Willie Greene
FOUNDER, WE THE URBAN
“Every aspect of the human experience moves me to create.”
What have you been working on? Gas yourself!
Right now, I'm really invested in perfecting my writing craft and expanding WE THE URBAN even further than IG. I've joined forces with an iconic publishing house. I have officially begun working on the first ever WE THE URBAN book, alongside other self-care products that will hit shelves internationally in the latter part of next year.
How does your culture inform your creative work?
All of the intersections of my culture inspire every aspect of my writing and curating work. From love & relationships to uplifting other Black people's voices to my writing about simply getting through the ebbs and flows of life, it's all coming from the perspective of my unique Black, queer experience. When I started WE THE URBAN in 2009, it was heavily based on high fashion, art, and music. It became Tumblr's first ever blog-turned-nationally-syndicated print magazine by 2011, while I 16-years-old, in high school in North Carolina. This was in the era when inclusion, diversity, and representation were not prioritized or huge topics being had on social media. I look back on the pages of the first issue of WTU, and it amazes me how I didn't center more people that could relate to my experience in this world. After going through the unlearning process of that conditioning, I realized the power of using my power to empower my people. Ever since, I have been extremely intentional about it. By 2012 I was commissioning nearly all Black and Brown artists, putting Black trans women on the pages of WTU, and asserting myself in high brow spaces that I knew I deserved to be in as well. Today, as I scale WTU in its new iteration, I keep this intention. When it comes to monetization and brand partnerships, if it's not uplifting or of service to the well-being of my community in some way, I won't take it on.
What is your greatest struggle/challenge these days?
My greatest struggle is just staying consistent. Keeping WTU afloat requires me to wear many hats, including being business savvy while also giving myself the space to live life so I have things to draw from to write about. Running a business based on social media has its perks, but it can also feel like 24hr non-stop process. I don't have an extensive editorial board; it's just me. As rewarding as connecting with and being of service to my audience, churning out content consistently can get exhausting. And it's not natural. I've found peace in this by setting up new systems of personal boundaries and being intentional about caring for my mental, physical, and spiritual health.
What does community mean for you as a creative?
Community means everything to me. My experiences with the people I collaborate with, my partner, my best friends, and my family are the driving forces of inspiration for my writing.
What inspires you in your creative process?
In terms of my writing, literally, everything inspires me. Colors, nature, music, film, experiences with people I love, joy, mental health episodes, experiencing hardship, triumph, being in proximity to and learning from other people's experiences, and everything in between. Every aspect of the human experience moves me to create.
Is there anything happening in your community that you'd like to shed some light on?
I'd encourage everyone to support Campaign Zero and other organizations fighting for a world where we have a better system than policing, or at minimum, a world where police don't kill people.
