Soulistic Beauty of the Week: Sadye L. Vassil

Soulistic Beauty of the Week (BOW):
Sadye L. Vassil

I met Sadye a couple of years ago while she was good friends with my brother in college.  Since knowing Sadye, I have sen her flourish as an entrepreneur , artist and activist.  She defines a woman who is a Soulistic Beauty – radiating beauty from her soul – creating beautiful art and fashion and and spending time teaching youth and being a community leader.

1) What does beauty mean to you?
For me beauty manifests in different forms. Beauty is warmth, generosity, health, kindness, love, synergy, and good energy. Beauty is visual. It is fashion, hair, skin, lips, smiles, shoes, and physical presentation. Beauty evolves, it takes on different forms, and comes out in different ways, people can bring it out of me, and vice versa. I have grown into what I deem as my own type of beauty that is an odd mixture of the physical & spiritual that makes me, me.

2) What inspires you?
What inspires me to create art is something from within, it is something that brews from my insides. I am inspired by my muse, various symbols, and ideas from all around the world. What inspires me to be an activist is that there are decisions being made on behalf of underserved communities by a small select group that disproportionately holds money and power. When I merge art and activism it allows me to motivate people the best way I know how.

3) What are you doing to make the world more beautiful? How do you do it?
Educating young people makes the world the most beautiful. I paint community murals with my students around Harlem based on different social issues. I make jewelry that looks beautiful on the people that bless me with wearing it. I vote on different community based issues that come through Community Board 10 in Central Harlem in the name of improving peoples lives. I love & support my diverse family that works to make this world better through a multitude of mediums. And lastly, I keep trying to think of new ways to keep making the world more beautiful.

4)Who do you think is a Soulistic Beauty? Why?
The unsung heroines. The moms. The babysitters. The women on the ground level taking care of our youth and future everyday. My dear friend Gina Hay is a Soulistic Beauty. She is a woman who has worked tirelessly in Corporate America to save up to become a full time Doula, with the future dreams of becoming a Midwife.

5) When do you feel most beautiful?
After the beach.

Sadye L. Vassil, founder of SLV Jewelry is an El Salvadoran born, New York City bred artist and activist.  Classically trained in drawing & painting,  Sadye is now working as a professional jeweler. Sadye believes that the power of creating art, & cultivating youth leadership are integral to making impactful changes in our communities.