We were lucky to catch up with Alem Belay recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alem, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Art has been a part of my life since I was five years old. I started taking classes at a small art space down the street from me in East Oakland. The instructor’s energy was very welcoming, and now that I’m older I recognize how aligned that space was for me during the beginning stages of me discovering this gift. I got an introduction to various different medias throughout my childhood, but I gravitated more towards drawing in pencil, charcoal & oil pastel; the blending I can achieve with these three allows me to capture more realism in my art because I’m always somehow aiming for perfection. I transferred classes and continued until I was 17, then school made it hard for me to pour back into my creative side. My academic journey was something I struggled with throughout my college experience, but the pandemic hit and I finally had the courage to dive in head first with this art thing. I began taking commissions which slowly picked up, but then I ended up pivoting into modeling, styling, and creative directing, using my ideas and simply changing the canvas. It has been 3 years since I started this journey, but ultimately I have been preparing for this my whole life. I feel like I’m currently at another pivotal point, but I’m not going to speak too much on what I have planned just yet.

Alem, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who don’t know about me and my gifts, I am a multimedia artist from East Oakland, California who specializes in modeling, creative directing, and styling. I love to paint, but lately commissions have taken away the luxury of creating what I want when I want to, and I’m thinking about not monetizing it for now. I’m not completely closed off to commissions though for the right price. Drawing is what got me into the arts, but now I’ve realized that it’s my creative eye and approach that sets me apart. Typically clients come to me expressing they’re not sure how to expand on the basics of their ideas into a whole production. I will then help develop it through formulating mood boards and breaking down all the important components that can lead to an intentionally constructed production set. I will say that although I am able to play several roles, I prefer leading as the creative director and delegating the other tasks to experts that are more developed in those areas. It elevates the work while distributing the tasks. I also adapt to different environments easily which helps make group work/ collaborations successful. When it comes to the work I’ve done up until this point of my journey, I am proud of it all. I recently spent time reflecting on my growth and how even in the beginning stages, you could still recognize that there was clear intention behind the execution. My work has gotten exponentially better over the past few years and I can humbly say it is only going to continue to get better.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to break generational curses by letting my inner voice empower my creative journey and my life in general. My parents have shown me what it means to lead with your heart and genuinely be a good person, and all I want to do is take away their financial responsibilities so they can finally prioritize rest and relaxation. Coming from an immigrant family came with a lot of struggles, but I also know that the key to achieving freedom is surrendering and allowing my God given gifts to pave the way.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still in the process of building my social media audience, but one thing I stand by is leading with authenticity. Of course be intentional with how you present your ideas, but what’s most important is the relationship you have with how you present yourself. If it is not authentic to you, you may attract a specific audience that may not resonate with you during the transitions you make in the future. I love a good rebrand because in most cases you can see how the shift is an integral part of their journey. This all goes back to trusting your inner voice to be that guide while being intentional in how your brand identity is formed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @artbyalem_

Image Credits
Thomas Mosley Chris Highsmith Getty Images Alem Belay Haimanot Belay