Hello … let me take a moment to re-introduce myself…
I'm Dominique Drakeford, chief curator of a blog called MelaninASS and co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn. With the official titles out of the way: I'm a Black woman from Oakland now living in Brooklyn, and every day I work to demystify ecological stewardship, dismantle systems of oppression and elevate the voices and work of POC (especially Black women) in the sustainability space.
I'm carving out this little corner to talk about the things I love, like traveling and youth development, alongside the things that stretch me, like entrepreneurship and healing, plus whatever random thoughts I feel like sharing.
Each year I aim to take one or two personal trips to re-center myself. Last year I hopped a Mega Bus to Philly and it was so dope. This year, I decided to head upstate to Mount Kisco.
The older I get and the deeper I invest in my work, the more I value intentional solitude. Reconnecting with my inner-community, whether for healing, writing, self-exploration or simply to be grounded in nature, is essential to my spirit. As much as I love New York, there are moments when I feel like I'm suffocating and need room to breathe on my own.
Creative/social entrepreneurship isn’t easy, relationships (family, friendship, business or intimate) is not always easy
Navigating space in my Blackness is not always easy
Being present on social media is not always easy
Standing up for what you believe in is not always easy
Healing is not always easy
Not comparing myself to others is not always easy
So I make time to show up for myself, by myself … and honestly it's one of the most beautiful choices I've made in my early career.
… Showing up for myself
So this time around, as a nature-loving woman, I was after some seclusion. I wanted time to connect with nature, to stay in a beautiful cozy cabin on my own and, honestly, to get some much-needed writing done. Mount Kisco was perfect, just an hour and a half from Brooklyn by train!
