MEET RIJI
When I first started this Collective I wanted to make sure that I highlighted other women/x owned business owners to build and foster community. Let’s all strive together! Through the Ampjar community, I am able to connect and grow with tons of other small businesses, including Riji and her business Affirmation Darling. We’ve been following each other for a few months and keep in touch by staying active on Instagram- she is truly a hype woman! Since my Collective hiatus, I’m happy to introduce you all to my friend Riji!
Check out our full meetup:
BEHIND THE AFFIRMATION
What makes an affirmation so special? Being able to give and receive comfort in what you are doing. Affirm your emotions, your opinion, and where you are in life - the journey. I use affirmations as a form of motivation. Understanding that I am at a point in my life and this is where I am meant to be. Especially in such a fast-paced world, we can get lost in what we think we are supposed to be doing.
Riji’s relationship with affirmations has given her a light of motivation that she strives to share with all of us. During my time with Riji, I got to hear her story of going through homelessness and how this experience was a rough, yet strengthening path in her and her partner’s lives. Coming to Los Angeles in 2016 with the goal to pursue an acting career, cruel hardships soon came along that left Riji, her husband, and their fur baby facing homelessness for about two years. They had each other to lean on and I can only imagine the personal growth and trust established. Having hope and creativity, Riji was able to overcome personal obstacles and channel her hardships into positivity.
BECOMING AFFIRMATION DARLING
Riji’s overcoming story of using creativity as an outlet for mental health and self love has been the fuel that pushes Affirmation Darling. As a way to inspire others in times of hardship, doubt, and everyday life, Affirmation Darling delivers products that embody a positive lifestyle. The powerful stationery is the product of the main goal: creating a positive community that inspires personal, career, and internal goals. Amazing! They even have a buy one give one program, with every purchase of AffirmActions, they give a deck to a member of our youth facing homelessness and mental health crisis. Fostering empowerment and community uplifting - Affirmation Darling.
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
If y’all aren’t in love with Riji and Affirmation Darling by now, what if I told you she does community work beyond her business. Riji is a proud partner at Creative Futures Collective. She is a member of a team that works to encourage and foster future leaders and creatives from underrepresented and marginalized communities. “We believe that someone’s current circumstance shouldn’t dictate their future.” Systematic inequality contributes to making it harder for many talented creators to grasp any opportunity and advance in a career. Creative Futures Collective works to break this cycle.
STAY CONNECTED WITH AFFIRMATION DARLING
Follow Affirmation Darling on Instagram @affirmationdarling
Follow Creative Future Collective on Instagram @creativefuturescollective