Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mariah Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mariah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

My people see me as a “business owner”. When I meet people I want them to know that I am a creator who puts my love for community into my craft. This label doesn’t come close to defining the scope of my values. My brand is not just a business to me, it’s a way of connecting with my community, our ancestors, and affirming our collective ability to create.

I want people to understand that I am not just a ‘business owner’, or even a ‘candle-maker’. I am a creator who wants us all to ignite the flame within ourselves and step into our power!

What motivates me most is recognizing the importance of embracing our ancestry and paying homage to those who persisted so we can exist today. Community-building is a priority for me because caring for each other, as well as those who came before us are essential components in healing as a collective.

Mariah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Mariah, the owner of Cosmic Flame. I handcraft spiritual candles made with 100% natural soy wax. Each candle is delicately crafted with natural herbs, crystals, and intention to assist with manifesting. Each candle is uniquely formulated to help manifest specific things such as spiritual cleansing, prosperity, self-love, renewal, renewal, etc.

My business started in 2020 when I was embarking on my spiritual journey. A candle holds immense spiritual power through its flame, and I thought about ways to enhance it. Adding powerful herbs and crystals, while using ancestral wisdom to assist with manifesting takes it to another level. All of this involves a lot of research, time, energy, and awareness. I spent years developing my expertise for making an effectively burning candle, while also mastering my spiritual rituals during the creation period. My objective is to provide the community with spiritual candles to make them feel good and inspire them to tap into their inner power.

Being a queer Afro-Taino born and raised in East Harlem, I believe underserved communities deserve to have access to unity, resources, and wellness. Honoring those who came before us and prioritizing community-building & connection is essential for collective healing. Through my business, I connect with the community by attending events, contributing to mutual-aids, and providing people with quality handcrafted spiritual candles.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best thing society can do to inspire artists to thrive in a creative ecosystem is to decrease pressure! The pressure to create a certain way, to gain a certain reach, or the pressure to make money. These pressures are what lead to burnout, and prevent creatives from reaching their highest potential.

In a world where the pressures are high for everyone, the world of creativity should be a blissful escape. Let’s keep it that way. Sometimes it’s best to create for yourself first, then you get to share a piece of that with the world when you’re ready.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

We all struggle with the waiting-to-be-better mentality. We put off releasing a product/project, put off sharing our successes, put off taking a new talent seriously because we think we aren’t good enough right now.

I had to unlearn this when I started taking my creative endeavors seriously. Because, let’s face it, we are never going to reach perfection. No matter how amazing we are at something, we are always going to believe we ‘could get better’. So why wait?

I let so many wins go unshared, and so many talents go unexplored because of this. Now, when I’m scared of not being good enough I just lean into the risk and trust that I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: cosmicflame.com
• Instagram: @cosmicflameshop
• Other: Tiktok: @cosmicflameshop

Image Credits
Nadia Manzueta, Sifa Gonzalez, Derek French, Tyler “6” Nelson