We recently connected with Iirama and have shared our conversation below.

IIRAMA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

Most creatives feel like they need to be perfect before they can put themselves out there or share their art with the world. People within the creative industry often focus on maketability, consumerism, and profitability. I have seen talented creatives be talked out of their ideas before they make it off the ground by industry people and more established arts who go to local events to gain insight on the creative market.

When I first entered the creative scene I knew nothing about anything. I began making beats, digital art, and paintings to share at the events I would table at with my friends over at Musive Culture. There were times where I would share my work with fellow creatives to network and hopefully gain some inspiration on how to take my ideas to the next level. I often found that these people were more worried about followers, exposure, social satus, and personal profit than artisty. While my artistry was often overlooked and underappreciated, I learned to stay true to myself regardless of what others think. At the end of the day an artists main priority is to fulfill their urge to create and share (if they feel generous enough to do so) their art with the world to inspire others.

My advice to creatives everywhere established or not is to stay true to themselves regardless of what the world thinks. We all have one life to live and one chance to make our wildest dreams reality. There is no bigger critic than the person in the mirror and that is the only person worth appeasing. No matter how weird and unconventional people might think you, ur talents, or ur art is keeping pushing forward. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and pot of gold at the end each creative endeavor. Always be grateful for the opportunities and ability you have to freely express yourself as there are people who die trying.

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 knew I was special from a very early age and I have always had a passion for music. As soon as I could read I would make up my own songs, singing to whatever melody my mind would create. Growing up I was terrible at anything that had to with school besides reading, I would memorize my favorite songs at the time and listen to my iPod when I slept which left no space for equations or punction rules. When I got my first laptop in 5th grade I became obsessed with Garage Band. At the time I was learning how to play the Alto Saxophone but struggled reading music without writing the letters of the notes. Once I mastered playing in my own way (by ear) I was able to bring that skill to Garage Band and bring my music to life. It wasn’t until my late teens when I found out about FL Studios and came out with my first project “Hard Spritzer” which captured my feelings entering the creative scene of Los Angeles. Being introduced to this community allowed my natural artistic ability to grow. Before I knew it I went from taking pictures at events to being booked for portrait sessions, digital graphics, and features on other artists projects/albums. I am the most proud of my commitment to myself. The journey of artistry is no different than the journey one takes to answer the critical question of “Who am I?”. Through pushing the limits of my personal expectations I am able to uncover more and more pieces of myself like a never ending puzzle. All of this is what allows me to share the most authentic parts of myself in everything that I put out into the world. I like to leave a piece of myself with every person I interact with and usually it is the Ignition of that fire within us all that pushes us closer to our dreams or what some might call their “light”. We all deserve to shine and that is the taste I prefer to leave people with.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew about all the ways I could scratch that creative itch. There is no right way to create as most creatives know, however; there are so many ways to expand your skills beyond traditional means. The best way to learn or find new techniques is to take the things you love the most and try a different approach. As people we should always be looking to build our knowledge to keep up with the ever evolving methods of expression. Trying is the first step in the right direction and learning from your mistakes can be the difference between burnout and the blissful feeling of inspiration. In short, don’t be afraid to explore your options even if you are unfamiliar.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I learned from a very young age that it is easier to be accepted when you play by the book. For a long time I had chosen to stay in place as a means of assimilating into crowds that would take me for how I presented myself. More often than not I ended up feeling lonely, lost, and misunderstood. It even got to the point where I would change myself for the sake of fitting in to a life that was not cut out for me in the first place. I had to learn the hard way that people pleasing and misrepresenting yourself for the sake of acceptance gets you no where especially surrounded by people who are confident in their presence. I have met so many people in my lifetime and nothing is more humbling then talking to someone who can smell the fear radiating from your bones.

I had attended a few music events when I first started exploring Los Angeles and had met a visual artist who insisted on being my friend. For days on end she would text me, call me, and overall harass me for pictures I had took at one particular event we both attended. I thought it was strange but as someone who grew up relatively sheltered I figured it was time to give people a chance and look beyond the rough edges. After endless pressuring from this girl I found myself at a art gallery with her and her cousin (a model) who I had also previously met but not really spoken to. My harasser watched as her cousin got in my face and questioned my very existence in this public place. She made a mockery of my presence by attacking my external looks, convinced the artist I was not worthy of buying said art, laughed in my face when the pressure (and embarrassment) had signaled to my eyes it was time for water works. (This all happened within the span of 10 minutes)

After leaving the art show utterly ashamed that I had even went in the first place (with two new people added to my block list), I realized that I needed to stand 10 toes down in my person. I decided that from that point on I was going to have my chest puffed out and my head held high regardless of the situation I was put in to reaffirm myself that I am not afraid to exist and stick out. This could have been the start of my villain origin story but I also learned that I exuberate a loving energy so strong that even wasps are attracted to my light and when I get attacked I just shine brighter. It was clear to me then that I would rather stand proudly alone then next to those who choose to stick their nose up and look down at others who are unconventional.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://iirama.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: @mamaiirama
• Other: I can be found on multiple music platforms as IIRAMA

  here is my Spotify as an example: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CsYpCWlp1eMMiwrtgtfhq?si=_vPMq0eNQ5aVze6PyV679Q