"I don’t think people would guess I struggle with depressive episodes and generalized anxiety just from looking at me. I often get asked how I do it all and I sometimes have to tell folks that I don’t. "
March is here which means 3 things. Spring is near, we're 3 months in to an already crazy eventful year, and most importantly, it's International Women's Month. So in honor of it being International Women's Month, Blemish is honoring girl bosses all YEAR long. Yes. all YEAR, because what's a limitation? So today we'd like to spotlight, Gabrielle Hickmon. She's a 24 year old ray of sunshine, living in Spain and spreading her light through the power of words. Below she shares more about her accomplishments thus far and the giants she's had to face thus far to get where she is today.
"My name is Gabrielle Hickmon. Twenty-four. I’m from Ypsilanti, MI but currently living on the northern coast of Spain. You can keep up with me on Instagram and Twitter via @gabbyhickmon. What do I do? I write. For myself, for others, and for my sanity. I am the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Reign XY (@thereignxy), a media company for women of color, by women of color. I also wrote a book, sunny. (#sunnybook) that is poetry and prose exploring the ins and outs, ups and downs, and twists and turns of life and love."
"My businesses are located wherever I am, which for now means Spain and of course digitally. I do my best to be transparent about my journey whether that means sharing my return to therapy, talking about mistakes I’ve made in love, or just letting folks into my daily life and personality in whatever way I’ve decided to at the moment.
"Authenticity and personality; those are the hallmarks of my craft. Sunny and taking on a team for RXY are some of my biggest creative accomplishments so far. I’m also really proud of the ways in which I’ve been able to network across the community of creative peers and friends I’ve built. It means more to me that people shoulder-to-shoulder see me than people above me (as nice as that is and will be one day). Being on a panel about Black Blogging at the Black Solidarity Conference at Yale was pretty cool too though."
"I don’t think people would guess I struggle with depressive episodes and generalized anxiety just from looking at me. I often get asked how I do it all and I sometimes have to tell folks that I don’t. My anxiety and depressive episodes often take away my ability to do my work and engage with those around me. Of course, then I beat myself up for that and the hole gets even deeper."
"I don’t know if anxiety or depressive episodes are something you ever 'get through' or over. Sometimes when I’m not in one, I feel like I’m just waiting for the other shoe, meaning a ‘low’, to drop. I’m learning to better manage my anxiety and depressive lows through therapy. Gaining insight into my person, my triggers, and my ways of both looking at and being in the world help me better understand where my depressive and anxious moments come from, when they might be coming on, and how to not stay in them for so long. But I think you’re always doing that work when anxiety and depression are something you struggle with. I don’t know that I’ll ever be through or over them, but I do hope to better understand them and gain tools to lessen their negative impact on my life, relationships, and creativity."
"If you want to be a writer, you have to write. You have to do the action associated with the noun. And once you are, you’re not aspiring, you’re it.
A word of advice? I’d tell myself that you’ll be the girl you always hoped to be. Just keep going. Trust that between God and your heart plus drive, you’ll always be just fine."
Photo credits:
• GHickmon: @pureblackphotos
• Hickmon: @leanilaphotos
• HickmonG: @ohmakeda
• edits-4623: @damolaakintunde
• rxy_logo_full-03: is The Reign XY’s logo
• sunny_cover: is my book cover