Oftentimes we’re faced with circumstances that might not be ideal. But it’s a necessary part of our longer journey to where we are headed. Alaya Howard tries to juxtapose feelings of temporary frustration with her career situation by focusing on the things that bring her joy. CrossFit is at the top of that list. She chooses to use exercise as a positive in her life, rather than a source of comparison. Her story reminds us of the importance of finding what you love, and incorporating more of that into your life.
Prowess:
Hi Alaya! It’s awesome to be sitting with you today because you always seem so happy and positive when you pop into the gym, and that energy is contagious. I’m excited to learn more about you and get to know you better. So tell me about what you do, because I have no idea.
Alaya:
I’m an artist and designer. I design book covers and interiors. I also do illustrations and animations.
Prowess:
Cool. What type of books? All types or are there specific genres you stick with?
Alaya:
Mostly how-to’s and cookbooks.
Prowess:
Do you work for a publisher?
Alaya:
Yes.
Prowess:
How did you get into that?
Alaya:
Um, well, prior to that, I was editing photography and I really loved that. But I wasn’t making enough money. So I was like, “Okay, I need to put together a portfolio. I need to figure out how to get a job so I can actually support myself.” So I put together a portfolio, I applied for 50 plus jobs. Wow. And, I got this job and I started working January, 2020.
Prowess:
What do you love most about your work?
Alaya:
Gosh, um, I honestly don’t love my job, but I love art. So to me, my artistry and artistic expression is more of a hobby. I love to draw and paint and stuff like that. But, if someone’s telling me what to do, exactly what to draw, or that it has to look or be a certain way, and there’s also a deadline attached to it … that isn’t what I enjoy.
Prowess:
Well, creatives do kind of hate all that. Deadlines don’t work well with creative minds.
Alaya:
They just don’t! So as far as what I love about it, uh, you know, I like the finished products. Like when I design something that I think looks nice and it gets published, it’s like, “Wow, that looks really cool.”
Prowess:
Sounds like you’re missing a little bit of passion in your work.
Alaya:
I think so, yeah. I’m not super passionate about it.
Prowess:
I get that completely. What did you love about the photo editing?
Alaya:
Oh my gosh! I’m super detail-oriented. So one of the things that we did in photo editing was photo retouching. And I used to just love spending hours taking out watermarks and scratches and blemishes.
Prowess:
Detail stuff. Yeah. You could totally work as an editor for photographers. They don’t want to spend time editing, but it’s a necessary part of the process. They just want to do their art – photography. And a lot of times they outsource editors to edit their photos.
Alaya:
Oh I would love to do that!
Prowess:
Oh wow, the joy on your face! That is what gives you life, right? And so if you want to do something, there’s always a way to do it. You just have to shift the way you’re thinking about it.
Alaya:
Wow. Yeah. I appreciate that.
Prowess:
So tell me a little about your background. It’s interesting how we always start conversations with people based on what they “do.” As if your career is the thing that defines you. But, it’s not the thing.
Alaya:
It’s not, no. And honestly, art has been the thing throughout my whole life that I thought would be my career. All my high school teachers, and friends and family thought, “Oh, you’re so good at this … you’re going to do this.” I was like, “Okay, I’ll listen to you guys. I am pretty decent at it.” But now I’ve been forcing myself to be in this field and it isn’t really working for me.
Even when I went to vocational school and did graphic design there, I was good at it. I was one of the top of my class, but I was hating it the entire time. But everyone else was saying, “Oh, you’re so great.” So I thought, “I guess I’ll listen to them and I’ll just keep going.”
Prowess:
But you’ve really got to listen to you. Nobody knows what’s right for you, except you.
Alaya:
That’s right.
Prowess:
So where are you from? Tell me your story. Where did you grow up?
Alaya:
I grew up in Portsmouth and then I moved to Fall River.
I’ve got three sisters and one younger brother.
Prowess:
So a big family. Is family important to you?
Alaya:
Family is very important. I’m very close to my family.
Prowess:
Tell me a little, little bit about your wellness/fitness journey. Have you always been athletic?
Alaya:
Growing up I was super active. I was always outside. My brother and I were only a year apart, so I would play football and basketball with him and his friends. And then in school, I played flag football, basketball, soccer. I was super into sports. I loved playing sports.
Prowess:
What is it about the sports that you loved?
Alaya:
It was just fun. And I liked being on a team. Being in the competition, you know, I always liked to win. Like I always liked to beat my brother at everything. And I always did. Until now. Haha!
And then after high school I stopped doing anything and found myself here at Prowess. The first time I came here I was probably ’19 or ’20.
Prowess:
Right, so you were here for a little bit and then you kind of took a break and came back, right?
Alaya:
Yeah. So I came here in 2019 and I liked it, but I couldn’t stick to it. And, I was still in college at the time.
