We recently connected with Destinee Alera and have shared our conversation below.

Destinee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

So I’ve always been really musical, even as a baby before I could talk. I would sing along to every song, not knowing the words. My mom used to play music constantly when I was in her belly, and so much of my favorite music now echoes what I heard before I could register it. There were definitely a few moments over the course of my life that confirmed to me that music was something that was a piece of me. But the first time I realized I wanted to do it professionally was probably after I released my first single.

I was 16 at the time, entering my second quarter of freshman year at UC Irvine. Up to that point, I’d tinkered around in the studio with my dad for years. But the summer before college, we really sat down and created a song. He played me the beat, and I instantly fell in love with it. For a couple days I didn’t really touch it, just kinda wrote down a few lyric ideas. And then I remember sitting on the couch in my grandma’s living room early morning, like 4 am maybe a week after. And I was listening to it on repeat, and the melody started to flow out of me. And then the words “I don’t wanna lose myself, forget where I’m going” tumbled out and 30 minutes later I had a finished song. That was the birth of “New Beginning”.

After it released, the outpour of love I received was one of the greatest feelings I had ever experienced. I couldn’t believe how many people were sharing it, listening to it, resonating with it. Up to then, and even after, I had experienced so much doubt about whether I should or could become a professional artist. But that was definitely the first moment where I felt certain that no matter what happened, I wanted to keep pursuing music for as long as I could.

Destinee, 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?

I’m an artist born and raised in Oakland, California, and now based in Los Angeles. My whole life I’ve sang, danced, acted, and just about tried any other creative pursuit I could. My end goal is to carry out projects in as many forms of art and creativity as possible, but music has always been my first love.

Music has been in my veins for as long as I can remember, between my dad’s producing and love of soul music, to my mom’s varying music taste. For all of my childhood I attended a music school in Oakland, the place that truly fostered all of the passion and care I have for what music is.

Professionally, I’ve been doing music for almost two years. At every step of the way, my focus is always authenticity, connection, and feeling. I think a lot of what drives me in this pursuit is the sheer connection I have to music, and to humanity as a whole. When I write, I want my words to tell a story, to resonate with whoever is listening. When I sing, I want my voice to evoke a feeling in a listener, to express the feelings I’m try to get out. For me, music isn’t about the money or about the fame. And in the age of digital media, it’s so easy for people to get caught up in the looks of music and art, rather than the genuine process and passion that is the real beauty of it.

So far, I’m most proud of the things I’ve achieved even in the two years I’ve dedicated to pursuing music. For one, I’ve met so many other creatives and artists who have inspired me and been a reminder of the beautiful community that exists within creatives. I’m proud of myself for still going, in spite of things that have tried to discourage me, whether it’s the imposter syndrome of not feeling good enough, or smaller streaming numbers, or even just feeling like I should be doing more. But I know that my journey is my own, and everyone goes at their own pace. I’m in no rush because I’m truly just taking in the experience of what it even means to be able to live out this dream I’ve had my entire life. No matter what level I do or don’t get to, I’ve promised myself that as long as I feel happy, as long as I can inspire even one person, I’m successful.

The main thing I’ve realized is that being an artist has so many different looks and levels. And I get to decide how I want it to look for me.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing how much it impacts someone else. After a performance I may feel like wasn’t my best, someone will come up and tell me I brought tears to their eyes. When I’ve been unsure about a song being released, a friend will message me about how beautiful the words are, that they’ve had it on repeat. The connection and the impact will forever be so much more important than the money or the acclaim. Being able to put my thoughts and feelings into words, into music, and getting to create amongst other talented individuals is the piece that is forever magical. There is nothing like it.

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?

I think for all creatives and musicians, there’s a time that comes where you almost have to defend being an artist. All through college, I remember telling people that I loved music, but immediately acknowledging that I was still trying to figure out what I *actually* wanted to pursue. There’s always been a sort of trivial feeling associated with art, entertainment, creativity in society. Where it is taken as something to be pursued as a hobby, not to be taken seriously. And the day I realized I was de-valuing my own gifts, my own livelihood, I promised myself I would never be without confidence when it came to talking about my artistry.

Music, art, and anything creative are “real jobs”. They don’t need to be validated, and especially not to appease someone else who can’t understand to have it as a piece of you. This journey definitely is an unorthodox one; yes, you’re taking risks and trying things out. No, you may not achieve every goal on the first try. But this idea that being an artist or creative inherently means struggle, lack of sustainability, or simply being “lost” is so problematic. If anything, being an artist is MORE about being sure of yourself. Knowing that success exists in many different contexts, and that we define how the journey looks. My artistry is about staying true to me, not justifying it to anyone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/destineealera
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destineealera/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-222589243
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@destineealera?lang=en

Image Credits

Image 1: David Trice
Image 2: Neath Uy
Image 3:
Image 4: Ashley Kirkland