

If there's one thing this pandemic has taught me, it's the importance of intentionally cultivating a space of my own. They say your home should be your sanctuary and while I ascribed to that notion in the idealistic sense--it took a forcible stay indoors for me to really lean into it. And when I say lean into it, I mean I REALLY leaned into it. From pillows to canvases to throw blankets and succulents, any and all things related to elevating and enhancing a space, I'm now totally here for.
And if you're anything like me, you realize that curating your space--during a time where we're not quite sure if we're still working from home or living at work--is a necessary key to maintaining a sense of peace in the midst of all this chaos. And that's exactly why we've rounded up a few of our fave WFH aesthetics to hopefully inspire you to add a bit more flavor to your futon or little color to your loveseat.
So if you're ready to spice up your space, read on to feel all the home decor feels and get to it!
Monroe Steele
It's the mostly neutral palette with the pops of color and plants for me. Monroe has always been beauty and style goals, but her Harlem home is giving major Work and Chill vibes. From the living room to her bedroom, I see why they say there's no place like New York.
Karen Blanchard
This space screams "vintage, but make it chic". And the muted colors in contrast with the gold accents instantly elevates this room from a boring home office to an ornate addition to your overall home decor. But with a mirror like that, it'll definitely be tempting to just stand there and take selfies all day. Just make sure to get that work done first, sis!
Jasmyn Lawson
There's a reason why Jasmyn's space was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. And that's because the wide-range of jewel tones and Black art fully encompasses modern millennial space that's conducive to working, writing, painting, and everything else in between. (Can we talk about that green sofa, we'll take two!)
Melissa's Wardrobe
I don't know about you, but every time we see a monochromatic look--whether it be in clothes or interior design, something inside us applauds. From the sofas to the rugs to the art on the wall, this space is sure to be the topic of conversation in all of your Zoom calls. And keeping the palette calm with black and white accents is never a bad idea either.
Apron Saint
I can't tell if it's the beehive-esque layout of the shelves or the sprawling plants that make us fall more and more in love with this space. It's cozy yet, spacious enough to promote creation of your best and brightest ideas. Coffee and a notebook not included though.
Dominique Gebru
While we may not have enough books to fill up these beautiful shelves like our good sis Dominique, we can still take cues from her decor. The marigold curtains. The hunter green pillows? We're ready to curl up for an after-work glass of wine, like yesterday.
Bethany
If this pandemic has turned your thumb green, then this space is right up your alley. Get one with nature and one with your coworkers (socially distanced, of course) with this calm, earthy aesthetic. Plants sold separately, so head to your nearest florist shop if you want to incorporate these lively additions.
McKenzie Renae
MJ may be the King of Pop, but we just might dub McKenzie Renae the queen of home decor. The exposed brick, velvet couch, the leopard pillows? Get into it! And the gold accents definitely pull the space together to give it a sleek, stylish vibe.
Cynthia Andrew
For all the girls who love color-blocking and pattern-mixing, this space is definitely for you! Whether you choose to go hard with the pillows or accent rugs, the key here is to let your true colors shine through. No pun intended. This space is sure to brighten up even the bleakest of virtual meetings.
Ezinma
We've got one word and one word only for you: WALLPAPER. This bold choice is guaranteed to be the showstopper and conversation-starter no matter what. And by keeping the rest of the decor muted and neutral, let's just say we'll be taking all our meetings in bed for the rest of the day.
Join our xoTribe, an exclusive community dedicated to YOU and your stories and all things xoNecole. Be a part of a growing community of women from all over the world who come together to uplift, inspire, and inform each other on all things related to the glow up. We drop xoNecole events and special opportunities into our Tribe first.
Featured image by Shutterstock
Writer. Empath. Escapist. Young, gifted, and Black. Shanelle Genai is a proud Southern girl in a serious relationship with celebrity interviews, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and long walks down Sephora aisles. Keep up with her on IG @shanellegenai.
'Black Girl Magic' Poet Mahogany L. Browne Talks Banned Books And The Power Of The Creative Pivot
You know you’re dealing with a truly talented and profound voice of a generation when the powers that be attempt to silence it. As a poet, educator, and cultural curator, Mahogany L. Browne has carved out a powerful space in the world of literature and beyond.
From penning the viral poem, “Black Girl Magic,” to writing Woke: A Young Poet’s Call To Justice (a book once banned from a Boston school library), to becoming the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize winner and a poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center—her path exemplifies resilience, reinvention, and unapologetic artistry. She's published more than 40 works and paid the bills with her craft, a divine dream for many creatives seeking release, autonomy, and freedom in a tough economic climate.
