When realizing you're on the clock

Truth be told I always wished I had more time. More time would have allowed me to call my favorite neighbor one last time before he left this side of the green. Or maybe more time in the day would have kept so much distance from being introduced into the relationships I hold the closest. With more time maybe I would have some better semblance of my life intact. I don’t really know for sure, but what I do know is time is a very non replaceable resource. Even now as I sit here and write this there are about a thousand thoughts running across my mind concerning my time. Thoughts of all the things I have to do mixed with thoughts of wanting to go out then interlaced with thoughts about how I want to be this bomb architect who gets paid to design anything she wants to one day so I should stay in. Yes, I rambled there I know.

However, I’m sure you too have had similar thoughts that bring you to a constant crossroads. Do I sacrifice another day to leisure or do I take one for my own team, eat up my desires to squander the night away, and hustle? And I mean really hustle and not just post up somewhere to give one the feeling of really working at something worthwhile. Next, I would ask you to ask yourself….”According to the things I want for myself, have I done anything worth taking a break for?” Some people might not like that assessment, but I’m not here for that today because we're being honest here. Analyze the proximity of where you are in comparison to where you ultimately want to be and see if you're satisfied with that distance. If you’re like me….you’ve sat right back down to your duties and continued working. Like I said I’ve always wanted more time. If I had more time maybe I could satisfy both of those desires, but here’s the truth…

We don’t have that time. I don't have that time and neither do you.

Don't believe me? Do me a favor then and think back to how old you were and what you were doing ten years ago. If that time doesn't feel like that was yesterday for you then congratulations! You're one of the few people stuck in the twilight zone because basically time flies. This is fact.

That's why every decision you make ought to be the best one because the time involved to deal with the aftermath of that decision is time you won't get back.  And quite honestly I don’t want to wake up on the other end of time realizing I wasted all of mine. I don’t want that for you either. So yes, you are young but youth expires. Yes, there is tomorrow but we aren't promised to see it. So work now. Spend your time doing things that will benefit you in the years to come. Chase those dreams as fast and as far as your legs will take you. Now I am not saying don't enjoy yourself. By all means do that; just work for those dreams of your ten times harder. Learn to value your time and decide for yourself the best places it ought to be spent and on what and whom. Because it will eventually run out.

You didn’t ask for this reality check. Neither did I. Nevertheless….here we are.

KT

I dreamed in black architect

By the time I was seven years old I knew I wanted to be an architect. I wanted to be a singer too, but that’s another story. Architecture wise it was like as soon as I realized you could make a building that wasn’t a rectangular box I was all in. Being raised up on the Southside of Chicago also played a major role in my decision making because when you get to see a spectacular skyline every week in every season….it just does something to you.

Now coming up, I had no one in my immediate family, or in my entire family really that I could look to for answers about this field. I mean…I grew up on Stevie Wonder, Stony Island, Harold’s, and juke mixes. I didn’t grow up on Frank Lloyd Wright, IIT Appreciation, and form follows function so the collision between my world and the world of architecture sounded something like the Big Bang Theory.  Now while both of my parents were supportive of my career choice, they were somewhat stunned by it because…I mean…curve ball. Now being a little ways removed from seven, as I reflect back from then until now I do wish there was someone or something that could have helped advise me through the years.

You know…someone to drop in every now and again to say things like look into Revit right from the jump, check these books out because it’ll help you visualize x,y, and z better. Or hey my pretty, melanin filled face…you might feel discouraged at times having so few peers that look like you, but be encouraged…others are out there just like you. Keep pushing. You know…stuff like that. So in taking direct inspiration from that desire I present you all with BLARCH DAILY, guidelines and advice from young, Black, and aspiring architects like myself and other practicing architects. As I cross these bridges so will you.

My hope is that through this blog series architecture will become a less scary and mythical topic for other aspiring faces of color. I hope that you get inspired to ask questions, figure out how to get involved, challenge the status quo, and etc.  Anyways….my name is Kiera and I plan on not being the only black aspiring architect you know.

Stay tuned.

KT

What I Don't Say

Dear Bean Heads,

I can still remember when you two were born.  I thought our folks were just dead set on ruining any other chance we had left of family vacation. (I was wrong thankfully.) You were the first curveball Bean head #1. I was totally blindsided when you showed up. Our set of three seemed perfect, but I guess our folks wanted a quad soo bad. You were just this cute little, foreign thing. I didn’t understand kids and I still don’t, but you were my first introduction to strangeness. I thought your belly button was mad weird and I didn’t want to touch you because of it actually. Weird…yes. So what. I repeat…you were a foreign thing to me.

Now when you were born Bean head #2, I just knew life as we knew it to be was going to end. When Bean head #1 came, I had already feared for our being able to take family vacations BUT WHEN YOU CAME….I felt that we’d be stuck eating chicken flavored ramen for life! Life! Going to the movies? Unheard of. I was even practicing on how to see that as a thing of the past when you came. It was at that point I figured our folks were too bored and dead set on ending our world forever. It also didn’t help that your birth year marked my entrance into womanhood. Great.  So basically, you had no choice but to be my sign for the end of times. The only thing missing honestly was the trumpet sounds and Jesus himself coming back for us all.

Yes….not your average big sister welcome, but boy believe it or not you girls taught me how to love and LOVE HARD.

As you probably noticed growing up, I’m not the most affectionate of your siblings by any means. I could never really figure out how to express my love for you two and it resulted in maybe too little time being spent going to the park, too many nights spent out on my part, or ice cream trips that would call for good old fashioned sibling bonding. In my mind…you guys didn’t need me for that and I never knew I really needed to feel needed in that way. What can I say, I’ve been a thug for a long time. I will say though that life taught me how much I actually did need to know that. However, before that lesson if I would have been anything like a normal older sibling I probably would’ve and should have expressed the fact that I fooled with y’all a little bit more. Since I was not your average older sibling though and you two are well on your way to becoming real life teens I thought I’d spend more time letting you both in on some rare Ki tea whenever I get the chance. *lean close nugget heads*

Here it is……

You two happen to be the biggest reasons for why I go as hard as I do when I do. I push and go after everything I possibly can because I want you all to know that you both can pull out of this world anything you want for yourselves as well.

You are both young now, but I look at the two of you and see the brightest of futures in store. Life comes at you fast and I know that before I fully recognize it…before you two really see it…you’ll both be women.  You two will have decisions to make and entire lives to lead. You will be forced to walk gracefully in a world that’ll try to tell you everything from how to dress to how to think. You’ll be forced to feed yourself with a confidence you won’t find in the same place twice. You will need to be encouragement, strength, love, and protection separately and sometimes all at once for yourself and others you care for. You will need to be above and beyond in this life and when that time comes it’s my hope that I’ll be able to help you both find that inner Queen/fearless one within you. Those lost park trips, ice cream truck runs, stifled "love you’s”, and other forms of inaudible adoration I took note of and stored I plan on redeeming with “I’ve been there” , “I understand”, “ how can I help you?”, and “yes, you can and I can show you how”.

Time is flying and now even more than ever I notice that you both pay even more attention to me than you use to. I know you’re watching ever so closely and taking notes.  I know you both have front seats to the things your older siblings do. You are seeing this in real time and this is why I’ll never let up on attempting to show you both what all you can do when you apply yourself.  I trail blaze for you two young beauties. This is my love.

So here’s to y’all and these wins I know you both will take some day! And here's to my attempt at constantly showing you it's possible.

A constantly inspired and proud dreamer with younger siblings,

Ki

Sit at the Table

To be honest there are a lot of times that I want to cower away. I sometimes get a little too comfortable with letting a man speak up for me. I sometimes shy away from flexing my credentials out of fear they might not quite measure up to my peers. I sometimes participate in conversations that make me want to pipe down and dissolve into the closest corner because sometimes I just don't feel smart enough to be in the room. To be at the table.

Professionally, I'm constantly reminded of just how much I don't know and sometimes it sucks. I'll be honest here too. I find myself frustrated at having to do things over and over again because I'm a recovering perfectionist. I hate the fact that there are still moments when I question if I really am the person for the job. I wonder at times, what did college really do for me besides put me in major debt? Here's a fun fact though....if that's you, you are far from alone in having these thoughts. These kinds of thoughts just come by existing really. And a lot of times the quick solution to these kinds of thoughts is to take the easy way out....you know....go quiet, tell yourself you'll come back when you're ready, hang with people who make you look like a stellar human being because....pick me up, among many other cop outs because you're afraid of being uncomfortable, vulnerable, uncertain. I get that. I've done that. I understand.

But,

Today I'm challenging you to do something else. I'm challenging you to realize and embrace every part of who you are and boldly sit at the table.

Ki, what's the table? Glad you asked.

The table is the place where you go and sit in front of everyone in the house then proceed to eat. Yes, I went with the literal meaning. And I'm not talking about sitting at the kids' table either. I'm talking about the table where only the adults sit at on holidays. The table where you have to sit down so assertively that the other seats that be just know you belong there too. You ever see a kid attempt to sit at the adult table real shy like over the holidays? Yea? Don't be that kid. They get so much more attention when they awkwardly try to sit down. Now imagine if that kid would have silently went right up to the table and sat down. Sooner than later....they'd fit right in after a while. I should know....I have successfully introduced myself to the adult table and many of other spots you normally wouldn't find your average 12 year old. *hi fives myself* Here's the point: get to that table. Stay at that table. 

Another courageous table sitting example for you is this, I once had a professor tell me how he landed his first job. He identified a place he wanted to work at and one day he decided to dress in his best professional digs, walk in, and act as if he already belonged there. When asked who he was, he simply replied, "Oh I'm such and such. I'm the new hire. They didn't tell you about me?" Long story short....he got hired for that move alone.

I hope that in both cases, you get my drift. Each day I'm asking you to act as if it's already yours.  Don't ask anybody about whether you can sit, should you sit, where to sit, how to sit, none of that! You just get to that table and stay there because whether you believe it or not you belong at that table with the big timers. You belong in that conversation! You belong at that networking event just as much as anybody else. Own it! Now knowing it's way easier said than done I pray for you courage and tenacity. I pray when people see you they see a person containing a giant inside of them because that is what you are. Go get em champ! And when you do....just make sure you save a spot for the next dreamer to come.

Much love to you dreamers, 
Ki