Happy Wednesday, everyone!!
With the Women’s March last Saturday, we wanted to feature an amazing woman who inspires us and challenges us to do more than just exist, Tiffany Dawn Hasse!
Tiffany Dawn Hasse is a spoken wordsmith that you can see walking through the streets of downtown Long Beach. You might know her as Long Beach’s Best Up and Coming Artist in music and performing arts in 2015. More recently, she has given a TEDtalk and it was so amazing we couldn’t not write about it! Hasse was inspired by her experience living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has created an amazing performance about transmitting pain into art.
When you think of a person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, you might think of someone who washes their hands frequently or is overly organized and clean. However, Hasse explains that OCD isn’t limited to cleanliness and that there might not be a theme at all. She recalls a moment from when she eight years old. Her father embraced her and his stubble grazed her cheek. She was frightened that a beard might blossom on her face. Hasse says while there is a 99% chance that her obsessive thoughts will happen in reality, it is all about the 1%.
OCD had a grip on her life that contrasted with her desire of being an empowered individual, until she decided to jot down her emotions on to paper. She articulated her experiences through words and it became a beautiful rhythmic prose. Through her epiphany she was able to transcend from her pain and not only did this help her deal with OCD but it turned it to something beautiful. Her poetry dances off her tongue and conveys the truth of the human experience. She introduces us to the idea that while pain is uncomfortable, it still has value in our lives. It is truly inspiring how she can find beauty and light in anything.
Check out Tiffany’s website and social media.
Written by Bree Castillo
Your Summer Wardrobe is Here... l MAKE is featured in this article in a special collaboration with local Long Beach magazine LB Home + Living and our dear friend Rachel of Rachel Off Duty