Picture this: A black woman blogger + creator, building her website + brand with a black woman-owned creative marketing agency at a black woman-owned coffee shop! Pinch ME – A DREAM!!!
Monica of Creators + Company and I visited Archive, a culture coffee shop owned by Cheryse Terry on the west side of Charlotte, NC, to work on my blog/passion project. And hunty, the vibes were top-tier! Rich history, melanin on melanin, aesthetics out of this world, and the playlist hit different. We only planned to be there briefly and ended up working until close. I knew I wanted to find more work-friendly spaces that bred creative inspiration, and chillleeee, we hit the jackpot with this one.
During our time at Archive CLT, a sweet precious auntie serving looks in her ‘Black Votes Matters’ shirt came over to chat about a rack of children's books behind our table. She mentioned reading those books to her children growing up and said, “That’s real history right there.” Auntie got me thinking, so of course, in all true #OutlooksByT fashion, I’ve got a dope thought to share.
Archive, in its true definition, got me thinking about the power of looking back + reaching in. Upon starting this blog, I was inspired to look back in the archives of old journals, content, and creative work from the past, and this truth set with me; "It's been in you all along, T!" Looking through old writing and inspirations; I came to grips with the fashion, inspiration, and light breeds from a natural/internal place. Do you know when you're looking for something in your closet, and then you recover something you forgot you even owned? It's like shopping for a brand-new piece. Instead of getting something new, you recover fresh inspiration from something already in your possession. That is the power of the archive. Recognizing that what's IN you has been in there ALL along. You have to discover the power of what's already in your hands.
Authenticity starts with the archive --- to look back is to look IN. All you have is all you need to birth the power of something FRESH. What's already your possession that you're overlooking, friend? Take a look in the archives --- fresh inspiration is awaiting you. It's not on you; it's in you.
If you need a dope spot to meet up for coffee, work on a passion project, or grab some blackity black inspiration, Archive gon' hold you down!!
If you’re a small business owner or creator and need to build or revamp your brand, Creators & Company gon' hold you down!!
Listen, it's woman empowerment Wednesday, and I’m here to celebrate the gworlllsss hunty! Black women — that’s the post! Period.
With Love,
Your Girl T
Comments