We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kiara Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kiara below.
Kiara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I am happier as an artist. Being able to use my gift of creativity is really fulfilling and I think about it daily. When I’m working for a pharmaceutical company or had some internship at some government job, I often daydreamed on the job about touring, being interviewed on Jimmy Fallon, or learning new choreography for a music video. That’s how I know that this is my calling and my passion because I constantly think about it and pray every night that I can make music my full time thing.
Kiara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into performing at a pretty young age. I remember always coming up with dances with my cousins or having singing competitions at family functions when I was younger. Then my mom put me in “triple threat” (singing, dancing, and acting) classes at Lundstrum Performing Arts when I was about 7 years old. That’s what further fueled my love being on stage. Every summer I participated in a summer musical and continued live theater throughout highschool. I even did choir and it’s just something so exhilarating about being in a little community trying to put on a show for an audience. We all have this shared goal and it’s simply to entertain or inspire, I think what sets me a part from others is that music is at my core. There is so much power in music whether it’s through song or dance and my passion for it won’t fade. I also think, being a former ~thespian~ helps me better understand all the little things that goes into performing live and connecting with the audience.
What I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come, as well as getting the opportunity to perform in London. If I had stopped doing music a long time ago, I wouldn’t have gotten to be a part of that rewarding experience. It’s nice to know that my music is reaching a larger audience and that I have so much untapped potential.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I have lots of goals with my music career; I want to be on big stages, have brand deals, go on tour, etc. But my main mission that drives my creative journey is to inspire others while being able to express myself. I love turning a song idea into a finished project that I can share with others and not all of my songs are going to resonate with each person who listens to it, but if I can just touch one person with my voice–I think I’ve done my part.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One time I performed at this coffee shop in Hopkins, MN and there were about 3 people there lol–one being my mother. I was still excited to perform but the month before when I performed there, the room was way more packed. A bunch of friends and family had come to support so I thought I was have that same outcome the second time around–but that was not the case. After the show, I was pretty sad that more people hadn’t come out to see me sing and I thought what’s the point of performing if the room was gonna be empty. Eventually, I just shook it off because I realized that this is just the beginning. That doesn’t determine my talent and I know one day I’ll be selling out shows and that I just have to keep going. Every artist has had a show that doesn’t go as planned or didn’t have the best turnout but you can’t let that deter you from the bigger picture.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/kiaraj_17
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA4WnIjIvoYSV_lVZKzAhkw
Image Credits
instagram handles curly haired photos: @finesslyn tree photo: @nathanathannthan bricks: @emilykalexander