We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aaliyah Lane a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Aaliyah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

At a young age I always appreciated art. From 7th grade up to my Senior year in high school I always took an art class but high school was the start of me getting into writing. I considered myself a popular loner, people knew of me but they didn’t know the real me. In class when we had down time I would always write out my feelings when words became hard to express. I had a notebook with me everywhere I went just in case I had the urge to write. I did this in college as well, I had multiple notebooks filled with poetry and my writings to soon one day publish my own poetry book. Then COVID hit, my job closed down due to the outbreak so I started thinking about publishing my first poetry book. I used my time wisely and published my poetry book titled “Hopeless Romantic”. Today, I am currently working on my next poetry book titled “Letters From My Heart” which will be released this year 2024.

Aaliyah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Aaliyah also known as Hazel is a multi-talented artist known for her captivating photography (Hazel’s Eyes Media) and evocative poetry. Raised in Fayetteville, NC she draws inspiration from her surroundings, infusing her work with depth and emotion.
With each click of the shutter and stroke of the pen, Aaliyah invites us to see the world through her unique perspective, reminding us of the transformative power of art. She continues to explore the intersection of visual art and literature, pushing boundaries and inspiring others with her creative vision.

With poetry, I attended local open mics to perform some of my poems to allow my city to get to know who I am. With my photography, I attended local events To take photos and started to become recognized. I have some of my photography work published in the Fayetteville Observer which is a local newspaper.

I am most proud of my growth. I really had to come out of my shell to show people who I am and showcase my talents whether it was my poetry skills or my photography skills. I allow in my writing for people to have a glimpse inside my thoughts and how I overcame toxic relationships into becoming the woman I am today.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I’m my point of view, one of the most easiest ways to support artists or creatives is by sharing a post on social media. This day and age people are on social media all day, if you see a post from an artist even if you can not financially support you can always share a post on your page or on your story. Word of mouth is always a big one as well, if someone ask hey, do you know any good poetry books or good photographers in the area? Plugging that artist in helps support them as well.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is doing what I love to do and relating to others. I’ve had times where I would perform my poems to people and someone in the crowd would always stop me after the show and tell me how they really needed to hear one of my poems because it resonated with them. I never knew how heartfelt my poetry was until someone bought my book just by listening to one poem. I am forever thankful to be able to relate to others and for them to know that they are not alone in any situation that they are going through. I really love what I do and put my all into it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hazelseyesmedia.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hazelseyesmedia?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hazelseyesmedia
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hazelloves_u?si=SksThlwBpuC8awLI
• Other: My LinkTree link:https://linktr.ee/hazelseyesphotography?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=ae29dff2-9ddd-4b36-8dea-1031bdc7bb11