We were lucky to catch up with Aubrinae recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Aubrinae thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
It is extremely important to separate who you are from who you have been conditioned to be. Especially if you want to be successful. The celebration of reaching success is a subjective concept and its portrayal isn’t always as unique and varied as humankind. I feel the completeness of being “success-ful” cannot only be based on achievement of goals alone. It must mutually be based on achievement of self. If you put the two together, I believe you can be infinitely successful.
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.
When I was a young child, I knew exactly all the things that I wanted to be. Everyone wanted to put me into a box they could easily comprehend. It was expected of me to pick just one answer when asked about my career choice. But I was this extremely complex child with an immeasurable lack of boundary for learning and creativity. I didn’t want to be put into a box. So I made a vow to be everything I am and more as I discovered myself. A renaissance woman who doesn’t fit into a box, but who will fit into history one way or the other. Then my journey started.
Being a creative and critically sound person has many perks and rewards. But sometimes it means that the conventional way of doing things feels forced and dull. The regular 9 to 5 work schedule where you sit in an office confined by institutional and capital gain, just was not an environment I felt was best for my growth. My goal has always been to utilize my talents and gifts to bring concepts to life. And there was only one industry where I saw that being done on a grand scale. Once I joined it, the film industry felt like home away from home.
Here there were triple threats, renaissance men and women all around me. No one batted an eye when you had more than one talent or more than one title. It’s actually encouraged. Education consisted of knowledge of craft and not just a paper degree. Which was great because I didn’t have a paper degree. What I had was the power of style, creative energy, and an urge to breathe life into something over and over and over again.
I started wardrobe styling with film students on their shorts and quickly became a frequently sought after stylist and costume designer. This is when I began to understand how deeply rooted my intelligence for connection to art and humanity truly is. As intriguing as it was doing wardrobe, I found myself falling in love with other parts of filmmaking, and needing to tap into that realm of learning again. Especially the writing of scripts and directing of on screen human connections. A little bit easier said than done, but I knew I wanted to add writer and director to my resume. So by one way or the other I just did it. Called myself all these things I knew I was, but the world had yet to discover from me.
Because of those leaps of faith within myself, I can officially say that I am a Director, Writer and Stylist. I have 3 music videos under my belt so far, including my most recent, Dream State by Kamasi Washington featuring André 3000. I have worked on the wardrobe team of many films including Transformers Rise Of The Beasts as well as ad brands like Master Card and Canva. I have written articles for publications and soon want to officially film a short that I have been writing for a while. Everything that I currently do and have set sights to do has been passed down to me through legacy after legacy of great creative energies. You can see it flow through my entire family on both sides. With humility and courage I will not suppress any one of my gifts. I feel it is my responsibility to honor who I am because of where I come from. To normalize being everything in you.
So when I hear a song and the artist gives off a cool vibe, I aim to catch it, and offer it back in the form of something that they can cherish forever. When I Costume Design or style, I am digging into the depths within the characters or concept, while bringing forth the vision set by the creators. When I write the stories that I write, I take passion and translate it in a way that you feel my intentions as you read. I do not know any other way to be. That’s just who I am. This is me.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
There is absolutely both a goal and mission driving me. And even though it might sound crazy, I believe the goal is me. Something in the world requires my effort and energy in order to move forward. I feel it so strongly. I cannot help certain things about who I am, like standing up for others and speaking against injustice. Or the fact that everything has to have a vibe and truth with me. And I promise you, it’s completely effortless yet necessary in order for me to function properly.
Every person on this planet has a purpose. No matter how big or small, it adds to the evolution of humanity one way or the other. I have always known what my purpose is, and I cannot say the same when it comes to the exact steps on how to achieve it. So a little grande sign once in a while would be nice. But yes, in the great scheme of things, I am my biggest goal. Me at my fullest potential, so that I can carry out the tasks aligned with my purpose.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Having original and innovative thoughts that you can then turn into something so wonderful it becomes used, admired, academically studied and even influential. Artists make things that people put in their homes just to stare at. You cannot tell me that is not the definition of a super power.
We tend to look within for what we express outwards, and there’s really no way to teach that. Your soul, brain, environment and body are all working to put things together that are so unique, you have to put your signature and date on it. Your creativity is an extension of you.
And that to me is the greatest thing about us artists. We are enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aubrinaewashington.com
- Instagram: @modernmahogany
Image Credits
image 1 : Aubrinae Washington Image 2,3,4 : Kamasi Washington ft. André 3000 Dream State Image 5: Emeka The One – Pamu Pamu Image 6: Orange Chan – Do You Even Feel? Image 7: Look Back At It- Felicia Pride Image 8: Sitting In Bars With Cake – Prime Video
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