Before my awakening, I was unhappy and almost always in conflict with life. I grew up in a very stifling and religious environment. But I was always different. Even as a kid, I was the odd one, and everyone knew it.
I was brilliant in arts so I went into law because that’s what was expected of me. However, 2020 happened, and as with everyone, the lockdown was a wake-up call for me. I realized law wasn’t the path for me and began fully pursuing my art after the lockdown.
My journey to this point wasn’t exactly linear. For a long time, even after I quit school, I still identified as a lawyer, not an artist, but when it dawned on me, I let it all go. I left it all, and that was how I rediscovered myself.
My Awakening
Choosing my path as an artist meant letting go of every inhibition and expectation that anybody had of me — being a lawyer, a wife, a Christian. I let go of the fear of what people would think of me. And to tell you the truth, nothing beats living life free of expectations.
I saw myself clearer. I discovered myself outside of the hustle mentality. I discovered life, love and freedom. This view of life helped me become more aware of myself.
I Feel Everything
“Feelings are like signals and compasses.”
Feelings deserve to be cultivated. They are there for a reason and I don't demonise them. I honour them.
Your feelings can help you carve your path for each day. They tell us where to go or where we shouldn't. Water them with the right things, pay attention to them and allow them to express themselves.
If you’re angry, it's for a reason. Rather than externalizing it, reroute it inward and try to understand it. Ask yourself, “Why am I angry?” “Why am I scared?”
We wake up feeling different each day and we need to tap into that. Don’t let anyone put you in a box; you are multidimensional when you let yourself be.
Everything has seasons, including us, and we must give in to them if we’re going to become fully formed. Structure is needed, but at the heart of it, you aren’t meant to be restricted to one thing.
This is reflected in my art. When people ask me my favourite style or genre, I say I don’t have one. My music is a blend of different sounds, and that is all that matters.
Why love one when I could love all? Why be one thing when I could be everything?
All of life is multidimensional. If you feel otherwise, it’s because society categorizes us. From birth, society tells us who we are, what we should be, and what we can’t be.
Most people have a blend of energies, but society teaches them to repress what doesn’t align with their assigned sex at birth.
Expecting people to be strictly binary is limiting and unrealistic.
“People shouldn't be judged based on their genitals; they should be judged based on their capacity.”
People get stuck in one idea of who they are, but we should be allowed to express ourselves in ways that feel right for each season.
Allow your energies to flow. You can’t box yourself into one identity when you have so many layers. You have the right to evolve and be fluid.
Being in this space has taught me that it’s okay to change. I am not who I was two years ago, and I won’t be who I am today in the future. That’s growth.
Allowing yourself to evolve is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
About the Author
Beatrice Mobolade Arogundade (Bee) is a non-binary creator born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Bee is the acronym of their two names and a symbol of their life’s expression — to simply be.
They are a self-taught multi-creative with four years of experience in the art world.
Their passion for helping people embody their full selves inspired them to create Parapo, a community for sharing resources and exploring better ways of living.
Parapo offers bi-monthly gatherings focused on wellness, creative expression, music, movement, and connection.
If you want to do better, live better, and be better, let’s do it together. Parapo is where your dreams become actions that lead to reality. Parapo community
