We were lucky to catch up with Imani-Kelai recently and have shared our conversation below.
Imani-Kelai, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Luckily for me, my talent came naturally. I was born with this gift, everything after that has been to hone it and become more technical. Honestly, what I’m learning is that there is no substitute for hard work. It is easier said than done, but at the end of it, it will give you the proper respect for your craft. The only thing that makes you better is to do it everyday. Every single skill is essential. There is nothing too small that is not worth noticing or putting energy into. If you really look at the big picture, the big things are a compilation of the small things. The only obstacle I’ve faced is myself. I think used to put the blame on things like money and time, but ultimately, you make time for what you want to do and you can make money to do what you want to do. It’s okay if things don’t happen immediately. If you want it to be right for you, you have to set yourself up in the proper way and that includes having patience.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi, y’all! I am Imani-Kelai, I am a multi-disciplinary artist! I am a singer, actress, model, and studying makeup artist. I am firstly proud of myself for taking the step into pursuing my artistry seriously and not giving up on myself in this long process. I want people to know that I am a very positive person. I like to create safe spaces for people and allow people to live in their truths. I am uniquely me, I think all of my art truly encapsulates that and people can see that. I want people to use my services because they know that I truly care about my art and am very attentive to detail. I am obsessive about details and want myself and more-so my client to love my work.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To best support artists, I believe there should be systems in place that honor every aspect of artistry no matter how seemingly small. Songwriters should be paid sufficiently and on time, for example. I think streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music etc. should have more systems in place to pay smaller, independent artists as well. (I think people are working on that now, actually.) On a local level, I think people should definitely support their artist friends more by showing up at their events and screaming in the crowd. I think crowds can be more engaging as well, but now I’m nitpicking.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The MOST rewarding thing, is seeing your dream/vision come to life. To pull an idea out of your brain and turn it into something tangible is the most amazing feeling ever. I released my music video for “Get Serious” in 2021. I had the first vision for it in 2019. It took a few years but to see it come to life felt amazing. It may be the closest thing to giving birth, metaphorically of course, as I have never given physical birth haha. (I wonder if I can say lol, lol).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @imanikelai / @ittybittymag
