My life has been innately negative From the start and it hasn’t stopped the thing I was blessed with was skill to convey message and execute it thoroughly .
A life of a genius’ pain. I don’t live one without the other
My skill helps me stand tall in the face of all adversity pain and trauma, endlessly bittersweet and always a lesson learned. My life as a case study for those that go through it all in life and are unable to field the lessons or see past their trauma to use mine as a guide
The good from my life comes from the greatness of my skill and those that recognise it. My trauma was born with me my pain perpetuated it I having the skill to still work while it exists is no mere feat. Although I don’t ask for applause I ask for us all to do better
i want no company in misery I want the world to love and life for the greatness and betterment of all humanity. My heart pains for all people in terrible situations and I use that pain to paint the canvas in hopes to give somewhat of a reflection in order to heighten minds for a better tomorrow.
My finger is long wrought but I know this is the right way to go. This type of education, learning through art is a vision of mine. Not many are here for it but I hope to create great works that stand the test of time so whenever a group is downtrodden they can look to my words for guidance
While in pain the fastest course of action is Painkillers from Paracetamol to stop a fever and Ibropofen to quell inflammation all the way to Opioids to numb the whole body completely from the real excruciating pain of a crisis.
With such pain it is very important it gets dealt with in haste, however Sickle Cell patients have to deal with being thought of as an addict as they have to use high caliber of drug to deal with insufferable pain. Most of these medications are not available to the general public, as a Sickle Crisis sufferer you are taught from young to stay informed and be vigilant about your medical condition so having such information can be seen as a catch 22, that being said should it really be at the cost of the sufferers?
This particular blog addresses the stigma which tells doctors that Sickle Cell patients are PainKiller addicts on top of not believing black pain as detailed in a portion of humanity — (please check out the blog as they relate heavily) they believe that Sickle Cell patients present as Opioid addicts — this causes some of the patients to have longer wait times and to be tested to ensure to the Doctor in question this patient has Sickle Cell.
These prior exams have a negative effect on patients, further research shows there is no president for Sickle Cell patients ever being addicts. A study shows patients are less likely to get addicted to painkillers due to the natural nature of the pain. All the while America is in the middle of an “Opioid Crisis” and more and more people being hooked on prescription pills like Percocet’s Oxy and Codeine all of which are exactly the pills used to handle chronic pain making it really bad new for Sickle Cell patients who have been lumped in with abusers.
A great deal of Sickle Cell patients as well as I, dislike having to rely on taking certain pain medication more often than not those sufferers who decide to hold off taking pain medication until the last moments. Pain Killers do not cure anything on the part of the patients there relieves the pressure of pain; some situations end up like my anecdotal evidence in Living Through a Crisis.
I have been looked at as an addict more times than I have actually been treated for my pain; prior to ever getting proper attention to my medical emergency, this irks especially when there is no basis scientific or factual basis of this more often than not its a ‘pseudo-analysis based on what presents as signs of addiction…’ I want to changed that.
I do believe though that opioids do not need to be the only solution, Sickle Cell Pain is a symptom of the sickling of blood stuck in the blood vessel; the pathway is blocked so it causes irritation then further pain. That being said painkillers are used to stop feeling the pain while the Sickled blood runs its lifespan.
That being the case there must be other means to help your body stop feeling the pain or to effect the pain area directly. We can only wait for more clinical trials and better studies for how to beat treat this pain and for now it is controlled drugs. There are Studies with Cannabinoid (CBD) oils engineered to help patients suffering with
I used to live my life reactionary to what people thought of my medical condition. I was used to it, so I disengaged early, I wanted to be a normal kid. I did grow curious, some part of me grew to seriously ask myself questions — wanting to understand if what people thought of me through the lens of my condition was the me I actually am — the look of like I’m suddenly part of a lower subset of human; the look of as if I live like a man on death row; the look of a decrepit helpless man. This is the look I find in their eyes.
