Built from the Inside
A reflection on belonging, building, and staying in flow
Hey ya’ll! I hope whenever you read this you are well and balancing whatever season you’re in. I’ve spent most of Q1 exploring and planting roots in my new city. I’m now at the part where I’m ready to write my love letter to Houston and want to take you on this ride with me.
In case you missed it, my warm welcome came through music and I wrote about here.
So many things in motion. So many things to do… I can’t wait to share more in this space soon.
Okay, lets get into it…
Lately I’ve found myself occupying spaces where folks have converted houses into communal spaces, utilizing each room and even the land at which it sits on. I love how this concept is popular in Houston and gives an opportunity for entrepreneurs, business owners and creatives to expand within their practice.. It’s in areas like Midtown/Montrose and the Third Ward where I’m noticing houses repurposed as business establishments for law firms, private practices, and community centers.
I found my gyno and therapist both practicing out of homes and my mind has been blown ever since. I think it’s the lack of zoning in Houston that is getting to me the most, and I’m glad to see what can be built from that kind of freedom. If you play your cards right, you can really set yourself and your community up for success.
I’m not sure if I want to buy a house to convert it into a business but I do want my home to be a place where my community comes for nourishment — I feed you, speak life into you, and send you on your way, type of nourishment. I am not quite there yet, but as I pull up to these backyard functions and pour out my feelings into the rooms of these historic homes, I know I’m on the right track. I have to feel this type of environment for it to feel me back.
Here are a few houses that I’ve been to that are thriving on this concept:
Third Ward Bloom - A Black-owned plant shop and third space located in Third Ward, across the street from El Dorado Ballroom. They have a magical backyard space with a large back porch that can be used as a stage. I’ve seen this place transform twice already into whimsical experiences, including The Neo Sowl Experience.
Kefita Coffee - An Ethiopian coffee house that is not your average around the way spot.. It’s hella big with lots of room for you to hangout or do activities such as vinyl listening sessions and zine workshops. I recently attended Raveen’s journaling workshop in one of the upper room lounges and will for sure be back for their other offerings.
Project Row Houses - A community-based nonprofit focused on neighborhood revitalization through the arts. The 22 restored Shotgun houses are used for art installations, artist residencies and more. Their latest project, Round 60, is now on view through May if you’re local and want to check it out.
All three of these spaces feel familiar to me because I experience this back home in Oakland. I used to spend many summer nights at #RegularsOnly - which was a home that converted their backyard into a communal space for gatherings. Many people from Town legends to transplants came to this space to just BE. I have memories of eating grilled oysters, NYE nights where I danced the night away, and meeting my crushes under those lights. So many good memories and that felt like only the beginning.
There is a renaissance happening now. A lot of my peers are returning to their roots and collectively I’m peeping that shift. I have friends moving down south, back to their hometowns or cities that have a familial energy to focus on what matters to them most and I’m here for it. I’m studying the trailblazers that came before me and the one thing that remains constant is their belief — in the impossible, unseen, or unheard of. They recognized they were carving paths and creating the trails that we walk on today.
This is why my intention for April is set to be in flow. I want to remain disciplined in my creative pursuits and keep this momentum going. After spending the past couple years aligning with my own personal path I feel I’m in the right direction to make something shake now. Perhaps this is the road less traveled, crafting life alternative to an external world that is collapsing, however it’s my birthright to try my best so others can see that with a little faith and a lot of work, they can do it too.
Ah, maybe that’s what these houses are telling me. That there’s always been a way to build something meaningful within you and sometimes, all it takes is the willingness to use what you’ve got to get where you want to go.
Friends, who wants to go half on a house with me? Kidding. Maybe.
Love,
Reesa
"and send you on your way" 😂 said you can come but you can't stay LOL
"there’s always been a way to build something meaningful within you and sometimes, all it takes is the willingness to use what you’ve got to get where you want to go." Reesa is speaking okayyy!!
This is a beautiful post, very well written and the theme of sharing space and building is on point.
When you began talking about homes that have other uses, I immediately thought about some of the houses in West Oakland. In the 2000s, I used to go to one of those houses with a huge backyard and they indeed had a stage. The Lower Bottom Playaz staged August Wilson plays. I first saw The Piano Lesson there on a warm summer night. They now have their own space downtown and I have attended many productions, but that house with the stage in the backyard holds a special place.