We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ressy Hathaway a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ressy, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk that I’ve taken has easily been becoming an artist. In March of 2023, I committed myself to a psych ward here in Dallas. I woke up that morning and decided that I no longer wanted to live the life I was living anymore. My poor mental health, characterized by multiple suicide attempts and alcoholism, was doing a number on me and I wanted a fair chance to fight back.
This resulted in me being diagnosed with a mood disorder and being put on medicine. The day I got out of the psych ward I decided that I was going to enter a talent competition that I had attended every week prior to my hospitalization. I did not have a full presentation prepared- only bits and pieces of a poem- but I stood firm in my decision. I forced myself to come up with a full poem just hours before sign up.
Why was this a risk? Well, the club that was holding the talent night is known for its drag shows. Most, if not all, of the other competitors were drag queens and this is what most people came for. Still, I held on to my choice and read my piece in front of a packed crowd in a city full of strangers.
My voice and hands shook uncontrollably. I felt stupid for going up there. I questioned why I would embarrass myself like that but ,in the end, I went home with over 100 dollars in tips. From that moment on, I haven’t looked back.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My story is one of a small town boy with big city dreams. I’ve always been immersed in the performing arts, involving myself mainly in choir and theatre. I fell in love with music as a child and knew that performing was what I wanted to do with my life. This would lead me to fall in love with language and literature.
Eventually I grew up and studied Vocal Music Education for 4 and a half years at University of Maryland Eastern Shore before dropping out during my senior year. After moving around the country a few times, I finally found a home in Dallas, where my artistry really began to take off.
While writing has always been an outlet for me, the only output that I produced at the time was a mildly successful entertainment blog and a few songs that seemingly no one listened to. By the time I moved to Dallas, I’d become enamored with the art of battle rap. The writing and wordplay was so much more complex than anything I’d experienced, and I knew I wanted to recreate some of those moments where I was vastly impressed by what could be done with words.
With every piece that I write, I aim to explore the limitlessness of the English language. I spend a lot of time, effort, care, and attention towards ensuring that I don’t have any filler in my material. Every line has a purpose and every word that I use is an intentional decision. While poetry has become my outlet to express myself, my main focus is having solid content with precise penmanship. I don’t ever want to feel like anyone can question my pen.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
When I think of the most significant moments- and people that I’ve met- in my life, art is at the center of every one. It has truly saved my life so many times and I could not imagine where I’d be if I didn’t have it a creative outlet.
My main goal has always been to live off of my creativity. My love for music and words drive me to be the best person that I can, and has developed my worldviews in ways that can’t be done in a classroom.
My secondary goal is to inspire others to be the greatest artists that they can be, and be able to live off of their creativity as well.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is when I’m on the stage and I can visibly see the audience catching some of my wordplay. Not only does it make me feel good knowing that they genuinely enjoy my writing abilities, but it gives me hope that people still love art that’s made from the heart.
What makes it better is knowing that the love is genuine. Being that I’m in a city thousands of miles away from home, I can assure myself that people aren’t hyping me up just because they know me. They aren’t caught up in social media followers or marketing strategies.
It can take me months to finish a piece that will only be performed for up to three minutes. Very few know the process behind my writing or the pressure I put on myself to create a great piece, so when it’s received with appreciation, I can’t help but to feel great.
Lastly, there is no better feeling than being booked. While I have a lively personality, I’m quiet around most people because I don’t feel most people value what I have to say. So, when someone requests me for an event, I am honored in ways that I can not articulate.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @RessyHathaway
- Facebook: Ressy Hathaway
- Twitter: @RessyHathaway
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ressyhathaway?si=lb8wKs7JXBgoPEVU