We recently connected with Natasha Ria El-Scari and have shared our conversation below.

Natasha Ria, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am definitely happy as an artist and creative. However, recently, I felt the crunch of having my daughter in college and her needs, the reduced sales at my gallery and fewer clients in my spiritual readings and editing practices. It was only about money. It was never about feeling like I have run out of ideas, joy or inspiration but more so feeling overwhelmed with the time it spends to create and having shorter spaces of time between pay. Honestly, I don’t want to get up early in the morning or go to bed early. I appreciate my night owl life. I have done an excellent job saving money and whenever I have to touch it that makes me feel super nervous. I am also partnered with a full time artist and we are on the brink of more greatness but sometimes it can be a lot to juggle. I haven’t applied for anything full time or unrelated to my art. This past Friday I was Mama C (Charlotte Hill-O’Neal) and I realized I am doing exactly what I am currently doing.

Natasha Ria, 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?

One of the things about me that I have recently noticed is that I don’t fit into one box. I am a multi-box woman. I am a little academia, a little business, a little art, a little mysticism. So let’s go through the list.

I teach about African Americans through literature at the KC Art Institute. I have always loved teaching, in fact that is how my career started, because I love discussing literature and content but what I discovered was that I hated pushing curriculum and being responsible for test scores and more. Yet, when I left the classroom I found myself missing parts of it so I have found ways to return to the classroom as a summer instructor, lecturer and teaching artist. I am a Work of Art Facilitator and I love teaching artists the business side of being an artist. It is exciting to see them win and grow in the business side of their practice.

As far as business is concerned, I believe I am a serial entrepreneur and I love also coaching people in the startup phase. I have helped create and build a mobile grocery store, my arts organization and art gallery. All of these endeavors were created in community where I was the lead and/or the support. In either role, I am ignited with new problem solving ideas.

My first love is poetry and I am always going back to reading and writing poetry. Currently, I am working with my fiancé on our first project and I can’t wait to release this project. I am also working on my sixth book with hopes of being finished before my birthday next year.

I have had the gift of intuition my entire life and use it by providing affirmative card readings and knitting scarves and blankets filled with high vibratory intentions. This practice is just as much a gift for me as it is for the person receiving it. I know this is one of the many sacred reasons I am on the planet. I learned craft art from my paternal grandmother and aunt, who taught all of us how to create in that way. I am eternally grateful to them and have thanked them repeatedly. My grandmother is 101 and she doesn’t create because of her vision and misses it for sure. I have a responsibility to keep going and teaching.

I am also a certified life coach and I focus on helping empowered people reach higher levels. Too often ambitious people get stuck because people already think they are overachievers. I help them see around the bend to higher heights and help them heal things that may have been a reason for their ambition.

Working with first time authors is such a wonderful part of my artist life. In this role, I am not the leader, I am there to support the artist and move at a pace that somewhat pushes them but mostly just keeps them on task to complete their dream. I layout books and can also do cover design work as well. I have assisted over 35 writers in their publishing journeys.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society could do a better job of understanding the importance and meaning of art. Art is not a luxury. Art is what separates humans from all other life forms. Society could definitely do a better job of supporting artists and valuing art enough that people can make a living doing what they love. Art should be infused in all schools and not as an addition, but as a core subject matter. Kids don’t like Math but they take it and few of us ever use the quadratic equation. I think if society accepted that artists are giving my nature that they will normally get more than they actually pay for and that all people deserve to enjoy original art. More money should go towards making the art a sustainable career.

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?

Sometimes people assume that creatives are lazy but it couldn’t be more false. Creatives actually are incredibly thoughtful and introspective people and I think so many people have no idea what it takes to say, create even one song. They have no idea what type of knowledge, network, creativity and discipline it takes to create a song or painting. Artists don’t count hours the way 9-5 people do but if they did they would be paid well.

I also believe people could work at accepting that creatives have to adhere to the time clocks of their creativity. We are not up partying at night, we may party, yes, but we are up late because that is when we connect to our art and turn down the noise of society. Just because we sleep until one in the afternoon doesn’t mean we went to bed at 10pm the night before. We are usually going to bed at 4 or 5 in the morning and our late start is actually our natural clock, like bats, raccoons and possum.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.natasharia.com
• Instagram: natashariaartgallery
• Facebook: Black Space Black Art
• Linkedin: Natasha Ria El-Scari
• Twitter: NatashaRia
• Youtube: Natasha Ria El-Scari
• Other: You can find Natasha Ria Art Gallery and Black Space Black Art on FB&IG