A Goddard College graduate, who earned an MFA from Pratt Institute and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Marymount Manhattan College, Mahogany offers unapologetic realness with a side of grace and empowerment. "I started touring locally. I started creating chat books so that those poems will go in the hands of the people who were sitting in the rooms," she shared.
"And then I started facilitating poetry workshops, so I used my chat books as curriculum. And that, in turn, allowed me to further invest in my art and show the community and people who were hiring me that it wasn't just a one-off, that it's not just, you know, a fly by night—that I am invested in this art as much as I am invested in your community, in your children's learning, in our growth."
Mahogany has a special way of moving audiences, and her superpower sparks shifts in perspective, post-performance introspection, and strengthening of community bonds, especially among Black women. (One can undeniably recognize her gift for arousal of the spirit and mind merely from her listening to her insights from the other side of a Google Hangout call. I can only imagine the soul-stirring, top-tier sensory encounter when watching her perform in person.)
In this chat with xoNecole, Mahogany reflects on sustaining a creative career, the aftermath of writing a banned book, and using poetry for both healing, community-building, and activism.
Anthony Artis
xoNecole: What are three key things that have laid the foundation for a sustainable creative career for you?
Mahogany L Browne: What has helped me is that I'm willing to go in being an expert at knowing poetry and knowing the way in which art can change the landscape of our lives, not just as a poet, but also as a poetry facilitator. How you move through classes, those things are mastered, right? So when I go into another space that's maybe tech-heavy, I don't mind learning and being, you know, a student of the wonder of how we can make this magic, work together.
Two, you’ve got to know how to pivot. Sometimes we say, ‘Alright, this is what my life is going to be. I'm going to be a New York Times best-selling author. I'm going to, you know, have an album that's Grammy-nominated. And then, say you get dropped from your record label. That doesn't mean you can't make an album anymore. You can also still create an album that can be submitted to the Grammys. So, what does a pivot look like as an artist who doesn't have an institution behind them? Pivot being a student of the wonder.
Relationships also really help. How do I serve the community? And in turn, that tells me how the community can show up. For me, I have long-standing ties with a community that will outlast my one life. So, what does it mean to create space where these relationships can develop, can be nurtured, can be rooted, can be cultivated? Creating space—it happens through relationships.
xoN: With today’s economic challenges, what does your current creative process look like, and what are you working on?
MB: I’m always thinking five years ahead. I just reviewed the pages for two children’s books and recently released a YA novel. I’m drafting an adult fiction manuscript now.
Anything I create is founded with the root of poetry, but it can exist in captions. It can exist in commercials. It can exist as a musical. So that's where I’m at now.
xoN: You started performing "Black Girl Magic" in 2013, had an acclaimed performance of it via PBS and the work went on to viral success shortly after. Talk more about the inspiration. And what do you think about the continued relevance more than a decade later?
MB: I wrote it as a rally cry for the mothers who had been keeping themselves truly in harm's way by, you know, being a part of the community right after the death of their child or their loved one. They are usually mothers of victims of police brutality—and just seeing how they showed up in these community spaces, they are devout to the cause but obviously still grieving.
"I wanted this poem to be just a space of reclamation, of joy and of you, of your light, of your shine, of your brilliance, in any which way in which you fashion. Every room you enter is the room you deserve to be in. What does it mean to have a poem like that that exists?"
And the first time I did the poem, the Weeping that occurred, right? It was like this blood-letting of sorts. The next time I performed it, I'm moved to tears because I'm seeing how it's affecting other women who have just been waiting to hear, ‘You belong. You deserve. You are good. We see you. Thank you, despite everything that they said to make you regret being born in this beautiful brown, dark-skinned, light-skinned, but Black body.’
Black women are the backbone—period. Point blank. And so, that that poem became a necessity, not just to the fortitude of Black women in the community, but like you know, in service of healing the Black women.
xoN: One of your books was banned at a school in Boston, and it was later reinstated due to parental and activist support. What was that experience like?
MB: Well, I think it happened because they were racist. That's it. Point blank. The reversal of it was empowering, right? I realized, oh, I thought we just had to sit here and be on a banned book list. But no, parents are actually the leaders of this charge.
