We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keili Fernando. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keili below.

Hi Keili, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Something I think my parents did right when raising me is reminding me to live each day with a thankful heart. When we go through life with an abundance of gratitude, everything is a little brighter, calmer, and more enjoyable. They would tell me stories about the lengths my grandparents and they went through to provide a better life for our family. I didn’t really understand what they meant as a kid, but I’ve certainly come to appreciate their stories more now as an adult. Every night during dinner or before bedtime, we’d pray and thank God for “the food on the table, the roof over our heads, the clothes on our backs, and the love that binds our family together.”

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.

Sure thing! Well, to start, hi! My name is Keili (sounds like “kay-lee”). I’ve worn a lot of different hats over the past 12 years – entrepreneur, photographer, filmmaker, stage manager, actor/model, singer-songwriter, agriculture manager, creative consultant, and corporate communications professional. Although many think these hats are drastically different, I’ve found a lot of common ground across them, especially when it comes to storytelling and artistic expression. I’ve found a lot of joy being able to tell a story through different mediums with my clients and collaborators.

With that said, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects over the years, including stage managing plays, coordinating experiential events, capturing music tour diaries, taking photos for a diverse range of clients, producing narrative and documentary films, designing websites, and writing original songs. I love being able to collaborate with others to produce something that we are both proud of and captures the vision we had in mind.

In my own work, I am currently focusing on music. I recently released a new single called “The Seedling Song” (https://songwhip.com/keilifernando/the-seedling-song), which is layered with metaphors. I was inspired by the seemingly simple folk songs of the 60s that were packed with much deeper meaning in the lyrics. I find these songs are approachable have a little something for everyone.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I straddle both sides daily with my broad clientele and community, so I think it’s a matter of perspective and how genuinely curious the “non-creatives” are. I grew up in a household with parents, who were both STEM-inclined but clearly made space in their lives for art. I learned at a young age that there is merit in holding space for both sides because in doing so, we learn to better understand, empathize, and collaborate with each other – we can find value in each other’s strengths, interests, and passions. “Innovation” may be a buzz word often associated with STEM or business, but for me personally, I find that one must have an appreciation for creativity as well in order to be truly innovative. You can’t have one without the other. There’s a great docuseries called “Abstract: The Art of Design” that shares how the marriage of artistic design and innovation impact our daily lives and experiences.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

You know what they say… “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” 2020 was a year where a lot of us had to pivot. I’ve told the story about how eukaylyptus (https://www.eukaylyptus.com/) was born a few times before, so this time, I’ll share about the My Esprit Tour.

I was going to do an east coast music tour in celebration of the music video for “My Esprit” (a song from my EP), but obviously, everything shut down. As a result, I embraced live streaming early on and did a virtual tour from home. I played songs throughout my apartment each night – my music corner, my living room, my kitchen, and my balcony. I was able to share where I write and practice my music. It was surely a different experience than I was imagining, but it was such a privilege to play for over 2,000 people throughout that week! I would never have imagined playing for that many people during an in-person show. There’s always a silver lining. My latest song, “The Seedling Song,” gives nod to making the most out of tough situations too – “though the rain, wind, dark stormy clouds block the sun shining rays, don’t let it shroud… go dance in the rain, turn your gaze up, and run down the lane.” You may have to pivot, but hold onto hope, even when life gets you down.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.keilifernando.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keilifernando/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keili.Fernando/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeiliFernando

Image Credits
Mailyfe, KLiF Productions, LLC, and Aileen Bond