Reimagining Self-Expression With Musician TOMI
Musician TOMI Reimagines Self-Expression Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. A: I am a musician, I perform under the name TOMI and I live in Los Angeles, CA....
Musician TOMI Reimagines Self-Expression
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I am a musician, I perform under the name TOMI and I live in Los Angeles, CA. I am releasing my new record “Sweet, Sweet Honey” October 8th and the first single “Lemon Tree” comes out August 5th. It is an album about finding oneself through the loss of a great love. (Find it here!)
It is about resilience, forgiveness and the acceptance of impermanence. I wrote and produced the record on my own with the intention of healing and processing the past decade. I never intended to release it, alas...here we are and I’ve never been more proud of a body of work.
Q: So much of our company is rooted in the re—inc founders' own quest to reimagine norms and barriers society has placed on us. How do you defy or reimagine norms in your daily life (could be related to your self-expression, creative outlets, work etc.)?
A: I came out as a lesbian when I was 12 years old, the same age I started writing music. Music has been a place where I can be completely honest and express myself fully.
I spent many years trying to color within the lines until I realized how much more beauty there is in all the space outside of those lines. I express myself, my queerness, my differences and my weirdness through my music and live shows.
“Sweet, Sweet Honey” is the first record I’ve fully written and produced myself, it gave me the space I needed to fully accept and pay attention to the root of who I am as an artist, as a womxn and as a human being.
"I spent many years trying to color within the lines until I realized how much more beauty there is in all the space outside of those lines."
Q: What's brought you the most joy this past summer?
A: This summer, spending time with my friends and my family brought me joy. It has been a hell of a year and being able to see familiar smiles (and stranger’s smiles!) really brought me back to life.
Q: One of our core beliefs is that you must nourish yourself in order to persevere and create. How do you nourish yourself or cultivate self-love and inner peace?
A: I make “Pam Time '' a priority. Once I’ve had my coffee in the morning I have a ritual of meditation and running. Mental and physical balance is a necessity for me to feel completely connected and grounded.
I’ve also found a lot of joy in listening to new music and making sure music is always playing somewhere in my house, it’s an incredible pallet cleanser.
Q: Our most recent collection, Field of Flowers, explores the idea of elevated states to higher self and collective liberation. What makes you feel most elevated and free in spirit?
A: Meditation has been my go-to for an elevated state of mind. It’s so important to connect with yourself and to feel self love through practice. And it definitely takes practice!!
Some days are easier than others but it’s important to start loving yourself in order to spread that joy and care to others. Love is contagious!
Check out TOMI's work at https://www.thenametomi.com/. How do you reimagine self-expression?