So to see that, the parents said, ‘Nah, we're not gonna let you take this book out of my baby’s school just because it's a Black kid on the front saying, ‘Woke’ and they're talking about being a global citizen. They're talking about accountability. They're talking about accessibility. They're talking about allyship, and you don't want them to have compassion or empathy or have even an understanding, right? So no, we rebuke that, and we want this book here anyway.’ To see that happen in that way. I was, like, reaffirmed. Absolutely.
xoN: You recently organized the Black Girl Magic Ball at the Lincoln Center in New York. Honorees included author and entrepreneur Rachel Cargle and National Black Theater CEO Sade Lythcott. What impact did it have and what expanded legacy do you hope to leave with your creative works?
MB: I was really interested in not celebrating just the book, but celebrating the community that made the book possible. And so I gave out five awards to women doing that thing, like, what does it mean to be a Black girl in this world?
I just thought it was gonna be an amazing time. Everybody's gonna dress up—we're gonna celebrate each other. And boom, I then realized that it responded to like a gaping hole. There was a missing thing for Black girls of all walks of life, all ages, right?
"It's very intergenerational. That was intentional to come together and celebrate just being us."
You have all these instances where just being you is either the butt of a joke or it's diminished and not worthy of a specific title in these larger institutions. So what does it mean to just to be loved up on and celebrated?
It felt like a self-care project at first. You know, for the first couple of years, folks were coming and they were getting that sisterhood. They were getting that tribe work that they were missing in their everyday lives.
I love the Black Girl Magic Ball because we got us. If I go out with a bang, they'll remember that Mahogany worked her a** off to make sure all the Black girls everywhere knew that she was the light. We are the blueprint.
For more information on Mahogany L. Browne, her work, and her future projects, visit her website or follow her on IG @mobrowne.
Featured image by Anthony Artis
How To Do A Mid-Year Check-In & Evaluate Your Yearly Progress
Believe us when we say we can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year — which means it’s time to pause, reflect, and check in on our New Year goals.
Reaching the midpoint of the year is the perfect opportunity to evaluate the progress we’ve made on the goals, celebrate successes, and identify areas for improvement. A mid-year check-in helps you stay on track with your vision and allows you to realign your strategies for the months ahead.
Because you are the best business you’ll ever invest in, asking yourself the right questions to identify your achievements, challenges, and areas to adjust will give you a new and clear action plan for the remainder of the year. Time moves fast, and with this mid-year check-in, you’ll have a guide to know where to put your time and energy, so by December 31, you won’t wonder where it went.
Let's dive in on the best questions to ask yourself to make the second half of the year even more successful than the first.
1.Start By Reviewing Your Goals:
At the start of the year, you might have had an outlook on what you desired from your year that may or may not still align with where you are now. A lot can change in six months — both good and bad — so take a look at how your goals still align with the June version of you versus the January version of you to see if they’re still relevant. Have any priorities changed? Evaluate these changes and adjust as you see fit.
2.Identify Your Successes:
Where have you had a win this year? In your physical health? Your social life? Did you start a new business endeavor or get a job promotion? If so, celebrate those milestones. Life can move so fast that we often forget to take a moment to acknowledge our success and quickly move on to the next. Take the time to embrace your wins fully.
3.Set New Goals if Necessary:
Now, it’s time to get back to the drawing board. It’s okay if your circumstances and priorities have changed since setting your goals — redefining your aims is all a part of the process.
Is there a new area of opportunity that you’ve been presented with? Is there a big goal that you’ve found could be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks? Maybe there’s extra support you might need from a mentor or life coach. Don’t hesitate to ask for help or delegate tasks where necessary because it could take you a lot longer than going alone.
4.Ask Yourself These Reflective Questions:
As you embark on this reflective journey, consider the following questions to gain deeper insights and set a clear path for the rest of the year:
- What have I accomplished so far this year?
- What challenges have I faced, and how did I overcome them in the next half of the year?
- Are my original goals still aligned with my overall vision?
- What new opportunities or goals have emerged?
- Is there a new skill set or system I can incorporate into my daily routine?
- What resources or support do I need to achieve my goals?
- When have I felt most proud of myself this year?
5.Stay Motivated and Practice Gratitude:
While life doesn’t always go as we hope, the simple fact that you’re aiming for greatness is an achievement in itself. When we acknowledge our progress from a place of gratitude, it can reinforce our commitment and belief to succeed. Your personal progress is the only measure of success you need; no need for comparison or negative self-talk when you feel like you’re coming up short. When you stake your success up against yourself, you’ve already won.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Unsplash
Originally published on June 3, 2024