We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel “Rocky” Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel “Rocky”, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I am happy to be here, what a blessing to share.
I knew it from the age of 5 from my participation in Creative and Performing Arts Training Programs and summer camps. My fondest memories would be at the Illustrious “Freedom Theater” a Creative and Performance hub in North Philadelphia. Friday evenings, and Saturday Mornings were my usual call time for the intense training program for the youth who had the ability to go pro. I would forfeit birthday parties and playdates to train at least 2 times each week in that space. It gave me discipline and pride to create things that would put people in a trance. I loved having that ability. In addition, I just liked being around other creative people who spoke my language.
Rachel “Rocky”, 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 am Rocky and I look at myself as a curator of clothing better known as wardrobe stylist.
I provide Brand imaging services, closet consolidation, and style consulting for fashion production events.
As a person of color I believe you learn very early on about the power of wardrobe and how it can disarm or even create powerful projections about who you are.
Particularly in today’s corporate office I found myself, a black women, not only having to be equipped to do the role but having to dress “to par to seemingly fit the toxic work culture. I took that assignment and ran deeper with my penchant for visual imagination. I had always loved clothes and dressing up but having the ability to create characters through my clothing became my defense mechanism and allowed me to feel powerful even when I was belittled. It is through those exercises that I found the courage to create wardrobe for others.
When dressing a client, I always aim to empower them through their wardrobe, creating visual armor for whatever challenges they may face that day.”
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson I had to unlearn was “Figure out what your niche is “.
It was the initial advice I received when I shared that I wanted to start a styling consultancy business. It was given with the intention of me knowing before I started what separated me from my counterparts. I found this to be a great challenge because what it did for me was put me in a chokehold. So rather than starting the business I would ponder “what made me different?”.
I would struggle with the concept of strategy marketing .
I had to unlearn this philosophy and gain understanding that sometimes you must just do. A Lot of that preparation can kill a lot of creative entrepreneurs “trying to think strategically”. You won’t have the answers to everything because this is something new you never done before and you can’t be afraid to learn “from the doing”
It is from the repetition of doing that you learn critical information about your niche and your target sectors.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to use the time I have on earth doing things that make me happy by sharing my God given talents. I approach every opportunity with this thought “Here is an opportunity to participate in a a creative exercise”
I spend less time thinking about opportunities and more time doing them because I know time on earth is short
It is my hope with the use of this philosophy that I get to realize being a wardrobe stylist for a TV Production such as Harlem, Grownish, or whatever shows the fashion baes are.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestyle_indie/
Image Credits
Randell Moody