MICHELE
One thing this pandemic has taught me is that humans, people, women, thrive through connection. Regardless of how introverted we are, connection is a necessity. A necessity for our mental health, overall happiness and success. We need connection.
We connect through our stories. Stories that are rarely told or shared. We connect through life experiences that are relatable and make us feel less…alone. Every one of our stories, HER stories, matter. Think about it. How many times has someone you barely know shared a story about themselves that made you say “aha! me too!” or “I can relate”? If I had to guess, you probably connected + became friends because of this shared connection.
Connection helps us thrive.
Inspired by this revelation of mine, and because I truly enjoy hearing people’s stories, I’ve decided to embark on this passion + very personal project of sharing women stories: ‘HER Stories’ Series (fyi, I maaaay change the project name later).
Every month I’ll share photos and a story of one woman. The stories will come from these women themselves. The goal of this passion project is to connect women with other women. Through these stories I hope we, women, see how similar + intertwined with one another we are.
To kick start this beautiful project that I’m excited + anxious to start (anxious because announcing this officially means I’m committed + I don’t want to fail), I had the honor of working with the incredible Michele Marsili. A woman with a unique style and strong indigenous background that she proudly displays. On Michele’s Instagram she identifies as Bontoc (indigenous tribe from the Phillipines), Kankanaey (indigenous tribe of the Norther Phillipines), Oaxacaqueña and Gerrerense (Mexico state of Oaxaca and Guerrero).
I am very much about a persons energy. While photographing Michele I felt her solid and powerful foundation wrapped around pure gratitude and love. It was truly an honor to photograph this woman. Her ancestors would be so proud. Enjoy…
Where were you born + where did you grow up? I was born in San Luis Obispo. During my childhood, I grew up mostly on the Central Coast but visited the Bay Area annually where my paternal family is from. I finished off my young teenage adult years in San Francisco.
What was your upbringing like? I am blessed to have been raised by not only my folks but my parents, sisters, and Tias. I grew up hearing loud salsa music and always being surrounded by family. At my grandmother's house, I usually had my cousins and sisters around and had mostly happy memories with them. My mother and father worked a lot but they were around at night and on the weekends. I am the 3rd daughter of 5 girls and life at home was pretty hectic, my mom and dad had their hands full but for different reasons. I remember playing outside by myself and exploring our big backyard, digging up rocks, and collecting little feathers and bones I'd find. I went to elementary school and middle school with predominantly white children and I got picked on a lot. I did not fit in and often got made fun of for my appearance. I found safety in nature and drawing animals, and as I got older I started sewing my clothes, chopping off my hair, and playing with makeup. (cont. below)
(continued) I remember fishing with my dad and going on road trips with my parents every now and then. Although I lived with my folks I give a lot of credit to my grandparents for my foundation. My youngest and earliest memories are mostly of my mom's parents, my grandparents, and eating dinner at their house every night with rice stuck to my socks. As a tiny kid, my grandfather taught me how to explore, and respect animals, bugs, snakes, lizards, and all things really. I give him credit for the appreciation I have for being outdoors and finding tiny creatures. I remember he would find lizards from outside and turn them into house lizards, he told me, "so they eat the bugs". My grandmother Jane has always been a role model to me. She instilled in me from my earliest memory that "we are Igorot first, we are a peaceful people, and we work hard. We are headhunters and warriors." she would tell us.
What’s one thing people get wrong about you? That I am stuck up. I promise you it's just my face—haha. My mom, my grandmother and my great grandmother never smile, and I rarely do as well.
What do you like about yourself (physical + non-physical)? I love the color of my skin, my eyes and nose. For a long time I carried alot of internalized racism and would hate being picked on for my features. But as I got older they are now my favorite part of my physical appearance. Non-physical part of me that I love the most is the fierce love I have for my family.
I love your style. How would you describe your personal style? I would describe my style as a collection of different parts of me and how I am feeling. I love simplicity but I also love my culture. I usually get dressed based off of how I am feeling that day. If I'm ready for war I will wear my Doc Martens and the biggest hoop earrings I own. If i'm in the mood to create art, I will wear something hand made like earrings my grandmother made me. If I want to be in tune with my ancestors I will wear a huipil from Oaxaca or jewelry from Taxco.
What’s your insecurity? My insecurity always is "am I doing this right?" It is something I am working on.
What have your past experiences taught you? My past experiences have taught me that we don't need validation or to be accepted by people that will never accept us. We don't need to shrink ourselves to fit into spaces that are not for us. We don't need to prioritize other peoples comfort over our own peace. Assimilation and colonization are ugly acts of terror on young brown people. We can create our own spaces, and they will be beautifully bomb as fuck.
What advice would you give a 16 year old female today? Continue to be your beautiful self and shine. This time in your life is a blip on the radar and the entire world is waiting for you. Be gentle with yourself. Also, your elders are getting older, spend time with them and get to know them. They would love to spend time with you. You are loved, you are beautiful, and all of this gets easier. I promise.
Name your horoscope—sun, moon and ascendant: I am a Virgo Sun, Cancer Moon and Virgo ascendant.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Michele as much as I did.
If you did enjoy + would like to connect with Michele, you can follow her on Instagram @micheleamarsili