Talk with my Faves
MARISA PEAL
Sunshine. Master hair colorist. A purveyor of new things. Holistic care enthusiast.
Across platforms, you go by the name “Organix locs.” what inspired that name? It’s not something that I ever asked you before, I just got accustomed to referring to you as that.
When I was new to social media, I didn’t have a MySpace. I didn’t get hip to social media until Facebook. And then, I was heavily active on Twitter. During this time, I was wearing my hair natural but I was a “new natural.” Because even with training in cosmetology schools and high school you didn’t find a lot of natural hair curriculum because relaxers were still heavy at that time like 2004-2008. I was a new natural still trying to get the hang of things so I was making my own products with avocado, honey, mayonnaise, and all that kind of stuff. So it was like okay, “organix” because I was using all organic ingredients. I was already a licensed cosmetologist, so I would do people’s hair, and people knew me that way. I had to choose a Twitter name so I thought organix = natural hair and then I was thinking about a loc of hair or a tendril. I wasn’t referring to actual locs; I just mean a loc of hair. So that’s how “organix locs” was formed. It started as my Twitter name.
I affectionately refer to you as a ray of sunshine, and it’s because of how you are able to be a light and shine on the different nooks and crannies in life that we (city folks, especially)often overlook or speed past. Every time I talk to you, you've found a hidden gem, a garden, or a new role to play. How do you discover and decide on your various adventures and pursuits?
I feel like I’m always open to new interests and new adventures. So sometimes it finds me. For instance, for the Philadelphia Garden Capitals, I am not a gardener, I don’t know how to plant things as of yet, but I know the more time I spend outside, I am learning that I am an outdoor kind of person. Like even when we're at the park and there are bugs around, I notice the bugs will bother everyone else. (Disclaimer: as long as they're not mosquitos because mosquitos really will tear me up. And I have to dress appropriately or else they will eat me alive.) But when I’m sitting outside, the bugs don’t bother me or freak me out. (Disclaimer: except for bees near my ear.) So aside from bees and mosquitos, bugs don’t bother me.
I started spending more time outside during the middle of the pandemic. I wasn’t going to work because as a hairstylist, you have to physically be at work to do the services. So I was like what am I going to do? I started going to the baseball field across the street from the middle school I went to in Frankfort. A lot of people walk their dogs there. It’s very grassy but they do maintain it. I started going just to find somewhere to walk. It was like my new routine and as I was walking I found out about Girltrek and the walking meditation. It’s a podcast by two women, Vanessa and Morgan and their mission of trying to help black women heal from underlying conditions by getting them more active. As long as you walk 30 minutes a day, you change one thing in your lifestyle which can lead you to change other things.
And also I’m very much a community board reader. That’s how I get my information a lot of the time. I like supporting local farmers markets and farmers in Philly which I’ve been doing more since I spend more time outside. A lot of times we are so far removed we don’t even know where the fruits and vegetables come from at the local grocery store. But at your farmers market, you are typically talking to the people who grow the food. So I always find that interesting. And people send me things, so yeah.
In the winter, I meet up with friends and family for quality time and indoor activities.
To piggyback off of the last question. What are some causes you feel passionate about? And lifestyle hacks you’ve stumbled upon lately?
Girltrek Walking Meditation podcast is a dope organization and cause. They champion black women, they also do a black history boot camp. They put you on! You have the iconic black history figures you always hear about but then there’s a lot who are unaccounted for and the story-telling of it all will have you in tears sometimes. They do different themes so over the summertime their theme was “ principles of pleasure”. It was funny because it came out around the time Janelle Monae released her new work. But they do a really good job with the way they celebrate black women and history.
Creating a respective and open world for natural hair. It is a legislative act protecting natural hair. It’s been put into effect in 23 states as well as cities and municipalities. And continuously fights for all states to protect black hair.
Creatives on Campus. A nonprofit that helps bridge the gap between student learners, adult learners, and creatives from all sectors.
Farmer Jawn Agriculture. A black female owned farm outside of Philadelphia. The award winning farm has several acres of land and provides access to fresh crops to those in food deserts. Located in Elkins Park and Westchester, PA.
Lifestyle hacks
For cleaning supplies, you can use old citrus peels, save them in a glass jar, and fill it up with distilled white vinegar. After letting it sit and steep for at least two weeks, sit it in cheesecloth to catch the skins so it doesn’t clog the spray bottle. It smells great, it acts as a natural all purpose cleaner and for my Swiffer sprayer. It works great. For organizing S-hooks are a game changer. It’s a former retail employee hack. It started with my denim jeans, and now I hang everything on S-hooks. Old candle containers can be used for potpourri and bay leaves can preserve sugar and prevent clumps. Those are a few practical lifestyle hacks.
