Willow Smith is a confident, 15 year old artist who knows who she is, and unapologetic about it, too! It’s shown in her deep, reflective songs. But there was one point in her life when she wasn’t so confident.
Willow covers the May 2016 issue of Teen Vogue, and in the cover story, she shares that after her foray into stardom with her single “Whip My Hair,” she became insecure. However, that time also brought some soul searching (and only at the tender age of 10).
She says. “Yes. One hundred percent After ‘Whip My Hair’ and all the publicity, after going on tour in the U.K., after saying no to the Annie film, all of this crap was going on in my life, and I had to sit down and say, ‘Who are you? On a real note. Are you this or this?’ During that time of figuring it out, I was lost and super insecure. But then I stopped trying to find myself in these other inanimate objects, people, and ideas. I realized it isn’t about finding yourself—it’s about creating yourself.”
It was then she wanted to take control of her image and find herself, and as you can see, she’s blossomed into a confident young lady with much to say! She gives an interesting perspective on how to stay true to oneself.
During her shoot, she added, “I have some cool shoes on and I wear crazy eyeliner, but it’s really all about emulating the colors you feel inside. A lot of clothes are cute, but after you buy the Yeezy shoes, after you get your hair done with a weave, you’re still the same person. I feel like more and more kids are starting to realize this.”
She also realizes her endorsement with Chanel as a young African American woman is a big deal, given her non-conventional image.
“Being a young African-American woman with dreads, it blows my mind that I’m a Chanel ambassador. Like, how am I a Chanel ambassador? It is so beautiful. I’m coming into a new part of my life that is completely unknown, and I’m jumping right in. All I can do from here is continue to shift paradigms and continue to push the envelope further and further. But I am doing it every day just by being myself.”
Wise beyond her years!
Peep a few flick from the photo shot below, and read the full interview HERE.