Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aviante’. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aviante’, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Yes, I’ve made a full-time living as a creative, but it wasn’t easy. I always believed that if I could break free from the 9-5 grind, I could fully focus on my passion—art, content creation, and writing. I grew up hearing “play it safe” and “have a backup plan,” but I’ve never been one to follow the rules. Sometimes, you have to force Plan A to work—no safety net, no excuses. That’s when you really find out what you’re capable of.

In 2022, I took that risk. I’d already been balancing a full-time job while pursuing fine art and social media, but my life was falling apart—broke, jobless, losing everything. I took a soul-crushing job at a law firm just to survive. On the side, I started selling journals on Etsy. When orders began to come in, I thought, “Maybe this is my way out.” But my dad told me to play it safe—stick with the job. I didn’t listen.

Three days later, I quit. I threw myself into the journals, but the sales trickled in slowly. I was barely scraping by, cashing in quarters just to eat. At the same time, I had 11K followers on TikTok and realized I had the skills to grow accounts. I began pitching myself as a social media manager, spending countless nights responding to Upwork requests. Just when things seemed darkest, I landed my first client—a model who needed help growing her following. She paid me $1,500 upfront, and suddenly, I had momentum.

From there, I signed bigger clients and contracts that gave me the freedom to dive deeper into my art and personal content, turning my creative dreams into a full-time reality. It wasn’t easy, but betting on myself was the best decision I’ve ever made.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Absolutely, I’m a multidisciplinary artist and social media influencer, recognized for my work in painting, design, and promoting self-love through my platforms. My art, deeply influenced by my personal experiences, reflects a connection to Black art and Impressionism, with oil as my medium of choice. I’m passionate about human behavior, having grown up around multiple psychology majors, which drives my love for helping others become the best version of themselves by challenging their thinking.

I also play a role in community-building through my “Moody R&B Paint N Sip” events. These gatherings create a safe space for artists and enthusiasts to network, relax, and find creative expression, treating the process of art as a form of therapy. As a strong advocate for art therapy, I aim to raise awareness of its importance and give back by nurturing the next generation of creatives.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest things I had to unlearn was everything I absorbed from being in survival mode growing up. It’s okay to feel, express your emotions, trust, love, and be vulnerable. Growing up in a small, impoverished town took a toll on my physical and mental well-being. I constantly battled between making poor decisions and doing the right thing, all while navigating the chaos of adolescence. Even with love and care from others, challenges like gang violence, family conflicts, mental health struggles, and financial hardship loomed large. Unlearning the survival tactics ingrained in that environment was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but it was crucial if I wanted to grow both creatively and personally.

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

The most rewarding part of being a creative is knowing I help make the world a more beautiful place. Creativity has been stripped from so many aspects of life—from school programs to architecture and product design. Without art, the world feels bland, tasteless, and soulless. As creatives, we infuse soul into society, and I feel a responsibility to fulfill that role. Even if I never made a dollar from my creativity, I would still pursue it for the freedom of expression and the joy of adding color to the palette of our world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/aviante?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabKM-MyjHNmBxZn056fyJ8pKPqWu6kDTiZhrl-jpSfsThPHH1t0wClqq7Q_aem_CHaMw2Gb7dkMLGJ31Ce5wg
• Instagram: @Aviante__ / @AvianteArt / @Moodyrnbla
• Other: TikTok: Aviante__