rayo & honey

My art has allowed me a path to create with people who’s work I consume & admire. Five years ago I created this collection of limited addition pennants with based on passages from her collection of poems, ‘Magical Negro’, that diped into her telling of Black womanhood in the everyday.

Morgan’s new essay collection, out today “You Get What You Pay For”, searches to both tell the truth and deconstruct it. This memoir traces the difficulty and beauty of existing as a Black woman through American history in a collection of intimate essays.

I am fortunate to again work with Morgan’s words from her new book for some super special goods. There’s stand alone beauty in two Black women creating work in collaboration over the course of time and projects.

I can’t wait to share more soon.

Until then, pick up a copy of “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR” from your favorite local book store or online at .

Lately I’ve been turning over in my head the strength of the bonds we craft between ourself and others.
How it is miraculous that forgiveness and love for some else or ourselves can reside beside each other.
That sharing your heart must be done honesty and with a vulnerability that is devoid of smoke and mirrors.
That even on the roughest roads riddle with conflict there can be a way back to holding space for one another in real recognizable ways. The tenderness and care that can lose its way with the passing of time doesn’t have to be lost forever.
The friendships we question out of disagreement can be sorted out with expressed compassion.
The romantic relationships singed by careless disconnection can be refortified with fresh vulnerability and a rededication to the practice of love.
Families that drift apart for very little understandable reasons can find their way back to each other with honesty.

We can choose to hard we go for the people we claim.

And in challenging times we have the power to acknowledge issues, dismantle hurt and tenderly remind each other that even now, even still the bond remains.

*available in the shop in limited number, link in bio*

Since our time here is finite, let’s do it up big entering into this new year by creating sweetness and loving hard on those we are connected to.
Share the feeling of promise and the starting a new with all that are struggling. Let’s hold space for others with ease & fill it with understanding. Celebrate future wins both big & small in fantastic measure. Extend kindness & compassion to yourself as beacon for others to be guided to do the same.

We can not know what comes next.

Every fresh & new tomorrow is not promised but maybe the present can be everything needed if it is remembered despite all that was & all that is, today we are possible.



#2023

“Live your life from truth and you will survive everything, everything, I believe even death. You will survive everything if you can live your life from the point of view of truth. That took me a while to get, pretending to be something I wasn't, wanting to be somebody I couldn't, but understanding deep inside myself when I was willing to listen, that my own truth and only my own truth could set me free. Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
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Sometimes the path you find yourself on is unfamiliar or daunting but if you stay the course, one foot in-front of the other, you will find your way.

~~These and more goods with positive intent can be found on my shop, link in bio ~~

It is an honor to be commissioned for a capsule collection distilling the work of author ’s acclaimed Legendborn Cycle.

Book One, ‘Legendborn’ is filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system as modern-day twist on the Arthurian legend with a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic. As Bree finds her power in the midst of grief, she discovers who she is and who she has always been.

“Bree only wants to to uncover the truth behind her mother's death. So she infiltrates the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur's knights. Bree must decide how far she’ll go for she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.”

After the death of her mother Bree’s father encourages her to not let her life be consumed by grief:

“Don't make your life about the loss. Make it about the love." 

Book Two of this incredible cycle ‘Bloodmarked’ is out today and available !

~~ The first of this limited capsule collection of three pennant’s is available now on the site. Link in bio ~~


   

This phrase feels as if it was written yesterday & tomorrow all at the same time.

How we connect with language and words is personal. Sometimes words jump off the page at me with such force I’m left to wonder how segments of a sentence can sometimes be more powerful to me then the book in its entirety.

This quote from Virginia Wolfe’s 1931 novel “The Waves” hit me like a brick upon first read. It feels so timely but wasn’t written for the today we live in:
“I feel a thousand capacities spring up in me. I am arch, gay, languid, melancholy by turns. I am rooted, but I flow.”
Larger then my standard pennant at 17in x 23in end to end not including hang string.
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~~available online on my site & * links in bios ~~

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Trying to make sense of events out of my control is an unwelcome weight on my mind.
It clogs the flow of inspiration and ripples nervousness everywhere. When I feel the stagnation of worry, I turn to poetry to lead me back with words that ring clear through uncertainty reminding me of all that is possible.
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“birth-day”
by Lucille Clifton

today we are possible.
the morning, green and laundry-sweet,
opens itself and we enter
blind and mewling.
everything waits for us:
the snow kingdom
sparkling and silent
in its glacial cap,
the cane fields
shining and sweet
in the sun-drenched south.
as the day arrives
with all its clumsy blessings
what we will become
waits in us like an ache.

