Today we’d like to introduce you to Shakyra Dunn
Hi Shakyra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello again! My name is Shakyra Dunn, I am a fantasy author, voice actor, singer, and I pride myself on wearing many creative hats!
But I wasn’t always bound by creativity. In fact, growing up, I was never entirely certain if walking the path of the arts was the right direction for me, especially with my upbringing.
I was born and raised in Chicago, IL, raised in a single-parent household. Just my mother and myself. Back in my early childhood, I had ambitions not nearly as lofty and dreamed of working in obstetrics, but it unraveled once I entered high school and discovered my love and passion for writing to the point of obsession. I loved the idea of immersing in a world of my own making, being able to step into the shoes of another, and it became a dream in itself as an ambivert treading the line of being open and shying away from crowds once the social bar ran down.
But writing wasn’t my only love. From a young age, I’ve also had a passion for video games, particularly towards Japanese role-playing games, where character development and detailed, diverse stories flowed like water. Such stories led me closer to the trade of voiceover. It became my dream to inspire others to make use of their creative talents and share a bit of their magic with the world. There’s no greater feeling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is always a struggle, and you never know what events and twists will shape you into the person that you are meant to become.
In my case, it was the sudden passing of my mother when I was eighteen that pivoted my first foray into strife, two months after graduating high school, and just ten days before I was set to start college. It was devastating. An experience that ultimately taught me in the long run that you have to make your journey count. But such a loss also drew me closer to my creative endeavors, because it showed me that life is entirely too short to ignore what matters most to you. And love and opportunity find you in unexpected ways.
At 21, I ended up deciding to dive headfirst into fantasy novel writing, and published my first book in 2016, followed by two more in 2018.
It took me several years to regain my love of voice work, having felt silenced by my own insecurity and feeling as though it would be hard to find footing in a community I once left. I was mistaken. And now, more than ever, I have ups and downs in the community, but I have no regrets about regaining what I have loved and lost.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am primarily known for my voice work! I specialize most in character work for animations and video games, but have begun to dip my toes into audiobooks and narration.
My most prominent works are as Mitsu Inukai in “My Deer Friend Nokotan,” Rebecca Winstead in “Defenders of Alodia,” and Atasha in “Broken Beat: Forth Bringers.”
I am proud of every single project that I tackle, and I feel what sets me most apart is my resilience not only as an actor, but due to my background and upbringing as a queer Black actor with a troubled life. I rise above my adversities, and I find ways to keep moving forward. It carries me to heights that I never deemed possible, and I hope that it continues evermore.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have an incredible amount of supporters that I want to give my flowers too–I simply wouldn’t be this far without them there to ground me and keep me more stable.
In addition, I have many friends that have extended far beyond my creative communities that have become lifelong friends and allies in my life. I’ve even found family far outside of my own, in a place where I felt I was far withdrawn from my own and trying to figure out what kind of life I would live away from those that left me discouraged and broken in my darkest days.
Moreover, I’ve found companionship that I hope goes on as long as I breathe in my significant other, and brothers and sisters that have proven thicker than blood that have shown me that I am allowed to be safeguarded and as open to being myself than I ever dreamed possible.
I couldn’t thank every single person individually here, so I offer a very collective: Thank you for loving me.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.shakyradunnva.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/seerofwords
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/shakyradunn
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seerofwords
