Autonomy: Choosing Myself as a Black Woman in My 30s

It took me a while to learn something that feels both radical and obvious:

My life works best when I choose myself. Not in the selfish, burn-it-all-down way — but in the quiet, intentional way. The kind that shows up in how I care for my body, how I spend my energy, and how I decide what actually matters.

As a Black woman in my 30s, autonomy isn’t just a concept. It’s a practice. A daily decision. A gentle but firm reclaiming of choice in a world that often expects us to be everything for everyone — except ourselves. And to be honest, I’m tired of the strong Black woman narrative. Tired of strength being confused with self-neglect.

For me, autonomy looks like listening to my body instead of pushing through discomfort. It looks like learning when to rest without guilt. It looks like choosing wellness not as a trend or a punishment, but as a form of self-respect.

It also looks like creation.

We are always creating, whether we mean to or not. Our routines create our days. Our habits create our health. Our beliefs shape the limits — or freedom — we live within. And lately, I’ve been more interested in creating on purpose.

That’s what this blog is about.

Lats Create is a space where I explore what it means to choose myself in real time — to create wellness that feels supportive, to care for my body with curiosity instead of criticism, and to build a life that reflects what I actually desire, not what I’ve been conditioned to accept.

Here you’ll find conversations about wellness, movement, rest, mindset, and the quiet shifts that happen when you start paying attention to yourself. Nothing extreme. Nothing performative. Just honest reflections and practical tools for living with more intention.

I don’t have it all figured out. But I do know this: autonomy begins when we stop outsourcing our well-being and start trusting ourselves again.

This is me choosing that — and inviting you to do the same.

Welcome!