“I now understand that life, and living it, is more about being present. I’m now aware that the not-so-happy memories lie in wait; but the hope and the joy also lie in wait.”- @violadavis
📸: @_j.bullock
Dear Philly,
I didn’t realize it when I first got here, but moving to you three years ago was really me moving back into myself. Thank you for being the city that held me down while I figured things out, the place that pushed me gently and said, “Go ahead sis, you got this.”
You helped shape me into the woman I always knew I could be —confident, creative baddie that’s a little softer in all the right places. You gave me space to grow, to glow, and to step into my own magic without apologizing for it.
This is the city where my creativity started humming again, where my ideas found their rhythm, and where my love for music and concerts came back full force. From the random shows to the big moments, you reminded me that art feeds me and I deserve to be in rooms that light me up.
But honestly? It’s the people for me. Philly, you really put the right folks in my path! People who cheer for me, support me, challenge me, and genuinely want to see me win. The kind of community that feels handpicked. Especially when I had to walk away from my squad from Louisville.
So thank you, Philly. For the growth, the grace, the creativity, and the connections. I might not be from here, but you definitely helped me become the woman I am today and I’ll always love you for that.
With so much love,
✨💛
Did the ultimate side quest today I had my portrait sketched by the incredible artist Mark Loughney. Mark is an artist who is formerly incarcerated, while serving time, sketched almost 800 portraits of the men he was incarcerated with. That body of work became Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration.
Now, he’s working on the second part of the project, sketching 800 people who work in criminal justice reform. And today, I became one of them. I’m portrait #398 🖤
It was truly an honor to be part of something so powerful and deeply human. The sitting took about 30–45 minutes, and here’s a little timelapse of the process.
Art. Healing. Justice. Connection.
