- I am psyched to have my own private collection of five of your amazing paintings, share with our readers what inspires your creations?
Indigenous beauty, there is no high fashion European standard that can hold a candle to the ethnic beauty of the people around the world! Black women and all their adornment, textiles, patterns, jewels- it is all infused in my paintings. I love people so many of my paintings are portraits but I also love the abstract. Look for more abstract work in the future!
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As you know Naturi Beauty embraces the experiences of women with natural hair, what has been your experience having had natural hair all of your life?
Well it ain’t been easy but surprisingly not as difficult as one would think. My parents drilled the importance of loving my own hair deeply into my head so I’ve always standed firm with keeping it natural. I would have loved to have had someone do prettier styles with my hair when I was younger, I would not have felt like such an outcast (Basically I rocked a fro or two thick braids.) But as I got older, I discovered twists and started to experiment more with my hair. It has been fun journey from fro’s to baldies to long braids and twists, I have yet to lock it but that is on my list. Also, men love my hair, I have not met one who did not so ladies, if your fear of going natural is that you will not get a man, think again!
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The Lotus of Wadi Art Blog is a haven for Fashion, Art and Travel.
I ♥ your posts, please share with our readers what your unique perspective is?
Well, I have always naturally inspired others to be their magnificent African selves and I believe that this is one of my gifts. So I created the blog to inspire: the style and the focus of my blog is cultural chic. Ethnic style tends to be dowdy and overpowering so people are scared to experiment with it, but my blog shows them that they can rep their culture and still be fly. African textiles are so unique and beautiful!
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In addition to Artist, Entrepreneur, Dancer, Fashionista and Divine Diva, you've recently been blessed with another title: Mom. How do you find balance with young motherhood and your career?
Whew! What people don’t tell you about motherhood is that it is one of the most life altering things to happen to you. It is truly a great experience because it forces you to grow, to grow very quickly at that. It is really hard to balance other things with mothering because ultimately being a mother always comes first but I work lots of late nights and I also get help from family and friends. What makes it really worthwhile is staring into the smiling eyes of my son as he tries to make sense of his world…
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The Naturi Beauty charge is to Nourish, Nurture and Grow. Please share with our readers how Zalika of Lotus of Wadi Arts is a Naturi Beauty everyday!
Nourish – I love to take care of me! Whether it is slathering my skin with shea butter and essential oils or adorning myself with semi-precious jewels, I am fully aware of my Queendom.
Nurture – Meditation, yoga, dance, healthy foods, the beach- these are all the things that I immerse myself in (when I get a chance) to nurture the divinity within.
Grow – The thing I love about myself is the willingness to grow, too many people are stuck in one place (myself included) but I am always reevaluating my life and seeing what I can do differently because I know that I am the creator of what manifests for me.
