Hi guys! I’m BEYOND excited to share this post with you all. I believe that it is important to constantly be inspired by peers and to get empowered by what other woman are accomplishing. Because at the end of the day we are all in this together (yeah, that’s right… I just quoted high school musical). There are so many amazing women that are absolutely killing the game that are in there 20’s or if you are Thea… in her 18’s (boy does she make 18 year old me look boring LOL). In this blog you will read about Thea’s accomplishments, projects that are in the works, things that inspire her (and will hopefully inspire you) and overall you will see how Thea is a freaking BOSS ASS BABE!! Also, lets just say we talked about literally everything ranging from where we want to end up in the future to those new hair bands that are totally the rage right now. Sadly, I couldn’t include EVERYTHING we talked about (or else this would take you hours to read) but hopefully you will feel empowered and see that there are strong, inspiring women out there like you absolutely taking the world by storm. And, honestly who doesn’t love just reading about other fantastic woman anyway LOL!!
The lovely Thea description by hers truly…
My name is Thea (obviously)! I’ve lived in the Portland area for my whole life and I have six sisters. I’m the middle child, purely middle if that tells you anything about me!! I’ve been kind of a creative kid for my whole life but have been seriously investing a lot of time into creating things like photography, painting, writing, all that good stuff for probably the past four or five years. But I’ve hustled in the past two years to seek out every opportunity possible and have kind of jumped from project to project to project to project just trying to build my portfolio.
Wow I wish I would have started building my portfolio years ago but never to late right?! Anyway, what are you or were you involved in? And how did you get involved in that or those things?
I am involved in both ends of the spectrum, personal projects to service related projects to work related projects. In school related things I’m in the national Art honor society and I’ve been heavily involved in newspaper stuff for the last two years so I’ve done writing for them obviously, graphic design work, photography, cover art. In this year I’ve been the photo editor so head of photography which is so much fun I’m going to miss it so much honestly! So I’m thankful that I ended up doing that!! I’m also in a creative internship called them Femmepire with Emma Gaty, she’s a photographer, but it consists of girls from all around the Portland area and our main task through this internship is to do a solo personal service project so choosing a nonprofit or cause that we are really passionate about! Then doing a project to either raise funds or awareness for that organization. All the other girls help out with each other‘s tasks as well so I’m running my own and then helping out the other girls too.
Femmpire I totally love that, girl power!! So, what’s your project you are running with Femmpire?
So I’m kind of the middle that right now but I can try to give you a little bit of a rundown. I decided the nonprofit that I wanted to raise funds for is called the Oregon Environmental Counsel. They are basically just on environmental policy firm in Oregon and they work on policies just to essentially protect Oregon’s natural landscape and the health of Oregonians in relation to the environment. They’re a super highly rated nonprofit in the Northwest and in the country; I was like I need to do something for you guys!!!!
What are you planning to do for them?
I’m planning on well, like I said, I’m in the middle of doing it but I still can tell you! I’m figuring it out but I’ve made designs that I’m either going to try to put on hats or shirts or zip ups to sell through a local company called Handful, they are an active wear and bra company. They’re amazing company, I modeled for them a few years ago and have been obsessed since than and the owner was totally willing to help me with this project! The part I’m struggling with right now is getting someone to produce the products because you know, it’s going be too expensive or take too long or they literally just can’t do what I want! I’m so picky about it and I want it to be perfect. When we figure that out we’re going to make the products then put them up on the Handful site and sell them. Some of the money they sell for will go to the enviornmental council! So I’m like really excited about it but that’s what I’m doing!
Back to what are you involved in.. is there anything else?
Yes, my term actually ends in two days but I’m also on the Tualatin Arts Advisory Committee so just a government committee. We like review budgets and I run the city program called The Student Visual Chronicle, it’s basically just an art contest for students where they can have their art – by the city – be put into the cities permanent collection. That’s pretty unheard of at least in the US, people don’t really do that so it’s kind of a cool thing!!! That something I’ve been involved in and at times I’m like what am I doing on a Tuesday night we had like four hour meetings and I get home at like 11 but it feels so valuable to be actually involved in something bigger than like a school related event, It feels very purposeful!
On Your Instagram you highlighted a photo of a bee on a woman’s face! What was that about?
I am in arts seminar, which is the two-year advanced art class at the school. You have assignments for that class and I also tie into those assignment personal projects that I want to do. I don’t know why but I never post my art and that one I was like OKAY this one’s pretty sick I’m going to post this one LOL.
Which is the same reason I kind of do my blog. I’m not really doing it for anyone. You just kinda have to take a step back from the school part and have your own creative outlet!
Exactly, my favorite part out of the entire process is like finishing the piece and like sealing it and posting it to showing a picture of it or showing people it saying yeah, I did that!
Is there any one piece of advice or motto or quote you live by?
