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

Alright, An. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I remember being back in middle school and there being a music program, nothing crazy, just like an after school program or something. I ended up joining the orchestra because my mom wanted me to do something. After our first real performance in front of the school, I was hooked. The feeling was so overwhelmingly good. I was playing 2nd violin and I think it was like a Christmas concert in the auditorium. I’ll never forget that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Dominican, born and raised in NY. I’ve always loved music because it’s something that’s so ingrained in my culture. Dominicans, we have music for everything, birthdays, weddings, funerals, even cleaning haha. I have so many artists floating through my head, from both English and Spanish speaking, that heavily influence who I am as an artist. I’m really proud that I’ve found my own way of expressing that through my artistry. I love experimenting with different genres and you can hear that in the projects I’ve done through the years. If there’s one thing I’d want people to take away from my music is a little bit of peace. I always aim to aid others with music in the same way it’s been and aid for me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being an artist for me, is when you connect through someone or a crowd of people through a moment. Sometimes when I’m playing guitar and singing a tune or even on stage with a band, there’s this moment of total synchronization between yourself, the music or performance and the crowd or person. One moment of total euphoria where it feels like you’re fulfilling a calling. It’s something that feels very spiritual for me. I feel blessed to be able to express myself in the way I do.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I don’t have one specific story in mind but I will say that being flexible with goals and strategies is very important. Having a plan or a roadmap to where you’d like to see yourself at the end of the road is amazing, but I think it’s very important to remember that there are many highways that lead to the same place. It’s okay to stop and rework an idea or a plan. Never limit yourself to a certain thing. Flexibly leads to possibilities in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/imjustan

Image Credits
@Wickedswami.tv