What would you say is the driving force behind your life outlook? How can the rest of us brighten our light in true Marisa-like fashion?
Make an effort towards community building and anticipate the winds of change. I’ve had to remind myself that things can always change, and my community has been my underlying thing. Being able to find out who your tribe is, being able to connect to the people who surround and support you is so important. But also understanding how you need to pour into the community is important too. And even when you feel stagnant or in a certain place it’s because you’re there to learn something in particular to get to the next level or open up the next opportunity. You can skip parts, but then you might get knocked back a few squares.
Remember that people are watching not necessarily for recognition which can be nice but remember that people notice the things that you do and may be encouraged by your example. How to live like Marisa? Welcome the mundane things, don’t take them for granted. Get fresh air, light candles, dance a little, be silly, even laugh at yourself. You have to let loose. Get some type of movement in your day, do things that fuel you.
Last question, I know we do check-ins a lot so I think we are both pretty in tune with each other in terms of giving updates on life’s ebbs and flows and the different seasons of growth we find ourselves in. But for the sake of transparency and vulnerability with our reader, how would you describe this phase of life so far and what are some things you’ve grappled with or learned along the way?
I have a hashtag for this season, this season is called
#sololiving30s. I don’t know why but this is my hashtag. Like I said this season I have learned to laugh at myself, I have learned to scream and figure things out. Learning how to be okay with being by myself officially and not always being a busybody. I’m trying to chill out sometimes and enjoy my own company because I don’t like to sit still. I’ve grappled with the fact that nobody really knows the course or the timeline that you’re supposed to be on, so even when it gets adjusted, don’t get discouraged. I have always said I’m a late bloomer in life. But everybody’s journey is different.
Me: That’s sound advice and an even more powerful perspective. I plan to implement this outlook in my day to day. Everyone’s path isn’t linear so it’s important for me to share what ours looks like. And when it comes to women we are expected to move on a timeline for the house, the marriage and the kids etc. It seems like there’s little to no room made for those of us, like you ,me, and the other free spirits that have their own rubric and timeline. We move when we feel moved. We are socialized and conditioned as women in such rigid ways. So many people resent their lives because of living according to the outline set out for us. We don’t have to follow the script, we can write our own stories; each story dynamic in its own way. And yours is one full of light, and infinite possibilities. I’m so honored I get to read along as you write this chapter.
CHARLES LVNL
THE MAN. THE MYTH. THE LEGEND
It’s been over a decade since I last interviewed you formally. Ironically that was also the first time we met in person. I interviewed you for my senior project on “ Media Consumption and the Influence on how teens express themselves” quite a mouthful then and still is today. But I remember wanting to ask the man who masterminded the WE CULTURE movement everything I could about his perspective on the art scene in Philly and how we as creatives could push that forward. I went back to try to watch the tapes of that interview and unfortunately, I couldn’t access the clip but I still have this quote from you.
“Don’t be narrow-minded, experiment, don't be so afraid to think outside of the box. Anytime someone is truly expressing themselves it is positive” and I want to ask you 10 years later, do you still stand by this statement?
Can I just say, how grateful I am that you picked me to do that? Someone asking you to be a part of their senior project is major.
But, yeah, I do still believe that and stand by that, I think we live in a world or society where individuality and expression are kinda suppressed now more than ever. Social media tends to influence how we think and how we operate on a day-to-day basis. It’s almost kinda robotic because we see a lot of the same exact things and we think that’s what we are supposed to be doing. So anytime somebody is being true to themselves or expressing themselves I think it’s adding positivity to the world.
AAK: And what does that expression look like for Charles as you are today vs Chuck I met up with at Liberty Place way back when?
For me personally, I think 10 years ago expression was more so about art and creativity. Fast forward 10 years later, my expression is integrity, principles, and my spirituality. And fully being every aspect of myself and not just one thing. So I think back then a lot of what I projected and what people expected from me was just the artistic side without knowing all of me. I think now it’s more so being all-encompassing in every aspect. Showing and expressing every aspect of who I am, not just as a creator but as a human being.
AAK: We recently spoke about the stepping stones we have to take to get to that thing on the other side. A conversation born from my desire to move forward but hesitancy to find myself stomping back on old familiar grounds. The fear I felt was rooted in my perception of failure which after talking with you helped shift my mindset. And I know you identify with my thoughts since recently you just moved back to Philly after living in Chicago for 3 years.
