We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ayana Love. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ayana below.
Ayana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Meaningful projects? Yeah, as a creative they all mean something to you no matter how big or small or no matter how old or new. At different moments in life the words, sounds, visuals, and colors all mean different things to you as you journey through this lifetime. I’ve rediscovered myself a million different times through my creations feeling something like waking up each morning the same at soul level, but more improved and mature with each awakening. From my first musical project ‘To Be Human’ to flowing through different oil textures on my canvases, finally publishing words written while an undergrad at college, all the way to my current moment and breakthrough in life with my first full album releasing July 2023! It’s all geared towards love in its many forms and the journey of that deep spiritual healing. Just like I have in reality, I want to creatively share my own experiences of this deep, warm love and pure happiness with those who are ready to take that journey for themselves. I believe out of all of my creations, musical, written, or painted it’s really all been building up for this next big step into another discovery of self with my love album. I’d have to say this next musical release will be my most meaningful thus far.
Ayana, 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?
My name is Ayana Love. I am a Detroit native currently expanding my endeavors and artistry within Chicago, Illinois. Always being of the entertainment and cultural realm, I’ve been blessed to be able to focus on and develop my crafts for the better part of 3 years now. From humble beginnings, with just learning the scene and supporting other artists through documenting and curating via my knowledge of cameras/tech, and also through my start-up entity for business/brand strategy to then utilizing these experiences in order to publish and release my own original work. I have invested a lot of time into not only myself but others over the past decade, majority behind the scenes until I felt I was ready and of confidence to be up and in the openness of our public’s eye. I create within many types of mediums depending on what will best translate my feelings and emotions at that moment to my audience. I allow the interpretations of the art to live for itself as I believe that is the point to not control but to truly make people feel something. I focus mostly on music and visuals. Musically, I have naturally gravitated to creating alternative R & B and hip hop. Visually, I produce these sounds and feelings of mine through different meshes of color and textures digitally or through oil paintings. These types of mediums have always been my most truest forms of expression and have greatly grown as I dive deeper into the soul of it all. When it comes to what I believe sets me apart from other independents alike, I simply just am the art. I don’t really every “try”; I just focus on being and it flows well from project to project. I know that may sound a bit nonchalant to some but when you are truly living in your purpose and truth no matter what you are doing, creating, or working on it will be seemingly effortless. I live first, and then I convey real moments of my life or even things I want to manifest into my reality to my audience. It’s being able to relate and also gives my audience an opportunity to walk with me on this journey (with the practice of healthy boundaries of course). I like to be open and as vulnerable as I can, hoping to serve as an example of excellence and freedom for those who may not have been able to tap into that energy in their own lives yet. Then there’s always the question of problems. I like to say that there are no real problems but maybe just the way we are choosing to approach or look at certain challenges within life. I believe if we shift our perspective, then we have an opportunity to see things in a more helpful light; giving way to overcoming what we may perceive as a “problem”. From industry or general misunderstandings all the way to turbulent type energies or situations, it’s really all just an invitation to elevate. What I have learned so far is that life is to be lived and the best way to do it is by living for you! No one else. I’ve found that the more I have a healthy focus on self and healing I help to serve others in their healing as well. Being human we long to constantly connect but life is also about being not lonely but alone enough to learn our purpose. That can be a challenge in itself for anyone when there’s always so much noise, external opinion, and distractions from the really important things. Specifically, It is a real challenge being an independent in such a saturated industry. Overtime I have found my navigation skills to be most helpful in trailblazing a path that is as inclusive as possible for all whether that be behind the scenes or on the front lines for myself and those that I guide. As an independent, I have been blessed to have received many awards, accolades, medals, rankings, graduations all before the age of 27. Overall, I’d have to say through all of it I am most proud and in gratitude of the fact that I have been able to make, scale and maintain something for myself and legacy. I know that as more time goes on my artistry and business entity will be something not only I can be fulfilled with but my local and global community as well. I do my best to include and serve those who may not feel they have support or freedom of voice. I have naturally always been geared towards and dedicated to improving quality of living for all in the ways that I can as I grow. As a day-to-day person my soul vibrates within the balance of all energies. I am sensitive but tough when needed. I am of standards but natural within my humanity. I like to intentionally go with the flow, making decisions as they come to me and overall just doing my best to always be kind to self and those surrounding me. I want potential fans of my art and organic clients who find my entity L.A. ENT. (MBU) to know that although rare these days I approach all things first with love and genuine energy. I desire for others to be successful or enlightened within my art because that is the true reflection of what I desire and am capable of for self. I pour me into everything. It is a piece of my soul no matter how small or big, in everything because that is what feels real to me and how I believe I relate to others.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
