We chat to OFFSPRING Community member Becky a.k.a @rawstepping about sneakers, her art & clothing brand, and all things community.
Where are you from and what do you do for a living?
Hey, I’m RAW. Do not be alarmed, they are just my initials. Most people call me Becky though, and if I am being completely honest nobody actually calls me Rebecca.
I usually describe myself as a creative entrepreneur. It took me about three years of freelancing to finally settle on that title because I do a bit of everything. Video editing, photography, videography, drawing, animation. If it involves creating something from nothing, I am probably interested.
Long story short, I am still figuring life out, but I take it day by day and genuinely enjoy every step of the journey.
Tell us about yourself
Fun fact. I am terrible at talking about myself. When people ask this question my brain usually goes blank, but I am working on it.
I am 27 and have absolutely no shame in saying that I am figuring things out one day at a time. I try not to put too much pressure on myself because I am a professional over-thinker, and that is a full time job on its own.
My family are my best friends and they shaped a huge part of who I am today. I am also what my family like to call a popular loner. I love my own company but I am also very much a people person. It is a strange balance but it works for me.
And one more important detail. I love sneakers. A lot.
What influenced you as a kid? What got you into sneakers?
Growing up I was a very girly tomboy. Think skirts, oversized hoodies, big coats and trainers. That combination was basically my uniform.
My brother definitely played a big role in getting me into sneakers. I am also the youngest child so I will happily admit I was a little spoiled. My siblings and my dad used to take me shopping most weekends and I would come home with bags of clothes and shoes like it was Christmas every Saturday.
My very first pair of trainers were Puma with polka dots and silk laces. They were iconic to me at the time.
The first pair I remember buying with my own money were navy Air Max 95s when I got to secondary school. Before that I had plenty of Air Max 90s and Huaraches in the rotation.
"I realised the world really is your oyster"
We've seen your clothing line OKANMIBYRAW! Tell us about that
First things first, I would not even call it a full clothing line. It was more something I felt inspired to create in the moment and put out into the world for people to wear.
OKANMIBYRAW comes from the Yoruba word okan mi, which means “my heart”.
I spend a lot of time drawing on my iPad and one day I thought, why not just put the artwork on a T shirt and see what happens. It felt like the most natural way to express what was in my head.
A big part of it is also about personality. Online I might seem quite loud and outspoken, but in real life I am actually very laid back and chilled. I am not always someone who wants to say a lot out loud. Sometimes the easiest way for me to express what I am thinking is to simply put it on a T shirt and let it speak for itself.
In a way it represents me as an individual. It is honest, it is direct and it comes straight from the heart. I also know there are a lot of people out there who are exactly the same. People who feel a lot, think a lot, but do not always feel the need to say everything out loud.
So Okanmi became a way of wearing what is in your heart, literally.
"Never get complacent. Never get too comfortable."
What kickstarted or inspired it for you?
I reached a point in my life where I realised the world really is your oyster.
People will always have opinions about what you do. Good ones, bad ones and sometimes completely unnecessary ones. Especially now where everything is judged so quickly online.
Once I understood that, it became simple. Whatever you choose to do in life should be for the sole purpose of making yourself happy. If you are enjoying the process and staying true to yourself, that is what actually matters.
That leads us to "Don't Get Too Comfy". Tell us about this motto.
It is more of a life motto that I have always lived by.
Never get complacent. Never get too comfortable.
That applies to everything. Your relationships, your career, your personal growth, even how you treat yourself. Always push your own boundaries while still protecting them.
Know your values. Know your morals. Do not allow anyone to cross them.
Getting too comfortable can sometimes mean you have stopped growing. So the reminder is simple. Keep evolving.
What is the importance of speaking out online and creating a safe space?
Whether it is online or offline, it is important to stand up for yourself.
For a long time I was a people pleaser. I would go out of my way to make sure everyone else was happy, often at my own expense. I care deeply about people and I would always give that extra effort, but eventually I realised not everyone was doing the same for me.
At the end of the day you have to create the safest space for yourself. Of course there will be people around you who make you feel supported, but that foundation has to come from within.
Speak your boundaries. Speak your values. When you respect yourself first, other people learn how to respect you too.
What advice would you give to someone starting to create content?
People will come and go. Numbers will go up and down.
The most important thing is that you are actually enjoying what you are doing. Whether you are drawing, dancing, singing, filming, editing or just talking to a camera. You should be the most excited person in the room about your own work.
Numbers are great, but if you focus only on them it can quickly become toxic and take all the joy out of creating. Everything is trial and error. The only way to learn what works is to keep going and keep experimenting.
You have been involved in the community for a while now. What has been your highlight?
The OFFSPRING community has been incredible for me.
The team have created a space where people who share the same passions can actually feel like they belong somewhere. Everyone can talk about what they love, share their opinions and learn from each other.
One of my highlights has to be the Salomon hike. It was such a beautiful experience. We were looked after so well, everyone had a great time and the whole experience felt peaceful and genuine.
It was community in the purest form.
What does community mean to you?
Community means loyalty.
It is a space where you know you belong and where people share common interests and respect for each other. A place where everyone can contribute something.
To me, community is loyalty above everything.
QUICK FIRE ROUND
What's been your latest pickup?
My most recent pickup is the Dr Martens x Rick Owens boots - lately I have been in my boots era. I have not bought sneakers in a while, which is shocking for someone like me, but the boots have definitely been having their moment.
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What item do you start with when choosing an outfit?
Always the shoes.
I pick my shoes based on the weather and the mood I am in that day. Sometimes I want a pop of colour and sometimes it is an all black kind of day.
Starting with the shoes makes getting dressed much quicker. I also take them out of the box the night before so I do not mess up my rotation during the week.
That might be a little obsessive, but I like to think it is just dedication to the craft.
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You can only wear one silhouette for the rest of your life. Which one are you picking?
It has to be Nike TNs.
I love them. They are simple, comfortable, sleek and they never let me down. I can style them in a really feminine way or dress them down for a more relaxed look.
No matter how I wear them, I always feel good in a pair of TNs.