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We are that which connects us together & in those bonds lies vast opportunity to reach our brightest potential.
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‘Paul Robeson’
By

That time
we all heard it,
cool and clear,
cutting across the hot grit of the day.
The major Voice.
The adult Voice
forgoing Rolling River,
forgoing tearful tale of bale and barge
and other symptoms of an old despond.
Warning, in music-words
devout and large,
that we are each other’s
harvest:
we are each other’s
business:
we are each other’s
magnitude and bond.
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~~ I’ve made 3 of these and not sure when and if I’ll make more. Available now in the shop, link in bio ~~

The consistent creativity & originality of Black Americans is unrivaled.

We have always created the music & art needed to elevate our spirit from low places. Our creations of humor, joy, strength, style, comfort, introspect has enriched our community while inspiring the world.

All the yesterdays past & everyday after, when in darkness, we are the light.
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Measuring 14 X 19, this size pennant is a bit bigger then a standard rayo & honey pennant but smaller then our largest pennant.
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~ Available now as part of limited Black History Month capsule collection. Shop link in bio ~
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We give a lot of ourselves to work, our loved ones and the daily grind of being a human of the 21st century.

Recognizing that to grow, feel confident and receive all the goodness from the world we must defuse all the extra negative debris that don’t serve us.

Identify situations or people that take you out of your considered optimal state and be authentic in your intentions so that you can take care of your energy.

At the start of 2022 I’ve thought about the past turbulent year filled with stumbling through the everyday truth of life in New York City during a global pandemic.
Despite terrible circumstances I am reminded of the moments that fueled my creativity and championed my spirit.

Loving on my family, laughing along with friends, floating in the ocean watching clouds swim overhead, celebrations & the comfort of our home have been such goodness and light for me.

While more loss then I’ve been able to fully wrap my head around continues to do numbers and I don’t know what the next year will bring, I am certain we must be steadfast in intentionally nurturing our own joy.

We can not know what comes next. Tomorrow is not promised but maybe today can be everything we need it to be.

Since our time here is finite, let’s do it up big by creating sweetness and loving hard on those we are connected to. Let’s love hard with ease and celebrate wins both big & small. Let’s enjoy the goodness we can find daily because it’s later then we think.

#2022

Raising a child to wholly love themselves & to move through life with compassion for all living things, is a revolution.

This now legendary tote I designed with my own experience as a revolutionary Mama to twins, I designed a catch all bag tough enough for the playground, big enough all the random things brought on adventures ‘just in case’. By design, this practical carry all is large enough to slip your hand inside while it’s on your shoulder but also keeps your important things safe in one of it’s TWO internal zipper pockets!

rayo & honey’s black on black extra large tote celebrates the women that raised us & the woman we have chosen to be in raising our own children.
- 14 inches X 23 inches
- Tough & Light 15oz cotton canvas
- Two internal zipper pockets
- Twill zipper pulls
- Cut, pieced and sewn by hand in the US of A.
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~ discounted, stocked & ready to ship, in the shop, link in bio. ~
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There is no returning back to a world that has been altered by sickness & fear.
But by being firmly in the present as we transition into what’s to come, we can magnify hope & strength.

It’s been 2yrs since I gathered with super talented folks at for at to share my goods with positive intent.
In celebration of being on the other side of uncertainty I created some special pieces that aren’t available in my shop yet.
Come by booth E10 today and tomorrow and share some stories and let’s reconnect.

This infamous line from Audre Lorde’s poem ‘New Year’s Day’ is a timeless rally in
perseverance.

Your most favorite black on black tote is back!
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Extra large with the same lines of rayo & honey’s beloved “MAMA RAISED A REVOLUTION” this tough & light 15oz black cotton canvas with black lettering.
Constructed as a every day carry all that holds its own with stitched handles & it’s TWO internal zippered pockets with twill zipper pulls.
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rayo & honey’s hard working tote encourages us to seek the joy in all you do without exception.