All those looks were not controlled by me, it would have some very negative effects this fuelled me wanting to find the truth so I did my first ever “Google’s”. My first mistake, (never try find true documentation with the highest google answer). This would play on my mind for a while till I took a real look at what the findings were, I didn’t just search up on Wikipedia or the NHS website I would start to read medical journals and see how it is defined. My findings concluded, its not a death sentence.
(Even further I have come up with hypothesis on how to treat it; that is for another blog. )
How I saw myself looking after my body was different. I didn’t automatically start treating it like a temple. What I knew though is with strong bones, a strong body and cardio vascular system your quality of life will have levelled & or better than the next guy because sickle cell puts you in the position to have to live to a higher standard of nutrition as a basic prerequisite.
With all the people I have seen with the condition (numbering in the hundreds) those with less complaints eat a balanced diet go to the gym to move weights and don’t make reckless decisions, those with the best life have THE BEST LIFESTYLE. I want to stress it does not absolve crisis, it helps the pain tolerance to be higher because the body is generally in better shape and used to the stresses of those physical activities. So the friends that look ‘perfectly healthy’ will participate in sports activities and or socially drink and don’t “look like” they have sickle cell till they tell you look after themselves to a very high standard. Everyone though is healthy till they are not.
This means being an active participant in your health. I listen to my body and assess the situation, when I do that I have better control of my days. I’m not saying there aren’t days I can be gripped by pain, not at all. I know what’s best for me and what’s not so good for me when it comes to activity.
I feel great daily if I look after my body daily. This is something all of my brothers and sisters to know, I’m not the biggest guy but I started with the smallest weights and the shortest session but slowly year after year I gained more inner strength to compose myself and try out for my university Gymnastics team. Being very honest it was the best decision I made as an adult. Making sure within myself that this is my own body I own it, my identity is what I make of it, Sickle Cell is not me it exists while I’m alive but it will not condemn me to a life of fear and destitution.
If this makes sense pass it on, just like the death sentence disease idea that was probably passed on hand this piece of information over too, instead of looking at friends and family with desperate despair maybe this dose of optimism will do you all some good.
The notion I see perpetuated in my fashion circles is, Clare Waight Keller (CWK) failed at Givenchy. I felt that was a bit weird considering how much success she had during the run. Much like Galliano she spent a short while revamping the house while not focusing on Ready To Wear as much and dedicating her time to couture and conceiving a vision of the house for whom she would pass the baton to.
I have my own personal feelings about calling menswear tailoring couture but she spent a great deal of time catering to enhancing the vision of the Givenchy man, one which Matthew Williams will inherit.
Chadwick Boseman in Givenchy Couture
Clare Waight Keller and Mens Couture
After growing so much clientele for menswear CWK emboldened the Nouveau riche to explore the detailing and embroidery women are accustomed to in couture. Such is the growing ideas of Kim Jones at Couture with his past collections with Dior, exceptionally so with his AW20/21 – as he took a nod to Judy Blame, from Marc Bohan.
The intricacies in the work she was attempting to execute for the haute couture was to reinstate a new vision to the eyes of the men who could afford as a long stretch away from Ricardo Tisci graphics work with Rottweilers and Sharks.
The ideas presented were such supposed to be art creating a clientele and inspiration to anyone who would come after allowing one Vision to marry with the next truly passing the baton not just for couture but also for ready to wear as Galliano did for McQueen prior.
Men Dressed in Clare Waight Keller Givenchy
Most of all the idea that there was supposed to be a high focus of sales at Givenchy when for couture that’s never the case it’s creating clientele for the atelier on 3 Avenue George V – if that agenda can be used on Galliano for McQueen, so rightly so it could be used here.
Clare Waight Keller- Money Moves
I’ve taken special consideration to this case especially since Clare has created 2 power house moves in her career, at Pringle and Chloe the narrative is the same, she had a ball of a time creating looks for women to buy in ready to wear reviving a house and selling tremendously. Taking Pringle to a global brand and having Chloe be at $400M in sales the year she left. Both houses, healthy condition, and profitable.
