We recently connected with Ruhana Nova Ra and have shared our conversation below.

Ruhana Nova, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Growing up in an environment where music was negatively portrayed as an unhealthy distraction, I began listening to music in secret. Like many creatives, I found solace in singing in the shower and in front of the mirror, using music to process my emotions during my adolescent years. Middle school painting classes became my sanctuary, where I would lose all sense of time. My free time was spent exploring landscape photography, a passion that eventually led to my first event photography gig in San Francisco just a few years ago. Although I was on track to finish college as an Economics major, I was upset that I had rejected my full scholarship to NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

During my junior year of college, I chose to embark on an open ended college gap year to explore opportunities in technology and creative production. I ended up producing my first event, engaging the local art community by using sound as a healing medium for technologists in Silicon Valley.

After working a few roles in a traditional and rigid professional environment, I felt my creativity stifle and my sense of self slipping away. Creativity is not only about making art, but about how to take charge of our realities by reminding us of our free will and sovereignty. It gives us the agency to honor our unique expressions and the intricate multidimensionality of our souls. Creativity trains us to become the main characters in our narratives, rather than falling into the realities created by others. Through visual art, dance, production, and music, creativity transforms the unknown and fearful aspects of ourselves into empowerment, clarity, magnitude, and a deeper purpose beyond ourselves. It allows us to transcend separation consciousness and find harmony within.

Looking back, I wish I had attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts to solidify my creative foundation in immersive experiences, music, dance, ritual theater, modeling, and acting. Each creative endeavor unlocks new potential, materializing outcomes beyond our greatest imaginations.

I am deeply grateful for taking a chance on my dreams, allowing my creativity to heal myself and others, and for cultivating a strong sense of self on this journey. The path of creativity has not only redefined my life but also illuminated the profound power of art to transform and unite people under socially impactful causes. My journey showed me that embracing creativity is a revolutionary act, one that holds the potential to change the world and that anyone can become a creative when they are ready to expand themselves and take on healthy challenges.

Ruhana Nova, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up in various tight-knit communities across Central Jersey, Texas, and the Bay Area as a first-generation American, I was always driven by an insatiable curiosity to explore beyond my comfort zone. This relentless urge to immerse myself in diverse cultures, from the indigenous tribes of Colombia, Peru, Baja, and Guatemala, has been my guiding light. It has propelled me to redefine my roles within these communities and discover my true place as a woman deeply connected to her collective historical lineage and her role in a modern society fueled by technological innovation.

With a background in business development for synthetic test data platforms, transpersonal psychology, and social impact-based tech companies, combined with a degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, I continually seek ways to weave creative approaches and methods to curate immersive experiences. These experiences are designed for experiential learners, helping them expand their feminine qualities of cultural empathy, biological vitality, and intellectual curiosity, all toward creating a better world.

Founded in 2019, Shenius serves as an immersive lighthouse, guiding men and women back to their core essence through modalities such as hypnotherapy, somatic healing, sound, breathwork, movement, ritual theater, ceremonial intention circles, and celebratory soirées. This brand was born not only from my personal curiosity to recreate a forgotten Golden Renaissance of limitless and transcendent creative potential but also from a deep desire to heal from societal conditioning as a woman. In today’s society, a woman simply being herself is a revolutionary act. Shenius aims to empower women to be comfortable in their own skin and unmask the layers of societal conditioning.

Rooted in the three pillars of authentic empowerment, holistic agency, and collective sovereignty, Shenius strives to amplify the subtle feminine brilliance within individuals, guiding them back to their wholeness and renewed creativity.

Looking ahead, we aspire to partner with youth facilities to support women of all ages in healing from sexual trauma by reconnecting them to their intuitive bodies, reigniting their creative genius, and re-empowering their sensual expression through embodiment photoshoots and interwoven healing modalities. Our vision is to cultivate a world where every woman feels empowered to embrace her true self, celebrate her unique essence, and contribute to a more compassionate and enlightened society.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Creativity is about forging a profound dialogue, connection, and trust with something higher than ourselves. Each time I create a new work of art, I cultivate a deeper sense of self-love and acceptance, expanding my inner sanctuary of creative potential. It is through this intimate dance with creativity that I discover the boundless possibilities within me.

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the empowerment that comes from realizing how much we control the creation of our realities, both consciously and unconsciously. The path of a creative is a journey of healing, discovering inner harmony, and gaining directional clarity toward a positive future. Our creativity unveils unique solutions to the larger questions and challenges we face in our daily lives, offering fresh perspectives and innovative answers.

For me, creativity has always been a process of beautifying my inner and outer reality with mystery, surprises, and expanded perspectives. It opens my mind and pushes me to test my limiting beliefs, daring me to create the “impossible.” In this realm of boundless imagination, I find the courage to explore uncharted territories and transform dreams into tangible realities, continually evolving and growing through the magic of creation.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up in a household that revered engineering, science, and mathematics, I internalized the limiting belief that creativity was neither a valid nor stable path to success. The notion that a creative life could be both fulfilling and lucrative seemed distant and unattainable. Yet, I have embarked on a passionate quest to dismantle these old beliefs, committing myself to the transformative journey of unlearning.

Every day, I dedicate myself to rewriting this narrative, embracing the profound truth that creativity is a powerful force that nurtures intuition, fosters inner stability, and cultivates independent thinking. Through this ongoing process, I have discovered that creativity is not just an artistic endeavor but a vital, dynamic way of engaging with the world. It has the power to ignite our passions, illuminate our paths, and shape a life rich with meaning and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ruhananovara.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruhana.ra/
• Other: https://www.shenius.co/

Image Credits

Dima
Kennith Stipe
Bryan Wesley
Sia