Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LIIA KAMKADZE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi LIIA, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was coming to the United States.

I had dreamed about coming to the U.S. since childhood. I grew up watching American movies, loving musicals, listening to American music, and I was completely immersed in American culture.

I first started talking about coming to the U.S. when I was 15.

Unfortunately, no one in my environment had ever traveled to the U.S., so it always felt distant and almost unrealistic.

On top of that, traveling abroad wasn’t something common in my family. Growing up, I had only been outside the country a few times, and even then it was only because I was traveling with my choir for music competitions — not family trips.

So this wasn’t something that felt normal or accessible to me.

Of course, coming to another country without knowing the language is a huge challenge. But for me, an even bigger challenge would have been not going after my dream and regretting it for the rest of my life.

The biggest change after coming to the U.S. is that I finally started believing in myself in a way I never had before.

Because one of the most important dreams of my life came true, I gained so much confidence that I decided to start an Instagram account in a language I didn’t even speak — in English.

In two years, I grew my account to 60K followers, and my videos have reached over 150M views.

I’m still on my creative journey, and I know there’s so much more ahead of me. This is only the beginning.

But I truly feel that by taking the risk and following my dream, I became a more confident person. And many of the goals and desires I always had started coming to life almost naturally.

Simply because I finally believed in myself after achieving something so big.

Sometimes we take risks not to gain something, but to become the person we’ve always dreamed of being.

When we make life-changing decisions, we grow. We become different people. And we start believing again that anything is possible.

LIIA, 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?

My name is Liya K, and I’m a digital artist based in Los Angeles

I create content at the intersection of music, storytelling, and personal transformation, building an emotional connection with my audience through video and creative expression

I’ve grown an audience of over 60K English-speaking followers while creating in a language that is not my first, and my content has reached more than 150 million views across platforms

In my content, I explore themes such as self-love, body acceptance, and seeing the United States through the eyes of someone with an international background

My audience often tells me that my content helps them gain new perspectives on their lives
It allows them to finally accept and love their bodies

It also helps them see the U.S. in a completely different way and fall in love with it all over again

And sometimes, it simply inspires them

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

At the age of 21, I was diagnosed with cancer

At that time, I was studying at a pedagogical university in the music department and dreaming of becoming a singer

This experience completely changed my life and forced me to rethink something very important

Before cancer, I created from a place of wanting to earn love
I felt like I had to prove that I was worthy of it

During my illness, I realized that I had been trying to prove this to everyone around me
My teachers, people in my life, and even my own mother

But it was during that time that something shifted

For the first time, my mom and I began to have truly honest conversations
We talked about things we had always been afraid to say out loud
We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable with each other

And that’s when I realized something that changed everything
My mom loved me
I didn’t have to earn it

And somehow, I felt that the world loved me too

That was the most important lesson of my life

It was during chemotherapy that I made a decision
I would no longer create to earn love
I would create because I can’t not create

I remember filming one of my first videos
I was dancing bald, with an IV

That video reached 12k views

I was honestly scared to post it
I was physically exhausted
I couldn’t dance the way I wanted to
I was out of breath after just a couple of minutes
And I was wearing hospital clothes

But I didn’t post it to prove anything
I didn’t post it to show that I was strong or to get validation

I posted it just for fun
Just because I wanted to

And in that moment, I realized
If I am already loved, why should I be afraid of what people think

That experience completely transformed me as an artist

Now, every time I create, I choose music, movement, and words that can truly reach people
That can support them
That can inspire them

I allow myself to be vulnerable
I show that I’m not perfect
I share my journey openly

Because maybe somewhere, there is a girl watching my video on her phone
And through my story, she will feel that she is loved exactly as she is
That she doesn’t have to be ashamed of herself or her creativity
That she is allowed to be herself

And that is why I create ❤️‍🔥

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my creative journey is deeply driven by a clear mission

At its core, I create to help people feel loved, accepted, and connected to themselves

For a long time, I thought creativity was about proving something
But now, I see it as a way to give something

Through my content, I share vulnerability, growth, and my struggles, because I want people to see that they are not alone
I want someone watching my video to feel seen, to feel understood, and to realize that they don’t need to earn love by being perfect

My long-term goal is to bring this message into music and live performance
I want to create songs and experiences where people don’t just listen, but truly feel

I see my work as a bridge between people and their own emotions
Between who they are and who they are afraid to be

Ultimately, my mission is to create a space where people feel free to be themselves and know that they are already enough ❤️‍🔥

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/liya.k.love?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liya.k.love?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568513458269&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@liya.k.love.?si=zuZSIA2Jvxf9em-U
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@liya.k.love?_r=1&_t=ZS-95DNXUSwAGQ

Image Credits

Gilbert Molinet
Kateryna Kravchenko
Daria Zamorskaia
Kristopher Wile