We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keileana Evans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keileana below.
Keileana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I first knew I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally when I was about 8 years old, although, I didn’t know which direction to take. I grew up singing in the church, which strengthen my love for music and singing. I also took various music-based classes including chorus, gospel choir, secondary applied voice, and orchestra. When it comes to the cosmetics direction, I watched many beauty influencers on YouTube in the early and mid-2000s like Jackie Aina, Youkeyy, MalibuDollface, and Misschrissyjaye. YouTube was almost like a school for me, with each and every creator teaching me different techniques and tricks. I learned how to hand stitch my first wig and cut my first crease from YouTube creators. They inspired me first to become a makeup artist and wig maker/stylist, then a professional content creator.
Keileana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ll start with three words: determined, passionate, and unique. I love everything I do, including wig-making, creating content, singing, and modeling. My goal is to share that love with each and every person I encounter. Each avenue of my brand was created for various reasons. I started to pursue cosmetics partly due to inspiration from my mother and partly due to YouTube creators. I pursued singing thanks to my mother, again, and singing in the church as a kid. Content creation ultimately became a way to share my love for my crafts while interacting with other creators across the world. Lastly, I pursued modeling on a whim. I joined a modeling troupe in college as a way to boost my overall self-esteem and satisfy my craving for performing. This eventually grew into a love for expression through fashion, film, and runways.
I am very proud of my resilience. In the society we live in today, it is very easy to become overwhelmed by life and its troubles. I applaud myself for striving and, while I have come close, I never actually gave up. I also applaud myself for knowing and enforcing boundaries. I know when I need to take time to reflect so that I can be the best in all that I do, and most importantly, keep my clients and customers happy.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
First off, I am definitely still building my audience. In regards to TikTok, it’s been about three years in the making of growing my audience. I haven’t quite reached the point of profiting from my content but I still love every minute of creating and interacting with my online family.
Secondly, the best advice I can give any aspiring content creator is to be patient. Everyone’s journey does not happen at the same pace. It is okay to take your time, build a solid audience, and most importantly have fun!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being freely and uniquely myself. Being able to express myself in such a variety of lanes allows me to never be bored. There have been times when I’ll do an entire makeup look or install an old wig just because it’s late and I’m bored. The ability to express yourself outwardly, and not care how anyone perceives you, is not only rewarding, it’s empowering.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/killakee
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_killakei/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keileana-evans-6b54311b8
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@killakei9475
- Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@killakei_
Image Credits
Photographers: Ciara Kelley and Vince Artz Stylists: Ciara Kelley and Myself Hair stylist: Myself Wig Photos done by myself