To get ahead of the overwhelming intensity of it’s now on sale now!
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- 14 inches X 23 inches
- 15oz cotton canvas
- 2 internal zipper pockets
- Hand knotted twill zipper pulls
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~ available now in shop, link in bio ~
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Godspeed, meaning "a prosperous journey," comes from the Middle English phrase God spede you ("God prosper you"). It was originally used to wish success to someone, like saying, “May you prosper.”

• hand painted engraved acrylic
• 1 inch metal key ring
• 3/4 inch X 3 1/4 inch

~ available now, shop link in bio~

{Shibori dyed canvas pennant by }

“I cannot tell the truth about anything unless I confess being a student, growing and learning something new every day. The more I learn, the clearer my view of the world becomes.”
- Sonia Sanchez
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~available in the shop, link in bio~
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There is a legacy of positive energy that rayo & honey pennants project into the rooms of children. A feature that whispers a modern day mantra to little ones as they grow becomes a beautiful memory of childhood. A prompt parents use as a reminder during bedtime & when they greet the day.
My heart feels like it’s going to burst open when I receive images of my work hanging for small eyes to see. This one from in this dream like bedroom she designed for her daughter is swoon worthy.

What makes "YOU ARE MAGIC" extra special to me is it was the very first pennant I created in 2015. In honoring it as part of rayo & honey’s foundation & believing everyone should be able to own art, the price is & will always be much less then my other work. Today almost a 1000 intentionally hand crafted “You Are Magic” pennants hang all over the world & has helped ground & nurture so many good things. It has been used by people battling illness as a reminder that they can beat it. In little boys rooms who's parents wanted them dream in technicolor. In a Black librarian's office as a welcome for all that enter.

It's creation & of all those since, have harnessed & focused my energy to share my ashé in the powerful way with my intent being woven thought though each piece.
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~ restocked & available now, shop link in bio ~
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“If you stay ready, you don't need to get ready.”
- Black American Proverb
Enter into every endeavor with fully embolden positivity and prepared with what ever is needed to combat anything negative that comes for you.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. “
- , Congressman & Civil Rights Leader
Thank you for this joy filled image! And admiration to for capturing THE most joyous shot!

First Monday of a new year doesn’t always feel like a new beginnings. Instead the continuation of something unfinished hangs in the air while we distract ourselves with soon to be broken promises of “better” “newer” “stronger” versions of our lives.
Instead of a forced to do list that may lead to disappointment & self loathing, choose instead to shift perspective. To look at yourself with kinder eyes. Listen more intently to what & who guides you. Seek more then one way to accomplish moving forward in the right direction. Embrace each coming day from a new vantage point that allows you to adjust to challenges big & small. Open to the possibilities that await if you don’t hide your light.
I am continuing to fulfill placed orders. Orders shipped that are still showing “awaiting shipment” should begin to move this week {according to my local Post Office” if not new packages will be resent beginning Sat.1/9. Restock along with new work dropping begins Feb 1st!

~ Even though it’s been years since the capsule collection I did with , I often return to the work of the writers who’s words I distilled. ~

Anyone who knows my heart is well versed in my lifelong dam near obsession with the written word.
rayo & honey continues to connect me with other incredible creatives in new & exciting ways. I am amped to share my collaboration utilizing the words of poets & creatives for a exclusive curated collection with the remarkable woman owned agency .
Beotis represents leading contemporary poets, writers and creatives of color: Danez Smith, Safia Elhillo, Eve L. Ewing, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, Laci Jordan, Nate Marshall, Kaveh Akbar, Jacqui Germain, and Aziza Barnes.
The first run sold out yesterday in under 12hrs! To shop the second run link in profile.

https://rayoandhoney.com/products/all-she-knows-is-hustle

“I’m the only one who can stop me.. I'm the one who's been sitting at the stoplight all these years, waiting for the light to turn green.”
- Terry McMillan
Get out of your own way.

• made from 100% 10oz cotton canvas
• machine stitched seaming on all sides with corresponding thread
• letters are black cut felt, affixed with heat
• made by my two hands in Brooklyn, NY
~ this pennant & other goods with positive intent available now ~

It is imperative to connect with joy and evolve our own personal practice of compassion.

Love the ones you claim.
The ones who are yours.
The ones that your heart recognizes in the light & in the dark.
The ones who will choose to journey with you through the fantastic & the foolish.

Family is made up of who you are loved by & ties you readily tether your soul to. Make sure you are loud with your love.

Tend to your joy and honor it as the boldest act of resistance.

~ restocked & available now, shop link in bio ~