We recently connected with Hewan Tesfaye and have shared our conversation below.
Hewan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My Journey began at the age of Twelve when I left my home town Tigray, Ethiopia; I did not understand my purpose then, but I knew I was passionate about the human mind. I did not quite comprehend my mission, but I understood with the opportunity of moving to the United States, education was essentially the top priority. After discovering the field of Psychology, I decided to pursue an educational cognition of the mind. Hence, why things occurred, how they transpired, what led to the result, and a general insight into how people performed in their day-to-day lives, the difference in how individuals confronted life circumstances, and how people maintain a positive outlook moving forward.
After completing both; my undergrad and graduate studies in Psychology, I am now working towards becoming a licensed therapist for Marriage and family (LMFT). My overall; goal is to open a non-profit mental health establishment in Mekelle, Tigray. Mekelle is the city I grew up in, and in my upbringing, I witnessed many individuals, including some family members, suffer from mental illness (schizophrenia, Anxiety disorder, Bipolar disorder, etc.). We did not have the aids; to fully understand what exactly; was occurring to those suffering: from mental illness; we all presumed it was satanism, or the person was just “crazy,” so the culture was very dismissive of mental health. That’s when my eager fascination with the mind began.
In addition, to my fascination for the mind, I also had an ardent for fashion. I wear clothes based upon my mood; it helped me express and understand myself better (emotionally& mentally). That is when I realized fashion was a coping mechanism for me. However, fashion for me was much bigger than Brand names. It required me to go beyond labels, and concentrate on details, accessories, colors, layers, etc. While discovering my style, I learned I; was drawn to plain clothing, simple shirts, baggy comfortable pants, and assembling it uniquely to stand out. Correspondingly, I also had a high interest in the late 80s-90s fashion sense, so I incorporated that into my unique style- it required creativity, and being creative was essential to me, so was being comfortable in the clothing I wear. After discovering my passion for fashion and the mind, I now utilize fashion as a strategy- to help others express themselves in the nature they desire, to help boost their self-esteem by doing photoshoots as a stylist and a photographer.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a therapist with a passion for fashion and entertainment. I am a part-time model, stylist/ photographer, Youtube vlogger, and entrepreneur. I Style and do photography by collaborating with local models and creatives to expand my networking skills, gain experience, and acquire a source of income. My proudest moment was when I began my Youtube Journey, In November of 2020, due to a genocidal war that got- declared in my home town Tigray, Ethiopia, by Ethiopian & Eritrean soldiers. I began vlogging each protest city-by-city to document our continuing struggle in being the voice for our people who are presently experiencing a genocide. In addition to recording the protests, I formed a community full of supports who encouraged me to do more. I utilize my channel to advocate for my people; in Tigray and share my life experience with people via storytime, Q&A, and more.
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For me, being; authentically RAW in everything I share is very important to me. So, overexpressing and oversharing are all a part of the creative journey, because, for me, my purpose is to be as relatable as possible. However, being a raw creative is not as valued as it should be. Many people underestimate and indict creatives of chasing “clout” or neglect to support them due to internal fears, jealousy, and more. This could lead to creatives feeling discouraged from sharing their work due to the lack of support. My advice, focus your vision and attention with your passion and believe that your creative work will align you with the right audience.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
In this social media age, authenticity has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele, audience, and followers. Being my complete, 100%, Raw self has helped increase my audience in many ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hewezzythangss.com
- Instagram: Heweezy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hewan-tesfaye-2257771b7/
- Twitter: Heweezy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrhTTUkwlObHgaEckqdQgbg
- Other: CEO of @Aboyfortigray | advocacy page for Tigrayan sexual assaulted victims / virtual therapy platform (INSTAGRAM) FOUNDER of @Vintagethangs | clothing store (INSTAGRAM)
Image Credits
@Kamen556