Celebrating Freedom of Expression
This week we're sending out a series of emails spotlighting and celebrating our customers and what freedom of expression means to them. Today, we want to talk about what it means to us. Read on to hear perspectives on the subject from our Creative Director, Jesse- and our Founder & CEO, Sasha.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a world without freedom of expression. Now open your eyes. What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel?
For me a world without expression is almost impossible to imagine because it's such a vital part of the human experience. Some of the ways we express- like how we speak or the way we carry ourselves develop over time and are so deeply seated that they are basically unconscious. Others, like how we dress or cut our hair are decisions we make on a daily basis about how we want to show up, be perceived, and what we want to communicate to the world around us about who we truly are. While expression is certainly a tool I use to transmit information about myself in public, it's actually far more important to me as a form of empowerment, love, and self care. After I get dressed each morning the first thing I do to check my fit is look down, not in a mirror- because first and foremost I need to be happy with the view.
This way of dressing for my own enjoyment, has been a constant for as long as I can remember. It's only in the last 10-15 years where I've realized that achieving that goal isn't necessarily based on the whole, but rather the sum of the parts. This roughly equates to the concept of 'dopamine dressing', where each item I layer onto an outfit creates it's own feeling, or sparks joy in a different way. Therefore, in theory, the more layers I have, the more joy I experience.
As of last summer I thought I'd maxxed out the number of layers I could add, but that was before Talons came into my life. I'm unsure how I'd been missing it the whole time, but there was an unused canvas sitting right there on my bare nails all the while. The first time I put on Talons it was like a wall came down, suddenly so much more was possible...so much more creativity, so many more possibilities for expression, so many more moments of joy. Talons gave me a new way to express myself and provided me a new and completely unexplored medium for my art.
Talons was created so you can express who you are, regardless of who you're doing it for. While wearing Talons creates so much joy for me personally, seeing YOU wear Talons- and hearing YOUR stories, is infinitely more rewarding. The term "freedom of expression" at it's very core implies that there should not be limits, we're just over here trying get society on board.
Love, Jesse
Growing up I always felt different from my classmates. As a young child in an immigrant household, my family lacked the financial resources to afford the brands my classmates wore.
Consequently, I didn't fit in with the popular kids at school and was bullied for it. In college I struggled to balance fitting in while simultaneously discovering who I was and what my unique style was. Reflecting back, I now realize how influential these experiences were in creating the person that I am today. Not only do I still not fit in, but I actually seek out and cherish opportunities to intentionally stand out as a way of showing who I am as an individual.
Fitting in was never for me. Expression made me who I am and became the foundation of the brand.
Love, Sasha
