We caught up with the brilliant and insightful KJ Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

KJ, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

learning & honing in on your specific craft is more challenging then most think. Talent can only take you so far if you don’t do the work to back that up. I feel like learning is always a process in itself and if you’re willing to put the work in, everything else will fall into place accordingly. An essential skill I found for myself when learning is just repetition. Picking up choreo in a dance class for me at first used to be very difficult & stressful. I found the more I did it the easier it became & it was all just a mental thing I had to get over as I matured. I felt like I was my own obstacle for a long time. I was standing in the way of my own progress, by not honing in as deeply as I should’ve when I was younger.

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

Hi! I’m KJ Davis, a dancer/choreographer born & raised in Nashville, Tennessee. I first started dancing when I was 3 years old, but didn’t realize this could be a serious career path for me until I was a junior in high school. I’m the type of person who wants to bring the best out of people & loves extremely hard . That translates into the way I dance & teach. I try & make people feel empowered, confident, and realize dance is truly just an expression of the soul. So far in my career, what I’m most proud of is going on tour at 18 years old as my first gig. Also, receiving feedback from people who have taken my class & told me how much I’ve inspired & pushed them like never before. Those type of comments make me feel like I’m walking in my purpose & doing what I was put on this earth to do.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the fact I get to do what I truly love every day. Most people don’t get to do what they love as their job, or know what their passion is. I’m so thankful that I do, & that I’m fortunate enough to be able to do it! It’s one thing to have a dream, but to be able to work towards it, & see it come to fruition is a feeling like no other.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One thing I’ve learned so far in my life thus far, is to be unapologetically yourself. Being misunderstood is truly the story of my life, and it used to frustrate me. I’m at a point where you either love me and support me or you don’t. It really is that straightforward, you can’t make someone understand something if they aren’t willing to understand. As an artist, I’m doing what I do because I love it, I’m in love with it. The love is what pushes me to wake up at 7 am everyday and go to the studio. Most non creatives won’t understand creative people because well.. they aren’t a creative. That’s totally fine, as long as YOU know why you’re doing what you’re doing that’s truly all that matters. Walk in your purpose, do what you love, and the journey will all be worth it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjdavis/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/WI7P933wx28

Image Credits
Dara Danielle Mario Devon Elliot Lopes