An interview with Widny Bazile
Who is Widny Bazile? Tell the readers a bit about yourself in a couple of sentences.
Widny’s just a girl from Haiti with big dreams, hopes and won’t stop till she gets them!
Who are your biggest inspirations and why?
I always say this, my biggest inspiration is myself. That’s because I know where I came from. I know my people, my culture and the way I was raised. Where I’m at in life by just pushing myself and not letting any obstacles get to me is breathtaking. I am a strong being and I see it in me. I push myself everyday. I look at everything I do and think of ways I could do better! I don’t sit around and wait for the come up – I am the come up!
That’s amazing and inspiring! I agree we are our biggest supporter. We really have to love ourselves before everything else. When did you decide to pursue a career as a model and why?
I’ve always known God chose me for something way bigger than just me. I started creating at 16, because I was going through the hell and back. When I started creating, I wasn’t thinking of the business side of it. I just wanted to get away from so much and that’s when I started creating the life I wanted to live! This has been an everyday thing and hasn’t stopped with God.
Wow! Not everyone has the luxury of knowing their purpose from a young age and is driven enough to see it through despite the obstacles. What advice would you give to young black women who are struggling to breakout into the industry?
My only advice would be to just be free. Understand the system, study moves but also be on the go! Connections are major achievements. I say this because, for example you might not know an artist but you know the manager and once the manager knows you, the artist knows you – that’s business. As a freelancer always listen. It’s better to gain knowledge rather than talk. If you talk too much you don’t get to listen and by not listening you could miss out on a great point. Always watch out for yourself. If nobody wants to help, do it yourself. That’s the motive.
True. Many young people right now are struggling with self-confidence. Sometimes we neglect how important the issue of mental health is. What advice can you give to young people who are struggling with their identity?
Mental health is a big issue, not so much of an issue but a struggle. In order to get out of that struggle you need to understand yourself. Talk to yourself, cry to yourself, let go and find yourself…be free! Self-therapy is very important. Find ways to understand a lot about life, because life could be really beautiful if you make it. Find ways to understand how you can bring yourself happiness. Once you understand and love yourself nobody could ever take that away from you. Even on bad days you’ll just know it’s a bad day, but tomorrow will be better.
Now I’ve got to say you completely rocked the shoot with Migella Accorsi. You were giving us Foxy Brown mixed with 1970s Dancing Queen. It was truly inspiring seeing a young black woman dominate the camera like you did. What has been your favourite shoot and why?
Miguella’s a great friend of mine, super chill and always ready to f*ck sh*t up! We met when I first moved to LA and we’ve always been connected ever since. Creating and the camera is life! I truly feel like I’m home by just being in front of the camera. I can be anything and create anything I want! I just love the idea of bringing the craziness in me out on portraits or even just different sides. My favourite shoot so far would have to be my Vogue feature. It truly taught me that investing in yourself can really take you places and what you don’t expect is exactly what you get. As long as you’re working hard, chasing whatever it is you need to chase – trust and believe you’ll get to it.
I totally agree with that. Working with someone you also consider a friend must be an amazing feeling. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
In the next 5 years, I see myself exactly where I told myself I would be 5 years ago…on my throne! I remember coming to America from Haiti with a little backpack. Got off the plane, looked at the sky and told myself “once I leave this country, I’m not leaving it with just a little bag, I’m leaving with everything”. By throne I mean I’ll be all set with the running around, the struggles, I’ll have more experiences. I know I’ll be able to help so many others – the kids! I wanna change the world. I have a story to tell and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. While I’m at it I wanna help others live their stories.
Connect with Widny:
INTHEWRITERSMIND 