La Vie Perlée (The Pearled Life) was born from the realization that Black Women are facing a stress epidemic that significantly impacts our mental, physical, and emotional health. Black Women’s health is affected twofold by the social stress that comes with existing as Black and as women in American society, compounded by health and socioeconomic disparity. I set out to further investigate the causes and effects of stress on Black Women and legitimate interventions for stress management.

In my research, I discovered psychotherapy and holistic therapy, which encompass various proven methods that help treat and empower individuals to better manage anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. There are existing solutions that leverage these therapies for improved stress management. However, these solutions were not developed with the unique lived experiences of Black Women in mind. This became my mission.

How can I develop a solution that centers Black Women’s experiences and provides effective resources to manage and relieve stress? The current iteration of my solution is wellness cards, a toolbox in the form of a card deck with digestible information and activities that provide encouragement and proven therapy science to equip Black women to better manage and relieve stress.

By delivering resources for stress relief and management in a way that’s accessible and centers Black Women’s lived experiences, I believe LVP will empower this community to prioritize their self-care and better care for themselves so that they may have a better quality of life and overall health – which they deserve.

Studio Instructor
Jesse Flores

Designer
Shelby Williams