In an “ask me anything” interview for the January issue of Elle UK, American singer-songwriter Beyonce discussed her life, miscarriage, motherhood and the inspiration behind her athleisure brand, Ivy Park.
In the interview, Beyonce answered questions posed to her by fans. For Beyonce, being number is no longer the goal, “My true win is creating art and a legacy that will live far beyond me. That’s fulfilling.” She said.
In response to a question on if she was disappointed that her projects Lemonade and Homecoming lost out on awards, Beyonce said she “began to search for deeper meaning” when life taught her lessons she didn’t know she needed.
“I began to search for deeper meaning when life began to teach me lessons I didn’t know I needed. Success looks different to me now. I learned that all pain and loss is in fact a gift.”
Months prior to becoming pregnant with her Blue Ivy, Beyonce suffered a miscarriage.
“Having miscarriages taught me that I had to mother myself before I could be a mother to someone else. Then I had Blue, and the quest for my purpose became so much deeper. I died and was reborn in my relationship, and the quest for self became even stronger. It’s difficult for me to go backward.”
Beyonce revealed that the most stressful thing for her is balancing her work and life. Beyonce shares daughter Blue Ivy, 7 and twins Rumi and Sir, 2 with her husband of 11 years Jay-Z.
“Making sure I am present for my kids—dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, making time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to have dinner with my family—all while running a company can be challenging. Juggling all of those roles can be stressful, but I think that’s life for any working mom.”
Beyonce is the founder and CEO of Parkwood Entertainment, a management and entertainment company she founded in 2010. She hires more women because she believes women are “more balanced” and think with compassion in deciding what is best for business.
“It’s always been important to me to hire women. I believe in giving a voice to people who are not always heard. One of the first presidents of my company was a woman. My current GM, head of production, head of PR, and other leaders are women. I hire women not to be token voices in the company but to lead. I believe women are more balanced and think with compassion in deciding what’s best for the business. They see the big picture absent of personal agendas. Most women are loyal and commit with 100 percent follow-through.”
Beyonce also gave answers to some lighthearted questions asked by her fans:
What grosses you out?
“People smacking when they eat.”
If you could be an animal for a day, would you still be a whale?
“I still love whales. And I love being in the ocean. And that video was after a 16-hour press day. Not marijuana!!”
It’s Corny Joke Time. What’s your joke?
“What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea. Get it? NO-EYED-DEER I’m so sorry. Blue is absolutely going to kill me for telling that terrible joke.”
Read the full interview here.
