A product of Chicago’s south side, Hapi Danielle is an all-around renaissance woman that is on a mission. That mission is to love and to serve as a conduit for the betterment of her community and the world at large.
Not only is Hapi an active volunteer with a number of charitable organizations, but she is also a renowned poet that uses her voice and her work to mirror and showcase the highs and lows, ups and downs, and the ins and outs of what’s happening in the black community.
Through her company, Centerpeace Drip, Hapi seeks to empower women to cultivate self-love and practice self-care as they celebrate their femininity and find their center peace. At the heart of Centerpeace Drip are the beautiful hand-crafted waist beads that hold their own unique power, but more than the accessories, the company serves as a movement that provides a safe space for women to come together, share stories, and uplift one another. “Heal the Woman, Heal the World” is the company motto that Hapi works towards every day.
N’DIGO recently sat down with Hapi Danielle to learn more about Centerpeace Drip and the woman behind the movement.
N’DIGO: In your own words, who is Hapi Danielle?
Hapi Danielle: Hapi Danielle is a visionary. She is/ a creator, a creative, a servant, and an advocate for love.
As a child, what did you dream of doing for a living?
Somewhere between The Cosby Show and Girlfriends, I decided that I would be a television show writer. Somewhere between James Baldwin and Eric Jerome Dickey, I decided I’d be a writer writer… and I’d write everything between fiction and scholastic.
What is an accomplishment that you are especially proud of?
This year, I received the President’s Award for my volunteer service in Chicago. I believe my purpose on this planet is to serve in love, this award assured me that I am living in my purpose simply by doing what is most natural to me – which is to show care and be of service to my people (any person God allows me to serve.)
Please tell us about Centerpeace Drip and the inspiration behind it?
I started Centerpeace Drip as a creative endeavor. I was looking for waist beads in the Midwest and couldn’t find any so I decided to make some. The process of making the jewelry was therapeutic. Through research, I learned the history and sanctity of the tradition of wearing waist beads for women in various African cultures. I became intentional about colors, designs, symbolism, and my process. Wearing my waist beads became empowering.
I started making waist beads for friends that would ask and over time, it took on a life of its own. They became a symbol of self-expression and self-love. I made each waist bead custom and would have each woman I tied waist beads on set an intention for herself while wearing the waistbeads. It became more than jewelry, it was an opportunity to cultivate conversations about self-care and spiritual healing.
All Centerpeace Drip waist beads are now imported from my personal friend in Ghana who handmakes them with the women in her family; which makes them even more sacred to me.
What are some of the benefits of waist beads?
Waist Beads are more than jewelry; they are steeped in cultural significance and offer benefits ranging from personal expression and beauty to physical and spiritual wellness. Waist Beads are an ancient African tradition. They are a tool to track your weight, track your ovulation, and support your self-care and spiritual healing. They are a physical tool for manifestation and affirmation. They also empower a woman’s sexuality and sensuality. Find your Centerpeace. Embrace your femininity. Let your essence drip!
Can you talk a little about your work with sound therapy?
In retrospect, I realize that I was drawn to waist beads because I was yearning for a personal talisman to signify the work I had done to honor myself. Another practice I became serious about during that time was meditation. I had been trying to meditate for years after hearing and reading about its benefits but I just couldn’t seem to get the hang of it.
Through research, I learned about binaural beats, and adopting these sound frequencies to my meditation practice completely changed the game for me. I learned that sound therapy was far more effective, and necessary even, for me. With that knowledge, I began looking into other forms of sound therapy. Sound bowls found me and we’ve been friends ever since. Adding sound to my meditative practice helps my overactive mind find stillness. It also helps me facilitate guided meditations to others.
How do you maintain your mental health and/or self-care?
I believe everything starts in the mind. If health is wealth, mental health is the bank. The bank is an institution built on a system of deposits and withdrawals. I maintain my mental health by ensuring that I make healthy deposits into it daily. I start each day with meditation. I feed myself healthy mental and spiritual inputs via the books I read, the content I choose to consume, and the people with whom I choose to engage with. Self-care is a process that requires daily maintenance. I have identified how I must take care of myself for me to show up in the world as my best self and I prioritize those things. Meditation, journaling, physical maintenance, rest, and relaxation. When I’m good to me, I’m good for everyone around me.
Can you name three of your favorite books that mean the most to you?
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens by Alice Walker, and Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
All of these books have a very similar message. They are all born of essays by each of these writers that express the importance of a woman being the author of her own story. Historically, women’s stories have been largely ignored or written by men. Many women have lived and died in anonymity for this reason. The woman is the vessel used to bring forth all life but her life has always been shrouded in mystery. Each of these books encourages me to continue to unravel the mysteries of womanhood so that collectively we can better understand what’s necessary for us to heal and evolve ourselves, our families, and our communities. They also encourage me to write and share what I learn for the continuity of the woman’s story in the historical canon.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
After many years in the workforce, I’m going back to school at the age of 32 to pursue a writing/directing career in TV and Film.
Best advice to a young person?
LOVE YOURSELF! Trust yourself; your gut doesn’t lie. Take time to cultivate an understanding of your intuition. Seek wisdom. Stand on your convictions.
Favorite quote or affirmation?
I have a couple : “She taught by the courage of her own life, which to me is the highest form of teaching.” – Alice Walker
Also…. “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” – Maya Angelou
What’s next for Hapi Danielle?
I will continue to grow Centerpeace Drip as a business with the utility of being a healing movement for women; as the healing woman is the wellspring from which all of my work will flow. As I mentioned, I am currently studying TV and Film at Columbia College and within the next two years, I plan on writing and directing my first documentary focusing on a few nonprofit organizations that are making notable differences on the streets of Chicago.
For more information on Centerpeace Drip, please visit www.centerpeace.life and connect with them on Instagram at @Centerpeacedrip