Prowess:
What brought you here that, at that point? Were you specifically interested in CrossFit?
Alaya:
I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I just wanted to get fit. I didn’t want to go to a regular gym because I didn’t know what I was doing. I had tried that before and I would just use the treadmill. I wanted a place where I could show up and they’d tell me what to do.
Prowess:
What drew you back after the time off?
Alaya:
Well, prior to even coming to this gym, the first time I tried out three different CrossFit gyms. They were all right. But for whatever reason, it just wasn’t organized or it wasn’t big enough or whatever. So I came here and it was just like, “Oh wow, this is a giant gym. And people actually, you know, care.” It just felt different. And so that was the reason why I came back this time because of that memory.
This was a good gym, good trainers, big space, you know? It just was a good fit. And then I came back and it’s just like, “Whoa, it’s even better than last time.”
Prowess:
Really? Tell me about that.
Alaya:
There are a lot of the same people, so that’s really, cool. But there are a lot of new people, too. And I feel like it’s a little more organized in a way. And with the new trainers, I don’t know, but man, it’s just better. And again, it’s the fact that you guys really care about what you’re doing and you’re really passionate about it, and it rubs off on everyone. So that makes it a better environment to work out in and it just shows, you know?
Prowess:
Awesome. I love hearing that! What do you feel like coming here gives you in your daily life?
Alaya:
Um, it’s just a nice break from being stressed out all the time.
Prowess:
Do you feel stressed a lot?
Alaya:
Yeah.
Prowess:
Stressed out because of work life circumstances, or just all of it.
Alaya:
All of it. So it’s like you come here and it’s like, wow. Everybody’s super positive and super motivating and it just feels good. So I keep coming back.
Prowess:
What brings you joy in your life?
Alaya:
Ooh. Um, wow. That’s kind of deep.
Prowess:
So maybe you’re in a season of your life where you’re stuck in your circumstances and it doesn’t feel like there are many things that might bring you joy. And so it’s hard to identify that.
Alaya:
Well, you know, there’s joy in my life. I feel general joy. I’ve been able to get back into church and start going to Bible study again and just reading and just like reconnecting to God and all that. So that’s been awesome. That brings me joy.
Prowess:
Do you find that working out helps with the stress levels?
Alaya:
Yeah, I definitely felt super good this morning. I was like, “I’m so glad I went yesterday.” Cause I was so tired and I wasn’t going to. But I told myself I was going to because I knew I’d feel better after.
Prowess:
Yeah. I think when you’re in that place of exhaustion and frustration and just overwhelm or stress, knowing the things you can go to that will help you move through that is important. Working out has always been one for me. Moving your body and getting outside. Those are the two things I tell myself. But it’s hard to motivate yourself.
Alaya:
Yes. Feeling the stress and deadlines of work makes it difficult to motivate myself.
Prowess:
We all go through these really tough spots in our life. Maybe we don’t understand why it’s happening, but there’s always a lesson.
Alaya:
And I look at it that way too: There’s something that’s going to come out of this, you know? It can’t be for no reason. But when you’re in it, it’s hard to have that outlook.
Prowess:
Totally is. So I think related to motivation, what’s your why? What gets you up every day? Remember that this is a temporary situation. And how can you incorporate things you love that will motivate you to do the hard things right now?
Alaya:
Right.
Prowess:
You know, because when you start taking those things out that give you joy and make you feel alive, the monotony of the situation is suppressing. So we have to keep doing the things that bring joy like coming here. Or singing. Haha. Are you a good singer?
Alaya:
No, I’m a terrible singer. Sometimes I feel like I’m kind of good at Opera though.
Prowess:
Wow, Opera? Really? That’s awesome!
Alaya:
Yeah, yep.
Prowess:
What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
Alaya:
Back Squats. Deadlifts, too.
Prowess:
Deadlifts and back squats. I feel like there is always an opportunity to improve form on those movements for the most part. And one thing I noticed about you that I love is that you’re really gentle with yourself. Like you come in, do your best and from the outside, you don’t seem to get down on yourself for any of your performance. Which I think that’s really admirable and awesome. Like you are truly here for your personal best, not comparison.
Alaya:
Yeah, I’m injury-prone. I sprained my wrists like three different times. I’ve got ankle problems, shoulder problems, and back problems. So, you know, if I can’t do it, then I just I’ll try my best. But you know, if I can’t go super hard, that’s fine with me. So it’s like just do the best you can. And sometimes, you don’t have a good day. It’s fine. The next day you’ll have a better day. You get more sleep, take more pre-work, whatever.
Prowess:
That positivity! You always seem to be so happy. I love that about you, too. You come in really joyful and positive.
Alaya:
I love working out. I love exercising. It’s enjoyable for me. And other stuff isn’t, so it’s refreshing. I love being here.
Prowess:
Well it shows. Thank you for sharing a bit of that with me today.
