Even if it's something so simple as filling myself up with uplifting meditation so it's easier to spread kindness and love by the time I walk out my door and enter the world. I get a kick out of making a strangers day.
I come from a huge family and out of all 34 of my immediate family members, my heavier influences were women. Between my grandmothers, aunts, older female cousins, and of course my mother, I was pretty much predominantly raised by women, as they make up most of my family anyway.
You're living in a matrix that's driven by social media. It's become glorified. You're suppose to be what you portray on social media, thats the perception.
It feels good to watch TV and know that you're being represented on somebody's network and for certain communities, it feels even better to know that you're being depicted truthfully.
My family has always had Cape Verdean pride but I don't think it was something the kids in the family necessarily understood. However, I was very conscious of the fact that both sides of my family were drastically different and my aunts, cousins, and uncles varied in different shades of brown.
My ability to adapt has always stood out. I've been immersed in many worlds and have had the influence of many things in my upbringing so I'm familiar with so many styles of living, so many characters, so many life paths and its just easy to simulate for me.
I was drawn into acting due to the fact that I could express myself better. I could use my voice - my entire body - not just my looks, height, and physical expressions.
I admire many women that have come before me, heavy influencers such as Oprah, such as Beyoncé, and I'm witnessing the fruit of their work and experiencing their legacy now and they're not even close to the finish line.