Company of Women, 2016 pg. 88
Lisa Folawiyo, Fashion Designer Lagos, Nigeria
? • What tool, object, or ritual could you not live without in your workday?
“My ritual would be prayer. Tool would be my iPhone. And of course, some Instagramming is necessary.”
Issa Rae, Writer, Director, & Actor Los Angeles, CA
? • What is your favourite thing about your workspace?
“That it’s ever-changing. I rotate between my home desk, Starbucks, a coffee shop/ restaurant down the street from my house, a café downtown, & the library in my building. I need variation or to feel like I’m stepping into somewhere where others are being productive. It feels like community work that way.”
Martine Rose, Fashion Designer London, England
? • In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
“There isn’t one thing that I do; I think it’s a collection of things that gets me through. I practice meditation & have been doing that for around ten years. I should do it everyday, but during times when I am really struggling, I practice everyday & it’s an enormous source of comfort & motivation. Also, I rely heavily on my family & friends. I retreat into a space where I can access a sense of scale & perspective, as this is often what I struggle with during these difficult times. ”
Nikki Giovanni, Poet & Professor, Blacksburg, VA
? • Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success?
“Mistakes are a fact of life; they are building blocks, stepping-stones, the way we learn new things. Columbus wasn’t looking for a New World, he was searching for a route to spices. All mistakes teach us something, so they are, in reality, no mistakes. Just things we learn.”
Carla Hall, Chef & Television Host Washington, DC
? • What characteristic do you most admire in other creative women?
“Their ability to be comfortable with their uniqueness, be it their ideas that are out of the box, their fashion sense, their overall quirkiness, or just their confident sense of self. In a world where so many are trying to be like the majority, it’s refreshing to see women, courageously, own who they are.”
Eileen Fisher, Fashion Designer & Entrepreneur Irvington, NY
? • What does the world need more of? Less of?
“The world needs more love, happiness, & joy & less stuff. You still need stuff, just the right stuff. ”
Anishka Clarke, Interior Designer, Brooklyn, NY
? • What quotation or saying inspires and motivates you to be yourself and do what you love?
“It takes ten years to become an overnight success.”
Thank you Aunt Paula for gifting me this book that doubles as both functional reading & slick coffee table decor.
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