It only stands to reason if her purpose was Ready-To-Wear she would have a 3 peat, instead it was creating couture fit for clientele at the atelier and by my account needed help. She happened to get the greatest press hits for Givenchy 1) as the men she dressed were cited being best dressed in those years, which for the uninitiated brings more hype to Givenchy for them to buy it. 2) She created the Duchess of Sussex Wedding Dress.
Clare Waight Keller Dressing a Princess
Being a royal dressmaker is a star for any fashion designer, here it’s no different. Givenchy is known for dressing Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy but no Princess wedding dresses. The point being made is this bought an esteem to the house that no even the name sake could bring, often times the narrative being spouted isn’t as such a pure one as in this case when we reflect on Clares success it is a crowning achievement in Fashion history and the houses history. If she had only done that, it is a job well done.
Did Clare Waight Keller flop around Givenchy? No
The value of CWK is there and her stats are up on the scoreboard, we can fudge the numbers or look at it with a clear perspective. She did what she was supposed to do and left.
Did she give a new identity to menswear
Did she put Givenchy in the press as a slick Nouveau riche house
Dis she make something for other little princesses to aspire to
is her foundation profitability
Answers to all of that is yes. Now she’s moved on and so shall we.
Being unabashed is something that took a lot of energy from me. 2015 I was educating myself on what it meant to be black in the west, these wasp areas. I was running a business with a non PoC friend of mine and during my education he was frightened at the people that I would listen to because he had this idea of the world that he didn’t know wasn’t true for me, inevitably we parted ways.
Today I have so many new people that are proud to listen to me talk about European designers, when I talk about my Black LGBTQ and ethnic fam the pride isn’t so loud.
No matter what, my references are going to be different because I lived differently and I must be unabashed about it. My idea of beauty has a European sentiment but doesn’t derive from European values, therefore when I create it’s not injecting myself into areas that doesn’t believe me it’s expressing myself to people that know what I’m talking bout. And at times that doesn’t include my European listeners because our references aren’t the same.
I grew up naturally listening to and reviewing white history, leaving out all the black artists, yet suddenly in seeing the black art I instantly knew the references and that’s with my whole spirit, that being said understanding my references isn’t something I’m here to teach but in following me by osmosis you can possibly inherit if you are open to taking it in, and possibly we might get somewhere in this life and I won’t have to acquiesce and being unabashed won’t be a struggle.
I wrote an article years ago now detailing how there was a need for black models. More highly supermodels. Many months ago I came to the conclusion that there needs to be a nurturing system in place to platform these women and cultivate their talents across the board, from perfume and commercial campaigns to editorial and more exclusive contracts, demanding a high price.
Like I said in my previous article it has nothing to do with Naomi she’s a queen and must get her coin however I also have the understanding that I can name black models by name Adut, Aweng, Anok, Imman Duckie are all on my list and I understand their needs to exist. The increase even in Darkskin models is lovely, can still name them all. Nothing wrong with that and I’m not even saying I want to see more of them in European shows what I am saying though is if having Afrocentric models was an intrinsic part of the process it wouldn’t be a sprinkle it would be people that I have never seen before and not the same high profile names walking the shows.
I do want to shout out @fewmodels and @modelsofcolour for sharing and cultivating runway talent. It’s important that there are agencies that care for their model’s looks and regimented needs. All important parts of the process in fostering growth in these young talents.
What Mowalola is doing though. The reason people call her #mummylola is she’s giving us reason to gage the importance of representation and the quality that is out there. Her girls are in any event from obscurity, obvious models with IT! she is giving to us is the formulae (which I won’t spill too much of) – to exhibit a style character and face to what you would consider the face of a house.
Representation matters and spaces matter a space where people can be free of the eye of critics and live as they are as well as be placed in the open unabashed and unashamed, never feeling the need to shrink themselves to fit in. Representation plainly should be an intrinsic part of the performance from the top down and Mowalola is doing that.
