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

Alright, Naomy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Both my parents are entrepreneurs, so I think I was destined to do the same whether I wanted to or not. I spent a lot of time in the car with my parents as a child, watching and helping them build their business from the ground up. We went to every corner of Atlanta, GA passing out business flyers and cards — determined to break through, hungry to succeed. And they did. Their story is a long one, but it’s served as my biggest source of inspiration. They are the blueprint.

Their reaction to me choosing to embark on a similar life path, was funny. “We’ve sacrificed so much for you to be comfortable. You graduated from a great school, so now you can get a great job!” Funny because safe and comfortable was NOT how my parents created the lifestyle, I too, wanted. And yet, safe and comfortable was what they wanted for me. My announcement definitely triggered their ‘young-immigrant-business-owner’ trauma, and the thought of their daughter going through the same hell was probably demoralizing.

But what they didn’t realize was, they’d spared me the hell. I wasn’t an immigrant trying to make it in the early 2000s. I wasn’t walking blind. I wasn’t going to make the same mistakes. My parents are business owners. They are the blueprint. And I’d been shaped by their determination and hunger. I’d been inspired and I had to DO something with that. Sitting comfortably at a safe, stable and secure 9-5 was just not going to cut it for me.

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?

My university experience was incredibly rigorous and competitive. Everyone there had the potential to become the next Steve Jobs. Unfortunately, not many of us undergrads ever did. The wild imaginations and creativity we had, were quickly stifled by imposed notions of not being old enough, smart enough, experienced enough. There was always a reason why we couldn’t or shouldn’t move forward with an idea ; brilliance was constantly being burned. I grew tired of the flames. It just wasn’t how I was raised. My parents taught me and showed me that everything and anything was possible. I grew tired of being repressed.

Æra Hope emerged as a safe space for my authentic self expression, without fear of ideas being stolen, belittled or killed. Instead, brilliance would be nurtured; creativity, incubated. Overtime, this space has grown and evolved. Founded in 2019, Æra Hope creative incubator, is a movement and a safe space for entrepreneurs and creatives to authentically express themselves within a spirit of collaboration. And with collaboration, rather than competition, at the forefront of every project, the modern artist or entrepreneur can take their ideas to the cutting edge of innovation without sacrificing forward thinking creativity or intellectual rigor.

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

The creative process is such a vulnerable and sacred journey. There is something about the beauty of creation that evokes such inspiration and awe. It’s compelling, it’s attractive, it’s mesmerizing. It can also be dark, isolating and full of exploitation. This duality is incredibly difficult to navigate, but it is also incredibly rewarding. One doesn’t choose to be an artist, one is called to be one. To accept this calling is to embrace the sanctity and vulnerability of art; to be inspired and to inspire.

And while the benefits, incentives or even financial gain may not present themselves intuitively or immediately, when creativity is well incubated, it almost always results in high reward, regard and recognition.

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

Art is what makes the world go round. No, money is what makes the world go round, you immediately say.

But really stop to think about it. The time you bought that fashion item, when you really had no money to spend. The time you took to arrange those plants and hang that art in your living room. That movie you went to see. That show you are bingeing. That song that lifted your spirits on a rainy day. That delicious bite of food.

Without art there is nothing. No inspiration. No beauty. No conversations. No trade. And while it is easy to consume art, it is incredibly difficult to create it. To be a creative is to choose difficulty because often times, artists are not well compensated for the impact they have on culture. Especially when they are first getting started.

So next time you see an artist promoting their art on the street, you see a friend post a link to their latest project — remember that even Kendrick and SZA started with 10 people concerts. Legends like Basquiat and Van Gogh did NOT get compensated for their work and yet now, generations later, their creations are worth millions.

Artists do not choose their journeys, they are called to it and they deserve to be compensated as easily as their work is consumed. This is why Æra Hope exists. So up and coming artists and entrepreneurs can grow with support from each other and their community. Consuming with awareness makes all the difference and if every artist’s compensation can reach them in their lifetime, even better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aerahope.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerahope/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomygrandpierre-716451100/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/naomyhgp/ https://www.youtube.com/c/NaomyGrandPierreTheUndercurrent