“I’m learning that I can’t pour from an empty cup, and that rest is just as much a part of the work.”
5 min read
It’s Deeper Than Skin ®
It’s Deeper Than Skin ® is a compilation of interviews featuring diverse multicultural individuals each carrying unique aspirations and desires yet bound by a common passion to create a more joyful, diverse and inclusive space for us all. They inspire, empower and help transform the way we think and feel about beauty, culture, ancient traditions, diversity, mental health, societal standards and more. Through these multifaceted lenses, we learn to celebrate our uniqueness and are reminded once again that our beauty is deeper than skin.
Meet Candice Sabiduria (@candicesabiduria), founder of To Be Seen (@tobe.seenn), a community-driven dining experience built on the simple but powerful idea that everyone deserves to be seen. Raised in a home where care was expressed through action, Candice grew up understanding that hospitality can be a form of healing. Now based in London, the American creative uses food as her language of connection, creating intimate, curated dinners that bring people together through warmth, conversation, and care. In this conversation, she reflects on the power of food as memory, how living between cultures has reshaped her sense of identity, and the quiet rituals that help her care for herself while holding space for others. Through her story, Candice reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful acts of connection begin with something simple: a seat at the table.
Hi Candice, it’s so lovely to chat with you! To start, tell us a little bit about yourself. We’d love to know a bit about your background, what you like to do, what inspires you!
I grew up in a big family. We travelled and moved around a lot, but my parents never missed an opportunity to open our home to relatives and friends. Because of that, I experienced community and was surrounded by people from different backgrounds and different cultures.
My mom worked in homelessness services, so caring for others wasn’t just something we talked about, it was something we lived every day. That’s where my passion for serving people started. Outside of that, I love traveling, a good skin/beauty practice and food - everything from cooking to eating to sharing meals. I love the excitement of experiencing things for the first time: new cities, new flavors, new beauty, and new conversations.
What sparked the idea for To Be Seen, and why did creating intimate, curated dinners feel like the right way to bring people together?
Food has been my love language for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a home where everyone was welcomed and treated the same, I learned early on that care is about action. Sometimes, a shared meal can make someone feel more cared for than words.
I’ve always cooked for friends and family, but over time, I started cooking a little extra – maybe a plate for a neighbor, or for the man I pass on the corner every day. It became second nature to prepare more than I needed, knowing someone else could use the comfort of a home-cooked meal... and something sweet, of course.
I’m inspired by human connection and by how something as simple as a meal can soften people, open them up, and make them feel safe. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But then the same people I shared a plate with would tell me that what I thought was a small gesture meant so much to them. That’s when I realized how many people move through the world feeling unseen and overlooked, and how even a small act can spark a shift in those feelings.
To Be Seenn was born from the desire to create more of that change. It’s about using food to say: I see you. You matter. You deserve a seat at the table. Food is a language. One that connects us without words. It’s essential, beautiful, and powerful.
Food often carries memory, comfort and heritage. How does it show up for you as a grounding force, especially when you're far from home?
When I’m far from home, like living in London, recreating certain flavors in an unfamiliar place can be incredibly grounding. The right aroma can take me back instantly. With the ingredients here being so different, I’ve found myself reimagining those comfort meals, letting them take on new shapes and forms. It’s so beautiful, keeping a piece of home but letting it change and grow just like you. It feels like a never-ending journey of finding myself, through the past and future.
In what ways does food function as an act of care or self-love to you?
For me, food is deeply tied to my childhood, to dreaming, excitement, and moments when life felt expansive. I’ve also come to see how access shapes so much of our food experiences. At different times, using food as self-care has looked different. But whether it’s something simple or elaborate, cooking can be a way for me to recharge, a way to create just for myself.
Cooking for myself is an act of self-love, just as cooking for others is love expressed outwardly.
Building spaces for others can be emotionally demanding. How do you care for yourself while holding space for community?
I’m still learning. As a multi-passionate woman, I’m constantly trying to balance my interests in a way that gives each the attention it deserves. I’ve found that intentional mornings make a big difference. Taking time to pray, do my six-step skincare routine, a lymphatic massage, reading, and journaling. Pausing before I even touch my phone helps me center myself and show up more fully. I’m learning that I can’t pour from an empty cup, and that rest is just as much a part of the work.
You're an American living in London - how has moving across cities and cultures shaped the way you see yourself and your creative work?
It’s been humbling. Before moving, I had an idea of what London would be like. Even an illusion of closeness, since we speak the same language. I grew up watching and mimicking British accents, so I thought it would feel familiar. But it’s actually very different. The palate is different. The standards of work, beauty, and community are all different from many parts of America that I’ve lived in.
It’s like the social rhythms are to another song. Living here has made me more observant. It’s challenged my assumptions. And that tension between familiarity and difference has sharpened the way I think about identity, and even about hospitality.
Has living in London changed your relationship to Black identity, culture or community in ways you didn't expect?
This is a question that’s been on my mind a lot since moving. I don’t think I even fully understand yet, but I do know living in London has highlighted how different the Black British experience is from the Black American experience. One example being, in the U.S., many of us don’t have a direct cultural connection to a specific homeland because of the history of enslavement.
I didn’t realize that absence shaped the unique culture and identity of being African American until I experienced somewhere like London - a melting pot of Jamaican, West African and East African communities, where many people grow up connected to both their homeland culture and British culture. It’s felt strange in a way because African Americans in the US have their own silent language that I thought was a universal Black thing, but it’s not.
The life of an African American living in America is one that can’t be found anywhere else. We’ve built our own culture from the ground up, having our own unique beauty within the diaspora.