We recently connected with Ina Bochian and have shared our conversation below.
Ina , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Currently, I am working on a music and art project to bring more awareness to mental health and suicide prevention. The project itself started as a series of letters to an old friend where I talk about a significant relationship that came to a close, heartbreak and seeking love again, a friend who passed too soon from mental health related issues, the passing of my grandfather, and a couple of friends. All of these events happened close together in less than a year, which has been very tough to process. However, I decided to channel and recycle this compound trauma into art, poetry, and song lyrics.
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 am a multifaceted artist, but prefer to describe myself as a storyteller. I use different mediums to tell stories, either through fine art, photography, short stories, poems, or songs. I also have a clothing brand called Just Enough Faith. Initially, this started as a pandemic project in response to bullying, harassment, and antisemitism. To counter, the negativity, I simply ignored it and instead created positive messages on apparel.
As someone who is ethnically Jewish, but raised Christian, I was inspired by the values I was raised with and chose to amplify love, peace, hope, and faith. Once I reclaimed my identity and started practicing Judaism and learning more about the Jewish concept of emunah, which means faith and trust, I kept this theme as a foundation so that I can have a platform to discuss the rise of antisemitism, while also expressing this message artistically. However, one does not have to be religious at all to understand or relate to the main message of my brand, which is: “When things seem unbearable, all you need is JUST ENOUGH FAITH to get through each day.” As long as you have “just enough” trust and faith to keep fighting and moving forward, eventually the pain will subside if it is replaced by something birthed from a place of love. For me, this place of love is a figurative river I have in my heart where I have love for all the people I have ever loved in my life who helped me find purpose and healing.
This year, in early spring, when I felt everything was coming down, I figuratively went inside and sat by that river and thought of a person I love who makes me feel the most safe and inspired. I started writing them letters expressing myself and eventually turned this into a book. Within this book, I also included poems, raps, and songs, which I will be producing.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Years ago while on a trip to Paris, I was in a very dark and desolate place mentally. I was coping with a series of personal traumas and could not wrap my head around why I experienced so much pain and so little joy. My saving grace was a man I was head over heels in love with back in Chicago. While he didn’t exactly return the love in the same way, he cared to an extent and did the best he could to be there for me.
Nevertheless, I felt like no matter what I did I wasn’t good enough and that nobody I loved could love me back in the same way I loved them at the same time I loved them. It seemed like everything in my life was all upside down. I felt unsuccessful, insignificant, and unloved. While I had family who loves me unconditionally, I felt like I did not fit in within my culture and I just wanted a family or companion of my own to fully be myself with. I felt like I was suffocating and method acting my way through life because that helped me survive.
With all these thoughts rattling in my head, I saw a bridge outside the window of the restaurant my family and I were eating at. My dad and I had gotten in an argument and I felt particularly triggered.
Looking at the bridge, I thought, “I’m going to jump. No one will miss me.”
A subsequent thought came, “But first, red lipstick. If I’m going to drown, I’d like to down pretty.” Clearly this was not the most logical train of thought and I have unpacked it in therapy sessions since, but that’s where I was at mentally..
Once I came out of the restroom, my family was already outside and I made eye contact with the waiter, who noticed my eyes were watery. I am not sure if he knew what was going through my head, but he looked me in the eye smiling and said, “Courage! La vie s’améliore.” (Courage! Life gets better.) Then, he gave me a mandarin. A little confused, I took the mandarin, and said thanks.
This exchange delayed me leaving the restaurant and by the time I got to the sidewalk, I got a text from man I was in love with. He didn’t say much, just a response to something I said about us having crepes in Paris sometime. “So, there is hope.” I thought. “Today is not a good day to die because if I go home maybe he can break my heart a different way and maybe this time it will be great.” The hesitation caused by the waiter and the text saved my life that day.
That night, I ended up begging my sister to go back to the bridge to put a lock on it with our names and the inscription, “To Crepes, With Love from Paris.” Once I got back to Chicago, the first thing I did was find the first French restaurant in this man’s neighborhood and deliver him hot crepes at about 10:30 pm. Delivering these was a project because he had sent me his studio address first and then his home address. While figuring all that out, I forgot where I parked my car and ended up getting a police officer to help me drive around looking for it. Eventually, I got the man his crepes without telling him what transpired in Paris. It took me 6 years to tell him that story and I only told him the story because I appreciated his impact on my life and our friendship, even though our romance didn’t quite unfold with us running off into the sunset. At least no one is jumping off bridges and we can find humor and meaning in our connection.
