Why am I Politely Rebellious?

The task our Digital Marketing Lead gave me was to explain ‘How you became Keshia Mother Fucking Stewart?’. 

She wrote it, in an email, exactly like that. 

At first, I’m like ‘oh right’, then I go ‘yeah, you’re right, I am Keshia Mother Fucking Stewart!’. 

I don’t always own it, I don’t entirely know what that looks like, call me confused, unique, comfortable. Who knows, but let’s start with some Oxford Dictionary definitions so as we are clear on the most important two words in this blog. 

Politely, to act in a respectful and considerate manner.

Rebellious, not easily controlled or kept in place.

It is hard to know where to start and what to include. The facts are always far easier than the feelings, I know that much… 

I grew up on a council estate in Somerstown in what was at the time, a predominantly white neighbourhood. I left home at 16 years old feeling devastated at the lack of childhood I had but determined to create an amazing adulthood for myself. I have worked since I was 11 years old, going on in life to pay my way through university as a mature student. At 26 years old I had my son, who is now 10 years old and home schooled. At 28 years old I quit my job and set up a recruitment business TeachTech Solutions Limited. During the first half of my corporate career, I also spent hours every week volunteering across the city with Shaping Portsmouth and EBP doing my bit to inspire the Next Generation of young people, predominantly within inner city schools. 

During 2020 me and my husband opened JK Wellness, a Wellbeing Studio and Retail Store situated on the Havant Road in the heart of Drayton. Whilst this was always intended to be a profit-making business it enabled us to support so many during the pandemic, in person, as we sold fruit and vegetables to stay open. The free events we have held for socialising and mental health support over the last 3 years have helped many and helping members of the local community through some of the toughest times will always bring such fond memories. 

Whilst I love the financial security of the corporate world and all that TeachTech Solutions provides us with, as a team, and as a family the hippy vibes of JK Wellness came as a genuine comfort to us too. But I still had something brewing in my soul that needed to be released, an outlet, a way of being heard and encouraging people to live life in a rebellious way that is meaningful and courteous to those around you. 

Fast forward to September 2023 and this Politely Rebellious, home educating, woman in business had to feed the niggle. So, this year I launched Politely Rebellious, a Clothing & Lifestyle brand. The ethos emulates the notion of Live and Let Live, with an emphasis on being heard and doing what is best for you to improve your life. This brand is where I truly hope to find ultimate happiness in my career. The creative journey takes me to a whole new place of excitement, it’s not just t shirts and hoodies, it’s a way of life, something I can pour my passion in to and put my name to. A way of encouraging people to act in a respectful and considerate manner but not be easily controlled or kept in place.(you see what I did there? Hope so).

Growing up, I was less than working class. Nobody around me worked. They were all on the dole. My goal in life still is to never go back there. I’ve worked hard to create a career that pays our bills and our mortgage. I own my home, but I will never inherit money, nor will I be rescued out of debt by a long-lost family member. I rely on myself to survive. Would I be welcomed back in to Somerstown with my university degree, nice house, car, and preened eyebrows? No. Does that make me feel good? No. Everyone wants to belong to where they come from. But would I be welcome at a fancy dinner table full of people who went to good schools, grew up in nice areas and see everything about my background as shocking? No. I’m happy with not fighting to blend in with anyone. I’m used to carving out my own niche. I have always spun this into a positive, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade right… So, for years I have regarded myself and my lifestyle choices as being Politely Rebellious. 

I left home at 16 years old and after moving 28 times finally bought my own home at 28 years old. My first actual home, somewhere I could decorate, keep forever, and make my sanctuary. Which is why I love to be home so much. For 8 years now all I have wanted is good food, my boy and my man and our days and nights of fun and laughter playing family quizzes courtesy of You Tube whilst having a cheeky glass of red wine and my dog at my feet. Instead of a view of tower blocks, I have a view of the sea! Would I have made it here without a Politely Rebellious nature? I think not. What I do think is that it is important to give perspective on the why behind a brand, where the passion and the determination stems from.

 I have moments of being quite open about my experiences over the years with Anxiety and Complex PTSD, hence the passion and determination behind JK Wellness. With these mental health struggles there are a few recurring story lines that play out for me in my dreams, the type that go on for hours, you wake up, go back to sleep, and they carry on. The type of dream that makes you want to sleep alone because you wake up sweating, cursing and sometimes crying. Often perpetuated by stressful moments in life. Well, there is this one that creeps up every few weeks, last night being one of those nights, where I am homeless and frantically searching online for a studio flat to rent, in budget, in a specific area, no help, no deposit, fear running through me of how I am going to do it. And I wake up absolutely petrified thinking I have lost everything, my husband, my son, my career, everything. I have to physically calm down and reassure myself that I don’t have to live that life anymore. I am okay. All the Politely Rebellious decisions I have made, like leaving home at 16, going to university as a mature student, having a child as I entered the corporate world, quitting my job the day I exchanged contracts on my house, opening a new business during a pandemic…. the list goes on, but the point is, I am okay! If I have cut people out of my life or slowly faded away, changed jobs, or launched a new business it is because I am then back in control which in turn makes me feel secure and often facing less drama and negative distractions day by day. 

Humans hate change, this is fact, scientifically proven fact but when instigating rebellious behaviour ask yourself, what is my goal? What is the purpose? Every Politely Rebellious move must start with a goal and a to do list, I live by the notion of looking at change as finding a solution. Many of lives problems will have a solution, or an alternative way of feeling or thinking.

Look, I am just a human living on a floating rock surrounded by other humans, but I’m alive and I don’t always know what I’m doing, and I get scared more than I will ever admit but I am no victim and when we remove the victim mentality a lot can be achieved. I have been in many questionable situations due to my own faults and undoubtedly been in many more due to the absolute failures and faults of others. But, regardless of fault, feelings, friends, and family when I have woken up and known in my gut that this is not serving me or my life goals then believe me, I am going to be Politely Rebellious and remove myself from that place, that person, those people, that job, that ‘home’, that neighbourhood. Hear me when I say it, I’d leave the whole country if my Politely Rebellious streak made me. 

I’m not totally heartless; letting go of people and places, time and time again, people and places I thought would be with me forever is never easy or painless. My heart is big, I have let people in and that was always my biggest strength and my biggest weakness. What I do know, and have done at every step throughout my life, is that this is my life, on my time, Tik Tok, Tik Tok, the clock does not stop, until it does. So, you need to remain focused, get on track and give your time everything you have got. Do you Boo and be relentlessly, tirelessly, unapologetically Politely Rebellious about it.