It’s been said that we are shaped before we even realize it. We deviate, get conditioned, and ultimately stay in a cycle of conformity. Energetically imprisoned in a loop. From the time we’re in school, obedience is preferred over curiosity. Then comes work, where your life force is drained and siphoned into someone else’s vision. And if you’re empathetic, your energy gets depleted even faster—soaked up by the people, places, and systems around you. But the gag is—like Keke Palmer would say—you play the biggest role in this. You allow it. You let your brain shape these survival tactics into your reality. You accept the programming, and over time, it becomes you.
But….it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Image in house – @tasteandlabels
At one point life won’t ask for a transformation—i’ll demand it. There’s wont be space to overthink. And you either step , or let it all drown you. And for me, it became shadow work or stay trapped in the whirlwind cycle.
The highest point of this realization came when I was in Colombia. For two months, staying in a hotel room, in between hospital visits and still jolted by the situation. I knew I had to transmute everything happening—somewhere, not into someone. So, I poured myself into Luginism—Building the website, shaping its visual identity and refining its energy.
Once in Curaçao, the foundation was set, and then came the content. And that’s when the hesitation crept in. Would it land? Would people get it? Was it worth putting out? But I pushed through. I collaborated. I showed up. I got it out. And I’m proud of that. Because no matter how uncertain I felt, I still chose to create.,That decision—to put something into the world despite the doubt—became everything.
Image in house – @tasteandlabels
A year later, I archived Luginism and, a few months after, started The Sanctuary of Service. Another shift. Another challenge. This time, I wanted to recollect my life in every city I had lived in across the States—not just for nostalgia, but as a personal mission to stay creative, tell stories, and document life as it happened.
Every day, I made videos.
I captured life as a hospitality professional, threading together moments that, on the surface, seemed small but were always part of something bigger. The Sanctuary of Service is on hiatus, but its light will shine again. The vision behind it is too essential, too powerful, to stay hidden. Extra details on this project will be available mid-year.
Image in house – @tasteandlabels
Now, unarchiving Taste + Labels has reignited the aspirational energy it first gave me 10 years ago. What was once meant to showcase what life was going to be in Milan has now become a reflection of what life is in Curaçao and the Netherlands.
The journey between that decade ago and the leap of faith I took five years ago has transformed this project into something more than just entertaining— It’s a labor of love and a declaration of independence.
All my projects, that I’ve carried since I was a kid, archives filled with ideas, past and current experiences are calling me. And after this breakthrough and I am excited to dissolve false limitations and embrace imperfections and experimentation to reignited with my artistic voice. I’m now channeling this renewed energy into upcoming projects, including Taste and Labels edits, collaboration so stay tuned to various creative collaborations.
As I continue to explore new creative avenues, I’m also working on a children’s book centered around identity and self-discovery. This project is especially close to my heart—I wrote the first version when my nephew was just born, and now, 18 years later, I’ve committed to finishing it. I’m currently navigating the illustration process and exploring publishing opportunities to bring this story to life. If you have any insights or connections in the publishing world, I’d truly love to connect.