That particular event was not the only time I felt that much despair, but every other time after that, it was love, or the possibility of it, that pulled me out to the other side. Eventually, the romance that did not work out led me to a fulfilling one that ran its course until circumstances became too complicated. Nevertheless, having experienced these series of events and having manifested the kind of love I needed now leads me to believe that every ending leads to a beginning.
Out of this kaleidoscope of events that moved through periods of darkness and light, I learned to cope better and find the good in every situation so I can transform it into art or a story that can help someone else. Since that experience in Paris, I have started a clothing line, started selling my fine art pieces, wrote a book, and now working on songwriting and music production.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is working with people I love and admire. I am currently working on producing my first music project. Out of the gate, I am working with well established producers and artists, like Ricciano Lumpkins, Zachary Jablow (Laev), John Allen, and Azaria Cooper.
Ricciano Lumpkins, who is a Grammy nominated and award winning multi platinum selling producer, engineer, songwriter, and publisher, cut my demo and encouraged me to keep up as a songwriter.
This connection was made possible through John Allen, singer/ songwriter, who got me into the studio with Ricco.
Before all that, it was twice Grammy nominated Zachary Jablow (Laev), who first believed in me as a songwriter. He agreed to produce my first project and is helping me understand the music making process, as a mentor. Laev has 13 years of experience teaching copyright and publishing at the college level, and thanks to Blippi, 52 music videos, a video game, and a feature length film.
Without Laev’s vote of confidence, I would not have had the courage to dive into a new creative medium, but his unwavering support helped me believe in myself and work towards my bigger dreams.
In many ways, Laev is a lifesaver who came in at the right time during a very difficult time in my life. After losing my grandfather, who raised me, I also lost a friend who was killed in a car accident and another to friend to suicide. In the meantime, I have also been struggling with chronic health issues and some personal losses and trauma. Nevertheless, I persevered creatively with the support of my producer who is also an incredible friend. In essence, people who hold our hand during the darkest nights of the soul are also the ones who open our hearts to creativity. The rewards of having stable creative and emotional support while making art and music can truly be transformative. I am beyond grateful to Laev, along with everyone else I met along the way, for seeing greatness in me before I could see it in myself. My goal is to pay it forward and be that strong rock for someone else in the future, while also creating art and music that encourages and inspires others to have “just enough faith” to move forward during challenging circumstances. Eventually pain subsides and beautiful things are created from darkness, like a light in the darkness. We all need some kerosene in our lives, a catalyst to enhance our ability to glow and show the world what we are made of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://justenoughfaithbyinabochian.net/
- Instagram: @iaminab_
- Merch Website: https://ina-bochian-creative-services.square.site/
- Brand Instagram: @justenoughfaithllc
- E-Mail: [email protected]
Image Credits
Personal Image: by Oscar Sierra Ina Bochian with book & Just Enough Faith hat Photo 1: by Danny Jacobson Ina Bochian in LOVE Just Enough Faith crop tank with original art, Peace, in background Photo 2: by Michael Tinley Kolby Woods, Nigel Holt (HXLT), and myself with a painting I gifted Nigel at the pop up shop for his brand Friendship Club Photo 3: by John Allen Ina Bochian recording demo for “Kerosene Scenes” at Fort Knox Studio in Ricciano Lumpkins studio Photo 4: by Danny Jacobson Ina Bochian with original art, Peace painting, in nature Photo 5: by Ina Bochian Original artwork by Ina Bochian Photo 6: by Oscar Sirrea Ina Bochian in Just Enough Faith crop top in rain Photo 7: by Samantha Humphries Ina Bochian and Zachary Jablow (Laev) at House of Blues Chicago Photo 8: by Phillip Huley III Ricciano Lumpkins, Ina Bochian, Azaria Cooper, and John Allen after recording demo for “Kerosene Scenes” at Fort Knox Studios