Beyonce talks parenting, quarantine life and her 80,000 bees for British Vogue
In addition to posing for strikingly gorgeous cover photos, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is opening up about parenting, life during quarantine and her new hobby. Hint: It has to do with beehives.
In an interview for British Vogue, where she delivered three show-stopping covers, the 39-year-old revealed how she's grown as a mother, especially this year with current events like the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She also discussed how she speaks with her 8-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, about all of that.
"I have become a better listener," Beyoncé said. "Blue is very smart, and she is aware that there is a shift, but it is my job as a parent to do my best to keep her world as positive and safe as can be for an 8-year-old. My best advice is to love them harder than ever. I let my daughter know that she is never too young to contribute to changing the world. I never underestimate her thoughts and feelings, and I check in with her to understand how this is affecting her."
She added, "I believe the best way to teach them is to be the example."
Beyoncé also has 3-year-old twins Rumi and Sir with husband Jay-Z, with whom she has cherished spending time amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition finding quality time with family, she also revealed that she has two beehives with around 80,000 bees that she makes hundreds of jars of honey from.
"I started the beehives because my daughters, Blue and Rumi, both have terrible allergies, and honey has countless healing properties," Knowles-Carter said.
British Vogue's December issue starring Beyoncé was photographed by 21-year-old Kennedi Carter, who has became the youngest photographer to shoot a cover in the magazine's 104-year history.
"It feels like it dropped out of the sky," Carter told the publication of her experience.
She added, "I'm 21… I haven't really had many opportunities like this."
Knowles-Carter specifically requested a woman of color, and along with editor-in-chief Edward Enniful, they landed on Carter.
"I was just going with the flow," Carter said. "I had done a lot of research into how she works, and I had underestimated how much she's willing to submit herself to a vision and truly become someone else's muse."
She worked closely with Parkwood Entertainment creative director Kwasi Fordjour on the shoot, which was styled remotely by Enninful via Zoom.
On each cover, Knowles-Carter looks vibrant and stylish, and the striking visuals were released on the heels of the megastar unveiling the latest looks from her Ivy Park x Adidas collection.
When asked about her creative process, she told British Vogue, "Once I’ve committed, I give it all of me."
Beyoncé continued, "I start with identifying my intention and making sure that I am aligned with the collaborators for the same purpose. It takes enormous patience to rock with me. My process is tedious. I review every second of footage several times and know it backwards and forwards. I find every ounce of magic and then I deconstruct it. I keep building more layers and repeat this editing process for months. I won't let up until it's undeniably reached its full potential.
"I believe my strength is understanding how storytelling, music, lighting, angles, fashion, art direction, history, dance, and editing work together," she added. "They are all equally important."