I think there is one piece of advice that was given to me, that I’m like holding close to my heart right now especially! Probably for the past year or so I’ve been stressing about what I want to do in college and where I want to go. I put so much pressure being in the perfect place and doing the perfect thing and then it will be fine. My dad was saying this one night when we were just having a conversation about college and he was like “no matter where you go, what you do, what you study in college, where you go to college. If you are nice to people, work hard and make good connections with people and you’re really good at what you do and you’re passionate about it you’ll be fine”. Then, I was like you know what, I hope you’re right. I think you’re right!!! Like even on the set of pretty little liars (Yes, she was an extra recently.. does she get more cool??) I became super close with the head costume designer for some reason and we just hung out all day. She’s like a 35-year-old woman and she was like giving me life advice about what to study. After that interaction I know for a fact if I came back to her and asked if I could shadow on set sometime she would say yes. Not because I wanted to use her for that but because I genuinely found her interesting, we just hit it off!! So it’s not about networking and using people for their connections but just be nice to people and work hard and be passionate and be genuinely is interested in somebody’s life.
Yes, preach that!!! Who or what is something that inspires you?
I can’t think of someone or something that sticks out but I know personally I just get a lot of energy from like traveling or meeting new people or just kind of pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. So that’s not necessarily something that inspires me but it gives me the push to keep going and to keep doing things that maybe I don’t want to do or that I’m scared to do or I’m not feeling as motivated to do at the moment. So that’s one thing and like also another thing I could take from two sides is film and music specifically inspires me on two different spectrums. 1) either to make films and do stuff like that and 2) to live the way the people were living in the films. That’s like the most inspiring thing to me like when I go to see a movie or I’m listening to an album that can convey such a strong emotion where I’m like “Holy, shit how did they do this? Like I want to do that for other people!” And, not that this is what its all about but being recognized for hard work is so inspiring to me like the Olympics or the Grammys. Grand scale things like that just put in my mind “Alright, I’m tryin to do that someday!” Low key just one of those dreams would be like the first woman cinematographer to win.
When was a time you felt completely discouraged and how did you push through it?
One huge instance doesn’t come to mind but just like everyone I get discouraged a lot. Human nature.
Has there been any obstacles within yourself you’ve had to overcome to get where you are?
One thing I’m very proud of is, I don’t know how I developed this instinct or whatever but I’ve done such a good job of putting myself in unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations that are either new or I just don’t want to do it or it sounds too far out of reach. Just putting myself in those kinds of situations and learning to do that has been the biggest obstacle I’ve overcome. Because when you do that you’re going and changing and adapting and if you just sit in one place and get to comfortable you are not going anywhere. So, I don’t know I just put myself out there a lot in the past few years. Its something I’m happy I do and I think everyone should be doing that because whenever I find myself being like “I’m so bored right now” I feel like then I’m only looking forward to doing one thing which for me I don’t feel good about that. With this though I still need to learn how to prioritize and work smart instead of just working hard all of the time, I just need to use my time more wisely at times.
Yeah, that is defiantly something I could do more in my life. I have recently started doing that more even this past year and it makes you feel like you are doing a lot more for your personal self and passions. Since this blog still is mainly about style (YAY live love fashion) how would YOU describe your personal style?
The ratio of clothes I wear its like 90% thrifted and 10% high end pieces. There is literally no in between. The money I saved by thrifting I buy nice high end pieces that are quality pieces. My four favorite things to wear are: 1) sneakers, I wear sneakers like high top Nikes every single day 2) thrifted jeans 3) tank tops 4) usually big jackets. That’s what I feel most confident EXACTLY. I’ve learning I feel most confident in what I’m wear and in my self when I am wearing cool clothes verses wearing something classified as sexy. I think its cool that in more traditional media the way fashion is going at the moment, showing skin (which is still completely fine) isn’t as main stream. It’s seen as now “cool” is to wear oversized clothes and not necessarily tight dresses and heels which for a while that’s been the traditional sense of fashion and beauty. I think that is such a great thing and I love that because its so my personal style and me. Seeing girls on runways in big sweatshirts and sneaks gives me such a wind of confidence because it shows you don’t have to look the traditional way of “sexy” anymore; now there are many styles that go with that term. You no longer have to dress the traditional idea of feminine beauty to be seem as cool, interesting, stylish and still sexy in a pair of jeans, sneakers, tank and oversized jacket. I just love it!
Lastly, in your eyes what does being a boss ass woman mean to you?
I think about this a lot actually because at least for me being a boss woman is having the integrity and strength to work hard and harder than you would have to, to leap over those walls that have been set which might I add are 10 times worst for woman of color, disabled woman, transgender woman, queer woman and woman in other countries. Being a boss woman is having the integrity to not to be thanked for anything.
XX Love, Mc Kenzie (and Thea!!)
P.S. Thank you Thea for sharing her life on my blog today! Keep an eye out for this girl in the future, I have a feeling this is defiantly not that last time you will be hearing about her!!!
Thea’s insta: thea_owens
Insert photo shoot of the lovely Thea Owens that I HAD to do:
Thank you immensely for the fun day Thea!! XX
Love, Mc Kenzie 