Naomi: Sprout Your Mind

Such a nice time conversing with Naomi.  Her tough childhood helped shape her intellectual art views on life.  I noticed her very humble, yet firm approach towards me and found it very endearing.  As I dug deeper into understanding her art I began to realize her mind-state that gave her such an interesting character.

Urban Time: Hi I'm Desanti from Urban Time Mag I will be doing your interview!

Let's start by telling us your name, age and where you're from.

Naomi: My names Naomi I'm 22 and I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.

Urban Time: Great! Tell me about Sprout Your Mind, your association with it, how it began

Naomi:  I am the creator of the sprout your mind movement. Sprout your mind started in August the summer of 2015. I was at a real low place in my life in May my father passed away 2 days before my 22nd birthday and in June I lost my job I was working in a charter school in east New York as a junior counselor. Throughout my years growing up I was always writing and ultimately have been working on a book. That would be filled with poems and positive affirmations all handwritten so people could be reminded to keep their heads up in times of struggle. I was very depressed in August I had really down days and had good days and on One of my really good days I got a sketch book and just started making illustrations and my very first design was "bullshit repellent" which meant to repel negativity and create something positive out of it. In the bullshit repellent design above the "i" was a smiley face that almost seemed silly and on its head were flowers sprouting. I looked at it a lot and it came to me. Sprouting to me means growth. I've always drawn flowers and sprouts coming out of the mind even before sprout your mind came into full affect.....it just blossomed once I actually began to create. Donald Welch, my partner had all materials to make my designs come to life. It happened so quick. Each shirt is handmade by myself and Donald. Sprout your mind is positive affirmations that make you pick your up and question not only yourself but your world. Each t-shirt is a reminder and each shirt shares a message not only to yourself when you need it but to others when they see you or are simply walking by.

Sprout your mind has affected people because they don't see it as a brand...they see it as a lifestyle. The youth and adults see it as a reminder and I think this is what separates what I'm doing from anyone else.

"Let Your Mind Grow" - Naomi

I had a lot of support when i released my vision because I've always given advice on social media via Tumblr and have been a positive honest person. Nothing is a gimmick with what is created everything is authentic. I'm a young female that genuinely wants a better world and who knows it takes myself and love to make it happen.

Urban Time: You seem very dedicated and strong minded, tell us about how that reflects on your work ethic

Naomi:  I don't stop, I don't give up or give in. Some days I want to lay in bed and let everything swallow me. You know how people say I feel like I'm in a dark hole that's how I feel some days but I am 100% aware that this is my life and there is so much more than the bad. I believe in love and I believe in what I create so in order to keep love alive I have to keep creating and speaking on topics that matter. Speak on things that others try to avoid.

Urban Time: What inspires you to want to influence and help people?

Naomi:  Inspiration is a funny word to me because I genuinely think pain inspires me...as well as love. Experiencing real emotions inspires me. Understanding what matters inspires me. Analyzing how human nature works and how people behave inspires me. I've never liked things that make people feel bad. I feel like the world is the way it is because people don't care enough to help and I've realized I live here I'm either helping to destroy the world or helping to create a better one and I choose the second option.

I never meant to influence people if anything I am trying to be myself in a world that doesn't want me around....a society that wants me to be blind to seeing what is real and what is not. I'm being myself and hoping in that others are able to realize the best perspective is to have the perspective of all. Everyone is someone and everyone matters. Nobody is more superior than anyone else. Love all.

Urban Time: You seem very down to earth I love what I'm hearing from you! Did the movement come before or after the T-Shirts? Tell me about how you make your shirts handmade.

Naomi:  Thank you haha, The movement started the same time the shirts were being made. What got people much more interested  was the fact that I had posted a photograph of me and out of my head were flowers and sprouts...soon enough people were making there own on Instagram and Snapchat. They were posting things they would want to help change about the world and things they love within themselves. The supporters I have completely feel In love.

Every shirt is home manufactured. Donald has a press and printer which we use to make the magic happen lol. It's difficult sometimes because now we are doing so much more orders but it is worth it. After the shirt is made I package it myself. Inside I usually place a positive note such as "keep your head up..things get better" or something personal....all handwritten. Everything is very personal.

Urban Time: I bet that's such a nice feeling, you mentioned working on a book? Is it an extension of this concept?

Naomi:  Yes, it will be positive affirmations. As well as that I'm writing a children's book.

It feels good to know that I'm not allowing others to feel alone and to let them sit in that and think there is no way out.

Urban Time: You've worked with children in the past right, as a junior counselor? Is this for a career you're pursuing?

Naomi: I Don't think I will be working for the department of education in that aspect anymore but I am working on a curriculum for after schools that focus on social emotional learning which is a educational process for learning life skills and I want to focus on topics such as self love, the power of negativity and positivity as well as societies beliefs rather than what is believed within. So this is just something for the future but it is actually being worked on now. I already have two schools ready for me but that's all I'm going to say about that for now. :)

Urban Time: That's really cool, definitely something to be proud of. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us! Anything else you'd like to say?

Naomi: You're welcome thank you so much! I just want to tell people to ask themselves, "am I someone who helps destroy or helps create?"

Contact Naomi via twitter: @ognayhomie

Shop Sprout Your Mind: sproutyourmind.bigcartel.com