We recently connected with simply Vika and have shared our conversation below.
simply Vika, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I wanted to be a musician since I remember myself. Somewhere throughout the years I forgot about it since people kept telling me to “be realistic” and that being a singer is not a career. But I kept singing as a hobby and kept writing lyrics all the time. When I finished military at 21 years old I was very lost, I didn’t know what I want to do with my life and I didn’t even consider art. I was thinking maybe business school but nothing was exciting, nothing felt right. It took a certain (not very pleasant) event that reminded me who I really am and what I was destined to do – MUSIC.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a singer, rapper and a poet. I use my lyrics and my voice to fight for equality and against discrimination. I combine rap and singing in my music and together with my producer (who comes from an electronic world) we created a genre that I’m not quite sure has a name. I call it “pop rap”. It’s a long journey and I’m still only in the beginning, but what I want is to inspire people to follow their dreams and achieve their goals no matter how “crazy” people say it is.
Society makes us live in a box sometimes. The older generation believes in gender roles and a certain life structure that we need to follow, and I say – “Fu** that”! You do you, do what you feel is right for you. You want to dedicate your life to your business? DO IT! You want to go to college and become a doctor? DO IT! You want to become a mom and stay home raising your kids? DO IT!
Everything goes as long as it’s a decision you made because YOU wanted it. Not your spouse, not your parents, not your colleges, no one should decide for you! Don’t let anyone dictate your future!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
As I mentioned before, I’m here to inspire people to be who they want to be (as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else). Choose your life, set your goals and go for it! That’s my mission!
Have you ever had to pivot?
We all heard of COVID. When that happened, I’ve just graduated from Musicians Institute in Hollywood and was about to get a job. But everything shut down and I had to pack all my stuff and go back home, to Israel.
In Israel I wasn’t inspired at all, my life fell apart and I was depressed.
I always had a thing for photography, but it was a hobby and I never intended to do anything about it. Funny how life happens sometimes.
While I was in Israel, I was walking around with my camera everywhere because music didn’t feel right and I needed a thing to do. I took photos of friends and family and just shared it with them later on.
It was a few months later that a friend of my mom (who I took some photos of) asked me to come to her hospital and take photos of the staff.
To get paid for this job I needed to open an official business, and that’s when it all started. I said to myself, if I already have to open a business, why not get some more clients?
So I did. I started doing photography professionally and it became a huge part of my life.
Right now it’s my main source of income, and I even find way to combine it with my music.
I’ll never stop making music, and I don’t intend to make photography my main thing, but I make money doing art – my art! And it allows me to invest back in my music, which is a blessing! So I do both now :)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simplyvika.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_simply_vika/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyVika
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFd4zlk2FY8ovU0u_XAfHwQ?
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4B4Kfyn3F0uaJsLodoaRky?si=RWvI7vUrRb2rFBcfcStlHw
- My photography: https://www.illuminize.photography/