A Journey of Reclamation

“a rose by any other name…”

After 15 years of being known as Vic Styles, a name I carefully crafted and curated, I’ve made the deeply personal decision to return to my birth name: Victoria Louisa Sanders. This shift is more than just a change in name—it’s a profound reclamation of self, a return to my roots, and a deeper embrace of who I am at my core—a diarist, storyteller, and muse.

Names hold power. They are our first identity, the label through which we begin to understand ourselves and how we are seen by the world. In the words of Zora Neale Hurston, "Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." For me, reclaiming my birth name is an act of love—love for the woman I have become, and the woman I am continuously becoming. It’s an acknowledgment of my journey, the stories I’ve lived, and the stories I’m still writing. I am no longer hiding behind a handle.

This transition also marks a necessary evolution for this newsletter. Just as I’ve shed the old skin of a name that once served me but no longer felt like home, it’s time for The Conscious Covet to become Muse Manifesto. This name shift fully reflects and embraces the totality of who I am and what I offer. This space is about curating a life of intention, beauty, and depth—a modern exploration of Epicureanism, where the pleasures of art, culture, and self-expression intersect.

In letting go of what no longer fits, I am surrendering to the flow of my own evolution, trusting that it will carry me closer to the heart of who I am meant to be. These name changes push me forward into a fuller, richer identity—one that honors my past while embracing the limitless possibilities of my future.

I invite you to continue this journey with me, to explore the layers of self that we all possess, and to find inspiration in the process of becoming. Together, we’ll continue to explore the dance between who we were, who we are, and who we are yet to be.

Thank you for being part of this evolution.

With love and intention,

Victoria Louisa Sanders