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

Emma, appreciate you joining us today. Have you (or your work) ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I was always the outsider. It wasn’t that I didn’t have friends… I did, but I never truly felt like I belonged with them.

You see, I’ve always been socially awkward, and honestly, not much has changed. Crowds have always made me uncomfortable, and I’ve always found solace in tight-knit groups. To make matters worse, I struggled to keep up with language. You see, I was born in Ghana but have lived in three different continents.

My journey began in Ghana, but when I was just two years old, my family moved to the UK where I spent my formative years. Life was good back then; well, maybe it was just my ignorance as a child. However, when my family returned to Ghana during my teenage years, that’s when it really hit me – I was different. First of all, I had a British accent when hardly anyone else did! On top of that, I couldn’t comprehend or speak any of the many Ghanaian dialects. And guess what? I was still socially awkward and timid; you name it, I had it.

But despite everything, I gave my best shot at fitting in. Yet they teased me to my face and behind my back. It hurt so much because I couldn’t understand why the other kids were so mean.

My entire adolescence was spent trying to fit in. Sure, I had a few friends who are still by my side today, but popularity was never something that came naturally to me.

Then as a young adult, I made the life-changing decision to move to the US for university. This was my sanctuary! There were students from all over the world, each one fascinated by the other’s culture and heritage. Finally, I felt like I belonged!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Hello, I’m Emma Barnafo. I wear many hats but for the purpose of this conversation, I am a Biologist by profession but a crochetier, tea connoisseur and Self-love + Self-care advocate in every other waking moment.

I strongly believe in finding balance and being kind to oneself. While I absolutely love and feel incredibly honored to be a biologist, it can sometimes take a toll on me. To maintain balance in my life, I tapped into the ‘artsy’ part of my brain and discovered my passion for crochet.

Crochet can be an expensive hobby, so as a birthday gift to myself back in 2012, I registered my then potential business with my state without even having a business plan at the time. I did this as a promise to bless myself and others with my talent.

The name Innate Expressions®, came to me in a dream, and it perfectly represents all that I stand for and believe in.

You see, at it’s core, Innate Expressions® is my way of telling all the young Emma’s of the world who simply ‘want to belong’ that:

– True beauty emanates from within;
– We are beautiful just the way that we are;
– Each of us has unique gifts and talents;
– One size does not fit all
– And finally self-love and self-care are not selfish because we all deserve happiness.

At Innate Expressions®, you will find a delightful collection of crocheted blankets, organic herbal tea and 100% Soy Candles. I also offer custom services where I create personalized gifts and seasonal winter accessories.

Through my handmade pieces, which are all unique, timeless, functional, and crafted with exceptional quality, I aim to inspire you to accept and love yourself a little more and consequently spread love to others. Again, love is truly better when shared. Don’t you think?

In today’s fast-paced world, life can often feel like a never-ending rat race. At Innate Expressions®, I strive to foster a culture of self-love and self-care, and inspire acts of kindness towards others through my meticulously crafted blankets, soothing teas, enchanting candles, and cozy winter accessories. Innate Expressions® aims to be a haven of comfort and encouragement, thereby creating a community that radiates love, compassion, and positive energy.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One vital lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that ‘To be accepted is to be loved’. On the contrary, we must each learn to embrace and love ourselves just as we are so that we can teach others how to treat us. I discovered that the simplest way to achieve this is by living authentically… Being true to oneself. I have shared the backstory of this lesson in the first question about being misunderstood/mischaracterized.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, at Innate Expressions®, I strive to foster a culture of self-love and self-care and subsequently inspire acts of kindness towards others through my meticulously crafted blankets, soothing teas, enchanting candles, and cozy winter accessories.

My hope is that Innate Expressions® will become a haven of comfort and encouragement, thereby creating a community that radiates love, compassion, and positive energy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.innate-expressions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innateexpressions2013/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innateexpressionsllc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/InnateExpressio