What does that feel like, and how would you describe the current relationship dynamic you have with the city you’ve known your entire life after taking a “break” from it?
It hasn't been as seamless a transition as I thought it would be. Not only because I changed so much but because the city changed so much. From how it looks to the people here, to the feeling. But I think speaking to what you were saying when you leave and come back you can feel like you’re a failure, that is something that I battled with before coming back. But I think that now I have clearer input on how I can maneuver and operate because for a while I was in limbo, I didn’t know what I was doing here anymore.
And then you start to feel like “Damn, should I chase that ghost of what I was?” “Should I do what people were used to me doing when I was here?” But I’m not entirely the same person. It’s just kind of building on what you had and using it as a foundation. It’s like remodeling a home. Just stabilizing your foundation makes it so that when and if you do leave again, you leave maybe on better terms and you have more to take with you when you do go out and take those steps.
Would you say you grew in unexpected ways? Did you learn anything you new?
To be super honest, I’m not gonna lie; I haven’t learned anything new really, environment wise. I learned more about myself. I had to realize what you were is a big part of who you are no matter how much you’ve changed. I didn’t want to come back and fall into the same things that I left. But at the same time what I left was a big part of who I was and even though I’ve grown and had different life experiences and things like that I can’t let those things go. No matter how much you wanna try to reinvent yourself, you gotta embrace all the things you did and use it to the best of your ability.
For example, look at where we are right now, 10 years later and we’re doing this interview. If I was like, “Nah, I can’t be nothing like I was before” I wouldn’t be here doing this interview. But because of the things that I did and how you felt about me you decided to re-interview me. So all the things from your past, regardless of what you try to run from, you gotta embrace it. Take the good with the bad and use it to your best abilities to move forward. So I think that’s the biggest thing I learned. It’s a line from an old Teddy Pendergrass song like “ You can’t run from yourself. Wherever you go, there you are.” So regardless of how you change or try to force change because you don’t want to be who you were, it’s always gonna be right there with you.
Even getting to what I was saying about where I am with fully expressing myself as a human being, not just an artist. I don’t create as much as I used to, but I still find myself coming up with different ideas on a day-to-day basis. It’s like, “Bro, you are not even in a space where you’re actively creating, but you can’t turn that creativity off; it’s who you really are.”
Where to next? What’s the next stage in the evolution of the RIGHTEOUS REBEL? Do you still go by that name?
Nah, in my core and my being, that’s a part of who I am. But as far as brand wise I don’t use that anymore. I think the next step is consistently seeking growth. Becoming a better person on a day-to-day basis, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. But again going back to what I said before, where I am right now, I really want to build on my foundation. So a lot of it is scaling up, looking at what I’ve done before and saying okay you’ve grown and matured, how do you make these things grow bigger and become more mature ? And how can they impact more people and not just people who look like me but all people?
That’s one of the things I learned being in Chicago. I met and formed connections /relationships with people from all different walks of life. Experiencing different types of cultures and backgrounds kind of got me out of just wanting to be in a black space. I have more of a worldview now. And I know for sure that’s the space I want to work in. All of the things I’ve done with just black crowds I want to bring all different kinds of people into these crowds and spaces. Making some type of impact on all types of people and not just people who look like me. Because I really believe I can have that based on the connections and relationships I had with all different types of people.
The avenues to do all that would definitely still be art. Another thing that’s been pulling at my heart for the past couple of years is the media aspect of it. So how we’re sitting here conducting this interview, I want to be on the other side. I want to be asking the questions, learning and gaining that insight from different people etc. Things of that nature would be the next step or phase that I’m on.
When you say different types of media, are you leaning more towards a podcast or a show?
I have a lot of ideas for a lot of different things. Podcasts, free-form discussions, panels, all types of stuff. We see an influx of podcasting right now, and that just makes the most sense but it would probably be more so in the style similar to Shannon Sharpe where I have a real legit free-form conversation with people. I want people to be comfortable having that conversation and gaining a deeper level of understanding with all different types of people. I interviewed people before and it felt good doing it, all the research, and asking questions. I enjoyed it and naturally, anything you enjoy you should try to delve into a little more.
ME: I think you’d be good at that. You were a safe space for me as a young, tightly wound creative a decade ago, and it’s evident that those just like me in the city cherish your spirit. I’ve always regarded you as the artsy big brother I never had, the OG, the legend. Admittedly, I placed you on a pedestal in a way that overlooked the other aspects of you, but now I am getting more familiar with Chuck, the multi-layered human being, and I am honored to be getting acquainted.
