“Am I Living My Purpose?” Faith Blakeney on Learning to Own Her Gifts
written by Stacey Lindsay
Interior designer Faith Blakeney transcends boundaries. Faith, founder of her eponymous studio, creates stunning spaces that act as incubators for free expression. Bathed in color and eclectic finishes, every room she transforms is a place to live fully and beautifully.
So, it may be easy to assume Faith always knew that her gifts were critical to this world. But, as she shares here, it took the California native a while to fully embrace her calling.
My parents ran a school for mentally disturbed girls. It was part of their calling and their purpose. They transformed the lives of thousands of girls, adolescent girls, who were at the end of the system. My parents were really working on the frontlines when [my siblings and I] were growing up. We would wrap presents for Christmas for all these kids and celebrate with them—and we were Jewish, so we didn't celebrate Christmas at home. So we grew up in that environment. I saw my parents on a daily basis transforming our community. kid by kid.
When I started to do interior design, there was part of me that had always felt that this was my calling. I was the kid in the back of the room, when I was eight years old, sketching bedrooms. So that's always been a part of who I am, but I felt a real conflict. Because I feel you’re put here to make a difference on the planet, and is finding a great sofa and chair for a living room going to make that difference? I felt a real conflict. I would wake up in the morning, and go, Is this really my purpose? Am I living my purpose? Come on God, there must be something more important for me to do. And it took me a long time before I realized that, actually, what I'm doing is important. We all have our gifts. And we can all use our gifts to make good on the planet, in some way. I’m crying as I say this. I feel really honored, really honored that I can utilize this gift that I was just granted to transform spaces that make a difference for people. That transforms people's lives.
My brother has a rehab, it’s called Recovery Integrity, and it's absolutely incredible. He opened up maybe five or six years ago in Los Angeles. I got to design all three of his locations for the rehab. It’s so powerful that I get to like design spaces that these men are coming through, who are going through some of the most incredible transitions and the most challenging transitions of their lives. They're being reborn there and I get to design the backdrop of that.
When I was designing a rehab, there were two conference rooms. I said, ‘What the hell do you need two conference rooms for? Bro, would you be cool if I created this Moroccan lounge in one of the rooms?’ I'll never forget he shared with me that one time they had a [man] who came who was nonverbal. He was in such a way. He was in withdrawal. He couldn't sit with other people, he couldn't do groups, he couldn't do anything. But all he wanted to do was sit in the Moroccan room. That was his sanctuary. It was the only place where he was okay. It just moved me to tears to hear that story and to know that I get to be the one to create these spaces that really make a difference for people.
Pulled from our original chat with Faith. Head to the Liberty Road Podcast to listen to the full conversation.
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