We recently connected with Hattie Inese and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Hattie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is a live production titled NtimUcy, created and produced through my nonprofit organization, Creative Purpose Productions. This project is deeply personal and impactful because it blends artistry with healing—core to our mission.
The idea came from witnessing how many people, especially youth and underserved adults, struggle with emotional expression and healing due to trauma, societal pressure, or lack of access to mental health resources. I envisioned NtimUcy as a space where artists could safely explore their own stories through dance, poetry, music, and storytelling, and where audiences could witness and feel empowered by those journeys.
We structured the show around “cyphers”—creative transitions that symbolized transformation and resilience. Each performer brought a raw, authentic piece of themselves, and the result was a powerful collective expression of freedom and healing.
What makes this project especially meaningful is not just the performance itself, but the community it built. Artists who had never performed publicly felt seen and validated. Audience members shared that the show helped them process their own emotions. It affirmed my belief that art is more than performance—it’s a tool for transformation.
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?
My name is Hattie Inese, and I’m a multidisciplinary creative, producer, and founder of Creative Purpose Productions Corp.—a nonprofit organization dedicated to healing, growth, and empowerment through the arts. I also created NtimUcy, a live performance experience that weaves together poetry, music, dance, and storytelling to help others reclaim their voice and story.
I come from humble beginnings. Growing up, life wasn’t always easy, and for a long time, I was on a personal journey of finding myself—trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to become here on this earth. Art truly saved my life. It gave me an outlet to express the things I couldn’t always say out loud, and a mirror to see my own strength and beauty when I couldn’t feel it. Musical theatre was one of my earliest loves—I sing, dance, and act—and through that discipline, I found joy, structure, and a way to connect with others.
That journey continues today, not just for myself, but for every person I work with. Creative Purpose Productions exists to create healing-centered spaces where people can grow, explore their creative voices, and transform pain into purpose. We offer expressive arts workshops, live productions, and professional mentorship for youth and adults, with a focus on emotional wellness and community connection.
The people I’ve met along the way have been a Godsend—true lights on my path. Friends, collaborators, mentors, and most importantly, my family have supported me through every season. Being able to grow with one another, to pour into others as I’ve been poured into—that’s the heartbeat of this work. It’s not just about performance. It’s about presence, purpose, and healing.
I’m most proud of the spaces we’ve built where people feel seen, held, and empowered. What sets us apart is the fusion of artistic excellence with authentic healing. Whether someone is stepping on stage for the first time or reclaiming their voice after trauma, our work makes room for both the artist and the human within.
If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it’s that this is deeper than art—it’s about becoming. And in every song, every movement, every story, we are collectively remembering who we are.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A powerful lesson I had to unlearn is that survival is the same as living.
For a long time, I moved through life in survival mode—doing what I had to do, carrying weight I didn’t even realize I was holding. Growing up, I learned to be strong, to keep going no matter what, to put others first and suppress my own needs. That mindset served me for a season—it helped me endure, helped me push through—but eventually, I hit a wall. I realized I was burnt out, disconnected from my own joy, and not truly present in my own life.
The backstory is deeply tied to my journey as an artist and healer. I had poured so much into others—into productions, performances, community work—that I hadn’t taken the time to pour into myself. I thought if I wasn’t being productive or showing up for others, I wasn’t valuable. But healing and creativity don’t flow well from an empty vessel.
Unlearning that belief meant learning to rest. Learning to receive. Learning that I am worthy simply because I exist—not because of what I do or produce. It’s still a practice, but now I move with more grace, more softness, and more trust that I don’t have to earn my place in the world. I can simply be—and that’s more than enough.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is witnessing transformation—both in myself and in others. There’s something sacred about creating from a place of vulnerability and truth, then watching how that offering becomes a mirror, a catalyst, or a safe space for someone else’s healing or self-discovery.
Whether it’s through a song, a performance, a workshop, or a story—when someone says, “That made me feel seen,” or “That helped me process something I didn’t have words for,” it reminds me why I do this work. Art has this powerful way of transcending language, background, and circumstance. It connects us on a soul level.
As someone who came from humble beginnings and has been on a journey of finding myself, art has always been my compass. It gave me a voice when I didn’t know how to speak. It gave me joy when I didn’t know how to cope. So to now be in a position where my creativity not only helps me grow, but supports and uplifts others—that’s the deepest reward.
Image Credits
Mr Gustin
RJ Williams
Jefe
PVYNE