00:03Hi everyone, I'm Mimi. I'm opening my door to my sweet digs in Brooklyn. Come on in.
00:10So because this is New York, there is a second door.
00:25I am currently based in Brooklyn, New York and I am a writer who writes about the intersections
00:31of love and fear. My home is really special because it's a place that I've intentionally
00:36made very safe. I think it's a place where I've been able to be as creative as I want
00:42and I've been able to bring a bunch of found objects with really loved ones and create
00:47a sanctuary. I think this is a gem because there's a backyard. It kind of feels like a
00:54fairy house in a lot of ways and sometimes I even kind of forget that I live so close to
00:59the big city. So I really like that about it.
01:07So this is my living room slash media room. I'm really happy to have this space because
01:13it just gives me the space and the time to sit with the things that I love. And I'm really
01:18grateful to live in a space that's big enough for me to just kind of spread my wings and like
01:23dance around and feel the rhythm.
01:26My favorite thing to do ever is to go scouring for used furniture. I really love going to
01:32like online marketplaces or even stooping to kind of see these like big statement pieces.
01:38But I also like to mix it with some like really modern pieces from Ikea. So there's a Kamsun
01:43mirror, which I like to dance in. I really do believe that community is everything. I don't
01:50believe that we're supposed to be in isolation, which is funny because I do live alone, but
01:56that doesn't mean that I'm isolated. And community to me is it's everything. It's like what allows
02:01me to stay connected. It's what allows me to remember love as like a true driving force.
02:06So community is such an important part of my life. And I really do believe that building community
02:13is what makes homes as sacred as they are too.
02:18So this is my bedroom right here.
02:25I like to wake up early in the morning, do my stretches and water my plants. And just
02:32being surrounded by the greenery is really important for me to reconnect with earth because
02:37that's not always the easiest thing to do in New York City.
02:41So I tend to work the most in the dining room slash multipurpose room. Here is the dining
02:48table, which is very old and I think holds a lot of history. And I like to imagine all
02:54the dinners that were had here before. I think that's one of the reasons why I really love
02:58found objects is that there's stories behind them. I actually don't really like being confined
03:03to a desk all day long. And so the dining table is actually really perfect because I
03:08get to sprawl out. So having a lot of space, especially in the dining room that is filled
03:13with like creativity is a really great place for me to get my creative juices flowing.
03:19I do have a book coming out next year and I've been really focusing on writing it. And this
03:24is literally where I do it. This is where all the magic happens. And this is where I focus
03:29and think and reflect. My favorite part about this room is the ceiling because it just has
03:37the most beautiful detailing. And I wish I knew the exact year that this building was built,
03:43but it is truly such an intricate and beautiful, elaborate design.
03:50So this is a kitchen and this is where I do majority of my cooking. I'm not the best cook
03:55ever, but I really do like to experiment in this space and try out my mother's recipes.
04:01And I also like to do that with friends and prepare meals for my friends in here.
04:05I really need to stay organized in the kitchen because I don't like it messy. So I have the
04:10cooking jar that keeps my pastas and my non-perishables. And I have the far club plates where I get
04:17to serve
04:17everything all fancy and colorful and beautiful. And I really, really love to make dinner and serve it
04:24outside in the garden. The garden is as rare as they come. It's really hard to find an outdoor
04:31space in New York in general. And so when I saw the garden, I just knew that I wanted to
04:36write parts of my book there, that I wanted to meditate there and sit with myself there.
04:42And granted it is next to the highway, but I think that's the charm of it too. It's like a
04:48reminder,
04:49like, oh, you live in the city, but you can also experience this like deep beauty and this deep
04:55tranquility. There's like four magnificent trees out there who have lived for hundreds of years and
05:02they've seen it all. And they've seen all the changes in Brooklyn. They've seen all the changes
05:06of the people in the city. And when I'm next to them, I feel like I'm with some very wise
05:12guardians
05:13and I feel very taken care of. So I think the act of choosing to live alone was an act
05:19of
05:19self-lovingness. Because it's such an intimate space and an intimate home, I get to know myself
05:26in really intimate ways that I don't know if I could otherwise. In the living room where I dance
05:32and in the dining room where I write, it's possible for me to access so many different layers of myself
05:39and to be unafraid of the differences that I have. You know, I'm a lot less fearful of facing myself.
05:46And sometimes I just allow myself to be and allow myself to be, I guess, unpresentable,
05:53but still beautiful. And I feel beautiful. But I think self-love is essential, you know,
06:00in everyday life. And it's something that so many of us are not taught, but it's a relationship that we
06:05need to nurture constantly. And I think this home is the perfect reflection of me reflecting.
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