TWISTED BUT EVOLVING

"Twisted Elegance" Interlude-Velvet Rope


                                                 

" There's nothing more depressing 
than having everything, and still feeling sad...
You must learn to water your spiritual garden."- Janet Jackson from the Velvet Rope

Velvet Rope  album art, 1997 via Janet Global 

                       
                                         
Here we are again at the brink of another new year. I recently came across one of my favorite albums ever, Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope. I can't tell you how many times I played that album when I first got it back in high school. Love me some Janet Jackson. She's just simply iconic.


I now have a deeper appreciation for the work on this project, an audible diary of all the life transitions she was going through. Even just looking at the photography from the album was a clear crystallization of her emotional space at the time-raw, vulnerable, brash, and disjointed even. This is definitely my favorite Janet incarnation. That red hair, really her whole vibe, was so avant-garde at the time.


Now much older on my own journey of personal growth and reflecting on the this past year, I realize the importance of being mentally and spiritually sound. As much I love looking fierce with my makeup, hair, and clothes in check, I've learned it is nothing more than a fleeting facade if we do not invest in ourselves spiritually and mentally in the same ferocity as we do on our outer selves. Afterall, what we manifest internally is what the world really sees.


So this holiday season, amidst the height of mass consumerism and consumption, I challenge you to really take a moment to reflect inward on ways you can improve yourself on a more personal, internal level. Remember each and every day, each and every moment of our lives can be a new year if we so choose.

Blessings to you and yours.

Have a happy New Year!