Margo's Creative Life

I am an advocate for Margo Gabriel

It is amazing to see how social media creates opportunities for connection. Sometimes I get thrown by its curated veil, the one made up of Bali landscapes that frame slim bodies in warrior one poses or the infinity pool scene with a raspberry dolloped champagne glass in hand. I scroll through these accounts idealizing the lifestyle without ever really knowing the person behind the account. I can become a little jaded through the scroll of those manicured images, and Instagram remains home to a sweet amount of connection, where the stories and rally cries capture the full range of emotion. There is vast evidence of humanity here.

Four years ago, I connected with a writer whose creativity and kindness reassured me of that belief. She was so kind, and everything, including her words, photography, and posts exuded genuine radiance. She became, in a shared moniker, a soul sister.

A soul sister who is willing to share her creativity and thoughts so generously.

I’ve long admired her pursuit and practice in every sphere she crafts in. And there are many spheres...I marvel at the balance.

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I write them down because there are so many projects I want to launch. I think about my circle and network of creatives and brainstorm which projects and endeavors I would like to plug them into. There are so many talented people I have met here in Lisbon and I am eager to work with them in 2022. I think about how much bandwidth I have to focus on a particular project and go from there. I am learning to delegate more which helps me from experiencing burnout

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There is a intimacy in her work - photograph stills that continue to move, the focus immortalizes the life of the subject in its flavor and vibrancy.

Her writing envelopes the richness of creative’s and artist’s experiences so that you become familiar to the point of familial following.

“living life day-to-day is what fuels my creative heart and mind.”

A Boston feature through Fodor's Travel of a coffee shop I have been to and had a delicious mulled cider. (For all the local Bostonians, go. Non-locals, book the flight, and go.)

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A great piece on Margo's move to Lisbon...it will make you want to move there immediately.

In her craft of food, stories in and of themselves, you can taste the history of her Haitian roots and traveled experiences.

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As a teen, I knew I wanted to have a career in writing but did not know how that would play out. In college, I became more interested in food writing by reading publications like Cuisine Noir and Edible Boston.

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“Where food, people, and culture meet”

The Expat Kitchen cookbook is a gem of collaboration, culture, and culinary joy. It is a great example of the way Margo has stepped out of her comfort zone and kept ties to roots that ground her. What better way to design a cookbook, than through the travel adventures and family roots?

With music and wine to know delight in its fullest, she brings words and meals together beautifully. A passion that has always existed.

Playlist

my favorites from the expat kitchen playlist to groove to

Masego Kings Rant

Childish Gambino Feels Like Summer

KAYTRANADA Caution

Sade Cherish The Day

Koffee Rapture

Leon Bridges Motor Bike

Darius, FKJ O

I admire her dreams, how her roots and youth experiences propelled her to the choices she is making now. She moved to Portugal, created a cook book, hosts dinner events, speaks on panels, and writes articles on food and culture to further honor and uplift those artists of the African Diaspora.

Panel

Building African Connections at Congresso dos Conzinheiros in Portugal 2021

discussing african influences in portuguese culinary industry

The panelists here, left to right: Chef Antonieta Mata (@antonieta.mata) and Restaurant and Wine Bar owner, Hernâni Miguel (@tabernaculo_by_hernani_miguel).

The importance is evident in her work and her words to describe it are all the more powerful.

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For me, legacy is very important and there is always a need for representation. Growing up I did not know any Black food writers personally so to be able to work in this space amplifying the work of creatives from the diaspora is a privilege. I want young people in my community to be inspired by my path and know they can pursue their dreams, as well.

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I mean, hot damn, I am inspired by her growth all the way across the Atlantic.

I can see the magic of Lisbon in each of her posts, and what drew Margo back to become an expat. As she builds her life there, she continues to highlight great Black artists.

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My first trip to Lisbon was in 2018, and I knew I wanted to return for a much lengthier time here. And 2020 happened to be the year I relocated to Portugal. The architecture, the food, the light in the city, wine, and slow pace of life drew me to Lisbon. The Portuguese are friendly and a good time. The energy in the city is very welcoming.

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I think back to 2018 and am amazed how we were sheer strangers except for our stories. I cherish her willingness to enter a vulnerable space with me, creating more so I could reciprocate, and I appreciate that gift of connection she holds as an individual and as an artist.

I love how her love of community is so apparent in her writing and documentation of events, especially as an expat in Lisbon. With any major move, it is a journey to build community and I see a collective joy that I know she has had a bold hand in creating.

Featuring

Left to right: Margo, Diara, Karen, Shar (@feetmeetsland), Hiwote (@hiwote.getaneh)

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I reach out to individuals who’ve made a similar move to Portugal. I joined Facebook groups, the Xpat App, and met people at local restaurants and wine bars. The community I have made here has really helped me to feel welcomed in Portugal. For the most part, I have been fortunate to meet people who have impacted my life in a positive way.

With the help of this community, I have been able to host private dinners highlighting Haitian culture and cuisine, write and publish my book, The Expat Kitchen and feel more creative than I ever have in life.

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When she shares some of the roots behind her creative callings and philosophies, it is so easy to find and walk a bridge into her creative world. What inspires me the most is her curiosity, her practice and love of it. I think without it, we may have not ever met.

Curiosity to Margo

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I often say living life day-to-day is what fuels my creative heart and mind. Whenever I experience bouts of writer's block, it’s usually because I have not fed my creative heart. So I try to be open to new experiences, consume art, watch films, go for a walk; really, whatever it takes to get me back into a more creative mindset. It’s this curious approach to life that I find works for me as a writer.

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Moments in Lisbon

Ribeira das Naus - Quiosque along the Tejo River in Lisbon.

a soft launch that margo attended (later to host her haitian dinner) at the charming Sakim restaurant

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This is the table setting for my first dinner at Sakim Restaurant for my Haitian Dinner in Lisbon series. It was a sold out event in September 2021.

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It is brave to move by that long thread of age old dreams and her drive to live by curiosity. Her continuous pursuit reminds me to revisit my own and let the creative inklings of my mind unfold into the stories I want to tell. Stories like hers.

Her curiosity for the new year

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I am so excited about welcoming my family and more friends to Portugal so they can explore and experience why this place captivates me. I am also looking forward to learning Portuguese so I can meet more local creatives and entrepreneurs so I can tell their stories.

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She has a multi-faceted creativity that I know is worth advocating for.

Thank you, Margo

.Kels.

collaborative, artist advocacyKelsey JonesJanuary 25, 2021expat, chef, cookingComment