Moms Who Inspire: Ashley Sirah Nicole Chea
xoNecole's Moms Who Inspire series highlights modern day moms mastering all the tasks on their plate, from day to day responsibilities to ensuring their children are kind, educated and well-rounded human beings. Each mother describes their inspiration, what motherhood means to them, and how they maintain their sense of selves while being the superwoman we all know and love.
For Ashley Sirah Nicole Chea, being a modern mom is anything but playing it by the book.
In fact, the author, writer, mother, and all-around creative being chooses to honor motherhood for what it is: a woman who happens to be a mom. Her identity isn't eclipsed by her being a mother, instead it is an extension of who she is and who she is becoming everyday.
Abby Walters
The blogger behind Watermeloneggrolls was first introduced to the xoNecole audience when she shared her proposal to husband Chea in a love story that proved love has no color. "I was set on marrying a black man that burned incense and listened to Lauryn Hill and Dwele in the late hours of the night like myself. Instead, Chea came into my life with every topical difference possible," she revealed. "Our souls have always been aligned and that is what spoke to our hearts when we met."
Her multicultural marriage to her husband would later be featured on Black Love, OWN's groundbreaking docuseries highlighting love stories from the African-American community. And although the focus is often placed on her epic love with her husband Chea, Ashley is also the co-creator of two other love stories (and one in progress) in the form of her beautiful children.
@watermeloneggrolls
Ashley's first pregnancy at 23 was anything but planned, but she knew she'd be great at it regardless. After experiencing loss when her sister died a year prior, her oldest daughter AmirahLee was a vessel for restored faith she didn't know she needed. Motherhood would be transformative for Ashley, but also whatever she wanted it to be.
As a Mom Who Inspires us, Ashley shares how her faith, her family and her upbringing continually inspire her to thrive as a wife, mother and creator.
@watermeloneggrolls
On what motherhood means to her:
For me, it's a chance to show God's grace.
I believe it's the greatest responsibility in the world. It's my chance to show how great a human can be if you cultivate them with love and respect.
On the three words that represent her approach to motherhood:
Create. Love. Empower. I live by this motto I created for my life, motherhood, and business. If you do all things with this in mind, you will be fine. When I think about their future careers, I want my children to learn from me to do things that make them happy and contribute to this world in a positive way.
On what a typical day in her household looks like:
I make breakfast, homeschool my eldest daughter, play with and help my 19-month-old learn. Work on writing and run around like a chicken with their head cut off. I'm also pregnant [with our third daughter] so I take naps when my husband gets home (laughs).
@watermeloneggrolls
On how she balances work and home life:
There is no such thing. Some days, you are better in one area than you are another. It will always be that way. Accept it and move on.
On what she believes to be true about herself:
I believe that God speaks to me and I always listen. So when I have a deep feeling, desire, dream that shakes my core I act on it. I dreamed about my children's book, woke up in the middle of the night wrote it and it ended up selling out 3k copies and I self-published it. I dreamed about writing a script and I'm doing that now and I know it will manifest.
I don't question anymore, I just do the work and wait for the universe's timing.
On how motherhood led her back to her first love:
I also used to be a ballet dancer, when I became a mother I had to give that career up temporarily to move back to Ohio to raise my child. Once I was there I was spending more time writing and creating. It was challenging because it took my life in a different direction. I ended up creating a children's book and that pushed my career into a whole new direction.
@watermeloneggrolls
On the most important thing motherhood has taught her:
We really don't know anything (laughs). Everything we thought we knew can be challenged and changed.
On what scares her about being a parent:
I'm scared every day. They keep changing and growing and as soon as you master one age they change and get older and that brings new challenges.
I just take it one day at a time and understand that I must evolve with them.
On prioritizing her children's individualism:
I respect them and treat them as humans and not my little robots. They will understand that by me allowing them to be themselves, I've given them the greatest love possible, which is freedom.
@watermeloneggrolls
On how she practices self-care:
By telling my kids and husband no when I feel overwhelmed. It's important my daughters understand that being a mother does not mean we have to over exhaust ourselves.
On her relationship with her mother:
My relationship with my mother was and is very strong. Very open and very encouraging. She's always supported me and pushed me to be my greatest self. She taught us to be respectful, to question and research.
To do things because they mean something and not because everyone else is doing them.
She taught us about mental, spiritual and physical health. I've used those exact tools when raising my children.
On how her mother inspires her:
My mother, she is constantly inspiring me because she hasn't stopped growing or learning. She calls me and tells me things she did wrong, things she wished she did differently and challenges me to read and learn from my mistakes as well as hers. She is growth, and that gives me so much inspiration to do the same.
For more of Ashley and her darling little ones, follow her on Instagram.- Moms Who Inspire: Ashley Sirah Nicole Chea - xoNecole ›
- I Married The Man Of My Dreams Twice - xoNecole ›
Christine Carter is a voice for millennial moms (and uniquely, young black female professionals and mothers). She has been featured in and guest contributed to several global digital publications, including Forbes, TIME, Health, Ebony, Black Bride, Inc., Women's Health and many others.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
Courtesy
Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy