Andrea Boston is a multimedia storyteller, and the goddess that started TheOddflowers.com. Oddflower is a story project that launched on July 29 to showcase women of color who felt like they hid their passions growing up for fear of judgment. Some of the women Boston interviewed so far are punk rockers, and other ladies who may have hid their musical interests and talents because it wasn’t culturally “normal” or appreciated among their peers. She spotlights women who realized that they were different in their teenage years, but who have since grown to embrace their interests.
Boston grew up listening to Rammstein (the German heavy metal band) and other rock. She admits that she always was people pleaser who felt the need to hide her musical interests because enjoying groups like Queen and Radiohead somehow felt like a betrayal to the some of the black artists that she felt she should like.
When Boston started talking to other women she developed an interest in sharing their stories. She realized this during an interview with Miss Jack Davey, singer in the band J*Davy who said, “I think it’s interesting that in junior high when all my friends were listening to R. Kelly, I was secretly hiding away listening to Nevermind by Nirvana. That was my private joy. My friends would be like ‘you listen to Led Zeppelin?!’”
She wanted to find other stories of women who hid away their interests out of fear of being judged. From punk rockers like Courtney Hargrove and Aissa Arroyo-Hill, to wardrobe stylist Sigourney Salley, Boston has curated a powerful collection of stories about these inspiring women. The project shows that being the odd woman out can indeed be a great thing.
Hargrove says,
“My weirdness was always more of an attribute, I guess. Some people like to hate, but most people like when you’re confident. It inspires them to be confident. I definitely have insecurities for sure, but I always said I’m going to do what makes me feel good no matter what. My friends liked me for doing my own thing.”
These women talk about their personal experiences in life, their upbringings, and their current state of living without fear of judgment. I am very excited for what will come of this project, and the stories Boston will present. So far I am thrilled with the women that have been showcased on the site, and I can’t wait to see who’s next!
Discovered c/o AfroPunk, AndreaBoston.com, and TheOddFlowers.com.
Photos c/o AndreaBoston.com and The OddFlowers.com.
