We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Funky Punky a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Funky, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

From time to time, I catch myself wishing that I would’ve began my career as a Dj/Producer sooner than I did. I feel like I would be closer to checking off items on my career bucket list. However, when I do have those thoughts I have to remind myself that my journey is just that, MY journey. I have accomplished A LOT for someone that has only been doing this for two and a half years. If I would’ve started djing and/or producing earlier I wouldn’t have the three degrees I have now and I wouldn’t carry those life experiences with me to use as inspiration. I am a true believer in divine timing and I trust everything happens for a reason. I find peace in knowing that I am following my divine path and I will accomplish all of the goals I have set for myself now and in the future.

Funky, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For the past five years I have been on a journey of discovering myself and learning what really entices me. Within those past five years, I fell deeper in love with myself through music and the process of creating it and playing it for others which ultimately led me to curating an experience not only for myself but for those around me. For me, making the decision to dip my feet into djing and producing was natural with how freeing this chapter in my life has been. Once I was encouraged by one of my favorite creative artist I was able to use that inspiration to find and create my own sound. When I’m on stage it’s more than having a good time, it’s about creating a loving safe space for any and everyone including myself. When putting on a show, I am providing the opportunity to escape the pressure of the real world through dance. When I’m not on stage I’m a part of the crowd. I interact with each person on the dance floor and carry the energy of their presence with me to the stage. I mindfully connect with the crowd’s perspective to curate the right experience for the atmosphere. I try to find the right sound for the moment. In the beginning, in sharing these dreams I met discouraging perspectives by some of those closest me. I am most proud of myself for following my dreams anyway and not allowing that discouragement of my desires hinder my end goal of bringing others together through music and dance.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The reason I started djing and producing music is because I believe sound is sacred. With sound you can achieve any emotion to compose any desired feeling. Whether that feeling is healing, loving, and/or heartbreak. My main goal with music is to spread love and peace to the world while teaching myself how to be more loving and kind to my spirit. Every sound I design is intended to bring everyone together despite their differences.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the hardest thing for people to understand is that music is a journey in every aspect. As an artist, I am sometimes booked three times a day for weeks and there are some weeks where I’m not booked at all. In those periods I spend all of my time at home making music, editing videos, resting and focusing on my mental health. In America, people are often concerned about the amount of money one makes but, when you’re an artist money isn’t always your first concern. The first thing an artist typically thinks about is how their art makes them feel, and how it’ll inspire other people to feel. With never knowing what is next it keeps me on my toes and keeps a unique excitement for life alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bio.site/itsfunkypunky
• Instagram: instagram.com/itsfunkypunky
• Facebook: facebook.com/itsfunkypunky
• Twitter: twitter.com/itsfunkypunky
• Youtube: youtube.com/itsfunkypunky
• Other: TikTok.com/itsfunkypunky soundcloud.com/itsfunkypunky

Image Credits
Remy K, CA Media, Jamie Richards, Herson Photography