Issa Rae is one of our favorite entrepreneurial powerhouses. In true Capricorn nature, the actress has been nothing short of an overachiever; Being nominated for 44 different awards (9 of which she won), spearheading a few of her own television productions, and even getting married to her longtime beau in the south of France in the middle of it all.
Needless to say, she’s doing the damn thing—and plans on doing even more. Ahead of the fifth and final season her hit HBO series, Insecure, Rae sat down with SELF magazine to talk life as a newly married woman, new projects, creating boundaries, and taking care of others for their October Issue.
Read some of Issa Rae’s newest interview below.
On why she’s a fan of handling business at coffee shops:
“I’ve always wanted a coffee shop in my neighborhood. Coffee shops facilitate productivity in so many ways; they facilitate collaboration. I’ve personally done all my writing in coffee shops. It always disappointed me that there weren’t any that were Black-owned or POC-owned in my neighborhood. Now, to have the Inglewood location, I was just immensely proud because it’s home…. It’s so important to have these spaces where you feel safe where you can be creative, and have a sense of comfort. To know that it’s your space.”
Rae on preserving the historical roots of Crenshaw:
“What I love is that it establishes and certifies our history in these parts of L.A., and that’s extremely important to me because our history, our accomplishments, are always erased or forgotten. So to be able to have this part of town as it is changing, actively and aggressively changing, as it’s acknowledged for what it is, which is just us, and we’ve been here and we’ve built this culture, and to acknowledge our role in Los Angeles’s community culture is important to me.”
On sticking to who and what she’s familiar with, instead of branching out:
“Sometimes it is hard to leave and explore new things and to meet new people. [But] I’ve found that the more I’ve explored other people and lived in other places, it has really just helped expand not only my worldview but what I appreciate about the bubble that I’m in.”
Rae on what a healthy, well-developed community looks like to her:
“We don’t have many [resources] in our communities, and we have a history of those kinds of things being broken up. Part of what I want to do is just making sure that we’re able to have those in places, and that means prioritizing our wellness. That means prioritizing our health centers and making sure that people are there not to dismiss our health concerns but to be well-versed in them. It sounds like a utopian, idealist community or society for us, but I do think that it’s possible.”
Rae on shooting her new show, Rap Sh*t:
“Shooting Rap Sh*t is the most relaxed I’ve ever been because I don’t have to be up early for hair and makeup. That was so new to me. I was like, ‘Oh, this is.… I’m just here to give notes, to make sure that it goes well, the story gets told the way it’s supposed to.’ It was just a crazy revelation for me. I’ve never been more well-rested than shooting that pilot.”
Rae on the current state of her life, and if she wants children:
“I’m extremely happy [ about being married.] I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window. I’ve always felt that way, that women, Black women especially—unless you’re Viola Davis or Angela Bassett—you have a window when people are going to want to continue to see you and see what you can do. Then there are so many limitations placed upon you, and that does keep me up. I want to do as much as I can while I still can. I know it’s not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way.”
Read the rest of Issa Rae’s brilliant, insightful interview with SELF here. And be sure to checkout the season premiere of Insecure’s final season on October 24th, only on HBO.
