Born, raised and based in Baltimore, Amy Reid is an active musician producing and performing as 1/2 of Chiffon as well as solo, djing as DJ Amsies and participating in other cosmic performances. Through envisioning and manifesting GRL PWR parties, Reid works towards celebrating underground self-identifying female, trans, genderqueer, and non-binary musicians, DJs, producers and dancers.
Greydolf (Brayaira Simms), Baltimore’s up and coming music artist, young mogul with not just an artist mind but a health and business mindset, plans to use her talents to enhance Baltimore as a city through spreading positive vibes and health through her collaborations with other artists in the city and abroad, smoothie pop up shops, community events and gatherings.
Check out the counterpart digital chapter at www.ifiruledtheworld.info.
How to Be the Best Version of Yourself
This manifesto explores our understanding of how to be the best version of yourself based on practicing activities together that we both identified as promoting holistic health including meditation, swimming, walking, communal meals, sharing creative ideas and collaborating on creative projects. These practices resulted in a mutually supportive relationship with one another emotionally and creatively. The goal of this chapter is to extend what we learned in hopes that we will be able to help you become the best version of you.
1 Give things the time that they deserve.
Prioritize. If something is inspiring you or you feel like you need to focus your energy on a certain aspect of your life, do it.
2 My thoughts are tangible: Plant thoughts in your mind that are in alignment with your purpose.
You have the ability to control your thoughts. Manifest your ideas and release them into the universe. This will allow room for growth and new thoughts as well as solidify ideas that reflect your drive, purpose, and passions.
3 You can’t appreciate the honey without getting stung.
Embrace moments that may seem negative, such as: loss, sadness or feeling alone. Those feelings are real, be inside of them, feel them and remember that they will only make you stronger. With those stinging experiences, you will be able to appreciate honey even more when it’s sweetness comes your way.
4 Some things never change. It’s up to you to be the change!
As the latest trends come and go, history repeats itself. It can be easy to get caught up in the hype that leads to complacency in a section of your life. You have to be the change. You have to do something different in order to create growth and change for who you want to be.
5 I can’t hear you… no reception…. I’m in the Fiji islands.
If someone or something isn’t serving you in your life, filter it out. This is difficult because you are not an island. You do not exist alone; we rely on other people and possessions. Make the necessary changes to eliminate the negative forces working against you.
6 Release yourself on vinyl, cassette tape, CD and as a digital download.
You can exist anywhere in any form you want to be. If you feel like you’d benefit from moving to a different place, climate, job, career, lifestyle, or need to be surrounded by different people, do it.
7 It takes a Village.
Collectiveness is crucial and can be very rewarding when you diligently share experiences with individuals on the same accord as yourself.
8 You are your own steering wheel. You can only be in control when you are in the front seat.
Take responsibility and ownership of your actions. The more you are in touch with yourself, who you are and what you need, the greater your chances will be of placing yourself in positive situations that are beneficial to you as your unique, beautiful self.
9 Give thanks instead of apologizing.
You are an imperfect person. Instead of apologizing for your flaws, give thanks to those who accept you and let them know you appreciate them through words and gestures.
10 Don’t watch QVC and turn off advertisements.
Stay away from and choose not to be a part of the systems set in place that keep us separated, divided and that do not promote holistic health. Feeding into these distractions will only hold you back from being able to celebrate the characteristics and the people that make you a unique individual. These distractions act like advertisements that attempt to brainwash us into believing that we must fight against each other instead of learning about the experiences that we have to share; experiences we can use to inspire one another. The more beauty we are able to see in ourselves, the more beauty we will be able to see in one another. This results in a more powerful exchange of support and appreciation.
“I need to supply the world with the basics
Where are the basics?
Having it all transitioned
Into having nothing
Nothing replaced with
everything
Lavender
Blue skies
Trees bearing fruit
Juice from a lime”
About If I Ruled The World: Presented by Press Press with support from BmoreArt, If I Ruled The World is a publication that takes inspiration from the Nas classic, “If I Ruled The World” (It Was Written, 1996), in order to facilitate artistic collaborations and conversations between a range of Baltimore-based Creatives and activists. In their responses, contributors present their most positive visions of the world, and by doing so are able to thoughtfully analyze and investigate the nuances within the struggle for equity in our city and the active role of artist within the pursuit for social change. If I Ruled The World is curated by Kimi Hanauer with direction by contributors and the Press Press team.
