We recently connected with Barrie Kealoha and have shared our conversation below.

Barrie, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Therapy.

Oh my god, therapy.

Therapy, and reading the book “Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents” changed my entire life, which of course had a massive impact on my artistic career as well. Going to the therapy, putting in the work and the time and the tears and the effort and the PATIENCE and the kindness to myself really threw into stark relief just how much of my life (and thus, my artistic life) was spent trying to manage the emotions of others. I was literally “performing” a different version of myself for everyone I met, so as to (a) stay safe and (b) never disappoint anyone. This belief that I was only worth the validation others could give me was a massive barrier to my personal and artistic growth, but it was something I had to really come to terms with, and gave me the opportunity to truly marvel at how resilient, clever, and brave my younger self was, to create tricks and life hacks just to be able to survive. Thanking Little Me for her refusal to give up, and letting her AT LAST lie down and take a long-overdue nap has been the greatest investment I have ever given myself.

GO TO THERAPY.

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

I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) kanaka maoli (native Hawaiian) voiceover artist, singer, actor, and freelance writer currently based on the island of O’ahu. I was born and raised in Southern California, then lived for just over a decade in New York City before moving to Hawai’i to reconnect with my roots. I have been doing musical theatre since I was very young, but as a curvy alto who was the “wrong” kind of brown, it has taken me a very long time to carve out my own unique niche in the entertainment industry. Once I leaned into my heritage and stopped walking into auditions like I was apologizing for never being quite what [I believed] they were looking for, I discovered my true voice and have been advocating for myself and for others to take up space. I have found a particular joy in voiceover, which I primarily do from my home studio for clients all over the world. Doing VO and working from home has afforded me the flexibility and freedom to not only pay my bills, but to contribute to all sorts of creative and commercial spaces. I am currently the spokesvoice for Central Pacific Bank and Hawaii Medical Service Association, the bilingual speaking and singing voice of Wanda the Walrus at Iberostar resorts, a LEGO chef at Legoland in New York, and an audiobook narrator for the Library of Congress, to name a few.
My greatest personal artistic accomplishments, however, are my solo shows: “Island Girl” and “Bottoms Up!”, which debuted in New York City and will be premiering on cruise ships this year. “Island Girl” is a celebration of my Hawaiian heritage through “music, stories, and lots of aloha”, through the lens of my upbringing on the Mainland—a diaspora story that reflects the lived experience of thousands of Mainland kanaka. “Bottoms Up!” raises a glass to the “ladies of the low end”, my alto queens and basement divas including Amy Winehouse, Ethel Merman, Karen Carpenter, and–of course–Cher. These two shows I feel truly encompass everything I am, and everything I wish I could have seen when I was younger and struggling to find my place in the world.
I strive to continue to bring Polynesian narratives especially into the spotlight through my art and my activism, and stand strongly allied with marginalized communities in our continuing fight for representation.
I also make very silly videos on TikTok, because I cherish a good pun and a touch of the absurd!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There are a million answers to this question, but I believe it all boils down to one singular idea–SAFETY.

Prioritizing the safety of artists is a concept that falls further and further by the wayside as the industry expands and evolves, and it is incredibly disheartening to witness (and experience). This concept needs to go beyond bodily safety, in terms of workplace health and safety standards, but also include a social and artistic safety.

Looking back on my experiences in entertainment, it is alarming how many toxic, dangerous, and predatory situations I learned to normalize and accept as “part of the game”. Especially as a woman, it can be a horrifying and demoralizing experience, one that has pushed too many of my peers out of the industry entirely and tarnished their ability to share their passion and talent. Speaking up about past and current abuses of power, about pay, and about our very humanity needs to become the norm and not a “revolutionary” idea. Society at large has a tendency to view artists as mere playthings, shiny puppets who dance when you throw money at them, and whose very existence belongs to the paying audience. I wish more people understood that the best relationship between artist and audience is a mutually beneficial one, and to understand that no one–not even celebrities–OWE you any of their personal energy or attention.

The ability to be safe in your own body, mind, and creative space should be the number one concern of all creatives and consumers.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The number one “question” (let’s be real, it’s not a question, it’s a micro-agression) that I and tons of colleagues have gotten when we tell non-creatives what we do is some variation of “so what’s your real job?” It is infuriating, but we get it so often that many of us have simply become numb to it. We laugh it off and say “haha no it is my real job”, while the other person peppers us with questions like “so what have I seen you in?”, as if their involvement in our career is vital to validate our lives and livelihoods.

I wish more non-creatives could take a second and ask themselves if what they’re about to say to an artist is a question/comment that they would reasonably ask any other professional – doctor, teacher, carpenter, cashier, cab driver–or if it’s something they themselves would ever want someone to say to them. The idea that artists are somehow not worth the same consideration as other humans is as baffling as it is cruel, and I wish people would take a second to really consider that before they lay into us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barriekealoha.com
• Instagram: @barriekealoha, @islandgirlshow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barriekealoha/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrie-kealoha-807b592
• Twitter: @barriekealoha
• Youtube: @BarrieKealoha
• Other: TikTok: @hokuopio Fiverr: blinberg

Image Credits
Amy Cannon (@amythatglitters) Andrea Rodriguez (@modernhairvintageflair)