For the entirety of my life, I have always been the “different” one to both creatives and especially non-creatives. I’ve lived in this interesting space of limbo due to the fact that I’ve been shaped by my many unique life experiences. As a creative it takes real courage to be vulnerable or confident in yourself while others are watching all the time. Even as a person, it’s something that can be frightening to others within this society when you’re simply just being yourself. Particularly, I have always been taught about and had a connection with God, love and found creative ways to insert that connection into my art in ways no matter a person’s background, others can find a way to find their own understanding in a higher power or higher self, whatever resonates. My roots and upbringing began in that of Christianity and Catholicism. These teachings are still with me but I continued to explore and find more understanding of my connection to God, love through nature, my art, interactions with others and living. I see now that it has all been building to my current Muslim faith and practices. I still incorporate as best I can my rituals and beliefs creatively within my day-to-day experiences and creations. Due to the principles and schools of thought within Muslim faith, there’s certain lines that don’t intersect well with that of the foundation that modern entertainment has been built upon and so I or any like-minded individual has to make a choice of commitment to those values while also making the choice to do what makes me truly happy. I choose to continue to explore my connection to God and also my artistry while still keeping true to all of me even when it is misunderstood. That’s my power! Sometimes this industry doesn’t balance well with that or sometimes its deemed weird by non-creatives who don’t understand the free will of it all. We all have a light and god within us as we are created in the same energies no matter what faith one chooses but when everything is so over-sexualized and projected, it has taken much practice and skill to stay true to self and my values that I was raised on but also giving myself space to become the woman and artist that I am and will be. I don’t believe that you always have to over indulge in some of the ways or pressures that we have been programmed for whether consuming art and culture from a male or female, binary or non-binary, rich or poor perspective in order to have something or someone “make sense”. I believe that as a people we can sometimes focus too much on trying to figure it out or place an opinion on rather than just experiencing and taking away a lesson, value, or moment from the interaction. We have been generally taught to fear what we don’t understand and it gets in the way of our evolution as a community and so it’s always good to have that type of community from other creatives if you can find it because there are many people who just won’t understand but that’s okay too. Whether it’s overcoming something like my faith experiences or the ways in which I observe others’ journeys with similar things I always like to encourage the breaking of barriers because it really opens doors to new worlds of perspective for other creatives and non-creatives as well. Hopefully helping to build and bridge more understanding between us creatives and the veil that sometimes can be very separating from our audiences.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Most great blessings that I’ve had in my life I have stumbled upon just like with anyone but I will say that there was a huge feeling of need for more support resources at the very beginning of my entrepreneurial and artistic journey. When starting in this industry as an independent there isn’t a set path or beginning point for you. You’re kind of just wallowing through the dark until it starts to make sense, especially if one doesn’t have specific training or knowledge of the business side of things. Of course, not everyone has that bigger than life desire to go commercial; sometimes it’s as simple as being within art everyday performing at open mics, bars, and small festivals for some. No matter the path or level I believe that beginning independents should have the choice for more access to guidance for things like registering your art on the respective collective societies whether it be for music, culinary, painting, film, digital, etc. It’s important to know about the starting points of an artistic resume or platform and then having the option of taking it further in business so that independents can build their own generational wealth or legacy if that’s what they choose to do. It’s just one big rat race to me and I have found the most success by not participating in the need to compete with things that really are there to purposely slow you down as an artist in such a competitive climate. These are some of the reasons as to why I began my production and management start-up L.A. ENT. (MBU) in the first place. After graduating to different levels I knew that I wasn’t alone in that feeling even if it wasn’t always openly discussed amongst the different creative scenes and communities. We all need a little support even when we make it to the top. We never stop needing one another, I feel. So I wish there was more access to guidance resources when I was beginning as an independent. You live, you learn! 
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayanalove__/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayanalove
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Love_wasHere
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ayanalove
- Other: Quick link and more mission information can be found by Google search of my name ‘Ayana Love’