We were lucky to catch up with Kaya Strykes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kaya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

So the most meaningful project I have worked on would be my first ever EP, The Prodigal Child. It’s essentially been a journey since I started to delve deeper into music. I started my musical journey in 2020 and from there it has been a slew of ups and downs in this creative project. I knew I was gifted with something when I first began the journey, but I didn’t exactly know how to present my voice and artistry to the general public. I wanted to be perceived positively and I wanted others to take what I was presenting seriously. The Prodigal Child essentially stemmed from all of those moments where I didn’t know if my artistry could take me anywhere, but I never, ever stopped believing in my gift. I kept going and was constantly reminded that none of this creative stuff is linear. I was humbled many times in this journey. I learned to find my voice and found the true confidence to begin writing songs that really meant something to me versus just putting anything out. The journey to creating this EP has encompassed everything from me wanting to completely give up and feeling beyond stagnant, to feeling empowered and standing on my ability to present my art confidently to the world. The project is for me and for all of the moments where I never felt like I fit anywhere in this world, but at the same time I knew I stood out. This gift was always in me, I just had to figure out how to put it out to the masses. I’ve always felt like a wanderer of sorts, but this project felt like home. I shed tears after recording my final song. Like a breath of fresh air..I was able to lift this weight off of my shoulders.

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 name is Kaya Brooks, better known as Kaya Strykes to the public. I am a musician that raps, I sometimes sing, but overall I am an artist. I got into music from writing a random poem one day to Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘Sing About Me’ when I was down in the dumps. I took that poem and recorded something almost like a spoken word and uploaded it to my Instagram. I received amazing feedback from the public and it kind of just took off from there. I started to write more poems/songs and then my first ever single ‘Bag Talk’ was born. Everything is pretty much history from there because from that point I never stopped writing. I had breaks in my creative process, due to my motivation going up and down..but I never stopped. So from there Kaya Strykes was born. I never let this gift go and I’m taking it as far as I can with delivering my art to the people.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to genuinely create from my heart. There is no other driving force behind my art other than for the love. I absolutely love the public’s beautiful reactions to what I put out..but having the creative control to be able to make what I want, when I want is wonderful to me. No one is able to alter my story or deliver it better than me. Art is such a sensitive thing, and being able to authentically create has essentially saved my life. Being an artist/creative has allowed me to find my voice and stay motivated enough at this stage to not lose it. I have found purpose in myself through my art. My power is that no one can take that from me. Not one soul. I find much peace in that.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn during this process is that none of this creative stuff is linear. I used to have these moments where I felt like “okay, I’m here now and focused and ready to write so creative ideas come to me NOW!”, and it does NOT work that way haha. I was humbled so many times during this process because the ideas and creativity will come when it wants to. You cannot force your art. You cannot force ideas to come to you just because you feel like you are in a space at at that moment to create. My inspiration would come at the most random times. I would be at work, working my regular job and all of a sudden I would have the urge to write some verses. I would literally stop what I was doing and start writing, because I kept a notebook and pen with me almost all of the time. I would surprise myself when these bursts of inspiration would come, because the most impactful verses/songs would come in those random moments. I had to learn to honor my creativity and have patience with it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Linktr.ee/kayastrykes
• Instagram: Kayastrykes
• Facebook: Kaya Brooks
• Twitter: Kayastrykes
• Youtube: Kaya Strykes

Image Credits
Ilia Silverstein (Instagram: @eyeleeah)