We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adrea Curry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Adrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I have been practicing as a Registered Nurse since 2008. Nursing has provided me with invaluable information and experience that I can never take for granted. However, I have always had a passion to help people in other capacities rather than just in a traditional medical sense. When I moved to Savannah in 2018, not only did I find myself but I decided to embark on a different path to embody natural and holistic healing. This was my defining moment in Savannah, on the beach under the moonlight where I created Curly Quintessa LLC. I decided that I wanted to embrace my natural curl pattern given to me by my ancestors, study the indigenous traditions of my heritage, honor the melanin in my skin as well as working with herbs/crystals to offer people a natural alternative to healing. Since that moment, I have expanded my business to include handmade jewelry, waist beads, beaded spiritual items, Reiki Master Level 1 and herb/botanical infused hair and skincare.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Healthcare is an amazing field to work in but it doesn’t allow me to express myself creatively. I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky where I received a Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing in 2008 as a Registered Nurse. After moving to St. Louis, Missouri I completed a Master’s in Healthcare Administration degree. In 2018, I moved to Savannah, Georgia to experience living in a warm climate year around. Little did I know, I would undergo a shift in my identity and in my life overall. I went through a divorce, stopped straightening my hair and began a spiritual path centered around the West African Tradition that is often regarded as taboo. Through all of these shifts and changes, I began to love the woman I was becoming…. A woman embracing her melanin, natural hair pattern my ancestral connection to the Motherland. Under the full moon, on the beach of Savannah I fell in love with myself and I decided to create a business to explore my creative and spiritual side and Curly Quintessa LLC was born. I decided to call it “Curly Quintessa” because I have curly hair and most people can say my middle name Quintessa easier versus my first name Adrea. In 2020, I became “elevated” in Isese. a West African traditional spiritual system and received a new name Adetutu Fayemi. Now, most people call me Tutu for short which means cool. Last year, I completed Reiki Master Level 1 while studying other holistic and natural healing methods. Today, Curly Quintessa has an online shop where you can find handmade jewelry with crystals/stones, beaded spiritual items and herb/botanical infused skin as well as haircare.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I learned is that family isn’t always blood related. In my late 20s, I came out to my family as a lesbian. Growing up in a strict southern Baptist household, being different was frowned upon. I waited to come out of the closet at that time because I knew that it was a possibility I would lose my family if I lived my truth. My gut instinct was correct and my sexuality caused almost an 8 year gap in my life where I didn’t have any contact with my family. If it wasn’t for my bestfriends and childhood friends supporting me, I wouldn’t have made it. I am forever grateful for my bestfriends Krishanda Potter and Nechelle Burns for staying my side during my journey. In 202o, I reconnected with my family and also gained a new chosen family when I began to practice the spiritual system, Isese.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had a pivot in life around the year of 2015. I grew up believing that I couldn’t have a happy life or be close to the divine as a lesbian woman as a result what I was taught in church. In 2019, I was studying Hinduism and developed a connection to a Goddess Kali. I connected to her because of how she was portrayed, a woman with blue or black skin, multiple arms, tongue hanging out and a garland of arms and legs around her neck. In my immediate family, I have the darkest skin complexion that was not always celebrated. However, I felt strength in Kali’s black skin and fell in love with mine. I decided to get a tattoo of her on my right arm by a transman person of latino descent. We started talking about spirituality during my tattoo session and she told me about their faith as a practitioner of Lukumi or Santeria. She spoke of Yemaya, the Orisha of the ocean who loves, nurtures her children while giving life to the entire world. I began to study her and developed a connection to the divine feminine in a different way. The following year, I met my Godmother, Asia Raney aka Iya Ifatola from Nola and under her guidance I became “elevated” and began my path as a practitioner of Ifa or Isese.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.curlyquintessa.com
• Instagram: Curly_Quintessa, CurlyQ_GoddessShop