The real intro

My name is Cheyenne but everyone calls me Shy. Which is genuinely funny because I am not shy at all.

I'm a New Yorker. Born in Brooklyn, raised on a mix of Caribbean, Bajan, Puerto Rican, and Canadian culture — which means food, music, storytelling, and making things weren't hobbies in my house. They were just how we existed.

I have always made things from small. Always felt like I was supposed to be behind a camera somewhere shooting food stories for a magazine or writing travel pieces for someone who paid me to eat interesting things in interesting places.

Then I got practical.

Whole Foods. Starbucks. Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management. Hotels. Accounting. Safe, responsible, fine.

BORING.

The turn

I used to pick up TimeOut Magazine every single Wednesday in the city. Flip through it. Think — I should be in here. Not reading it. Making it.

Then 2020 happened and everything changed. Then I turned 30 and my mind just changed — but in a good way. Like something in me woke up that had been very patiently waiting for me to start my art again and start showing it to the world.

I started FreeIsDelicious not really knowing what it was going to be. Just knowing I wanted to help people see they have to try to do the things they dream of. That they owe it to themselves before anyone else.

My own mother once asked me — what makes you think you're going to make it like that?

I said — because my brain told me so.

She might not have believed me. Some days I don't fully believe me. But the negative thoughts are temporary. Even when they're mine. Even when I have nowhere to really turn.

So I built somewhere for me and others to turn. I called it FreeIsDelicious.

What This Place Actually Is

FreeIsDelicious is my hub for everything I actually care about and actually know about.

NYC Life on a Budget — because I was born here and I know every loophole and I will share all of them with you. Free things. Hidden spots. Pop ups. Real guides for real New Yorkers and visitors who don't want to pay tourist prices.

Food and Recipes — Rooted in real culture. Caribbean flavors. NYC-inspired dishes. Honest cookbook reviews. Juice challenges and tips from my Juice Bar days when we’re good. Cocktail recipes for when we’re not.

Curly Haircare — DIY recipes inspired by Ayurvedic traditions and cultures across the world. Practical. For the curly girl who is tired of spending money on things that don't work.

Art — and this is the new part. The scary part. The part I've been putting off for years. Starting September 1st, 2026 I'm making and selling original art publicly — mosaics, ACEOs, watercolors, maps, digital illustrations, digital products — with a $30,000 goal and my a real number posted for everyone to watch.

No filter. No highlight reel. Just me, my cameras, my art, and New York City.

Who this is for

This space is for people who don’t have unlimited funds. Who loves this city but feel the prices every single week. Who grew up here or chose here and still believes there's magic in the city. This is for you.

Welcome to Free Is Delicious

💡 My hope? That when you leave this site, you walk away with something new — a tip to try, a place to visit, a style hack to save, or even just the spark to start your own project.

Thanks for stopping by and being part of this journey. I can’t wait to keep sharing, learning, and creating with you!