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

Alright, Tonya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to perform. I grew up in a very small town. Holly Hill, SC. When I say small, I mean small. It was ridiculously small; we only had 2 stoplights in the entire town. I loved it though. It made traveling outside of our tiny town an adventure every time. But even as a child in that small town, I knew there was more for me out in the world. I sung in my grandmother and father’s church growing up, so performing in front of a lot of people sorta just sits well in my body. It’s in some ways my comfort zone, ya know….being on stage. I used to work in the corporate world after graduating college and getting married. Looking back now, I would have to say that was one of my lowest times in my life, mentally, because I wasn’t creating or performing. I graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Theatre. I opted to remain living in Charleston and took a break from it all, instead of going out to L.A. or New York like most of my college friends. I was just too in love with my boyfriend, now husband, and loved the quiet, young adult life I had made for myself. I always felt I could go back to Theatre and music, whenever I wanted to. Well, 10 years later, and after performing for the late and great, Mr. Ossie Davis in one of his plays, it took him saying to me “What in the world are you doing here? Why aren’t you in NY?”, I knew I needed to jump back into it…. performing. His words stuck with me. I slowly began writing and performing again. I fell in love with it all over again. I loved it so much, I became a Theatre teacher. Seeing my young students realize their potential and discovering their talent, is such a treat. I love it all. Performing and teaching. I could never see myself doing anything else again. Being in this space, at this time is my happy place. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Tonya, 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?

I’m Tonya S. Williams. My stage name is Tonya Nicole, which is my given name at birth, Tonya Nicole Smalls. Which is funny because I hated my middle name as a child. Fast forward, I love it as my stage name. Go figure. Ha! I’m a singer, actor, and educator, living here in Charleston, SC. I’ve been performing all my life. I’ve also been a Theatre teacher for over 10 years now. Performing and teaching are my passions. While I perform all over Charleston, SC and other parts of the Carolinas, I’m also a songwriter. I have original music out under my stage name, Tonya Nicole. My style of writing is heavily influenced by music I grew up listening to and found fascinating. Of course gospel, because my father’s a minister. But I also gravitated toward jazz at a very early age. I fell absolutely head over heels in love with Ms. Billie Holiday growing up. So in my music, you’ll hear hints of jazz, infused with R&B. I like to think of myself as a true artist or creative. I love creating.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I never knew how resilient and strong I was until I was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. It was a tough pill to swallow. I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Chordoma. I was floored when I received the news. One minute, I’m living my best life, performing, teaching, loving on my beautiful family and life I had created with my college sweetheart and then bam!… I get news no-one ever wishes to receive. It was most certainly a shock, but I’m a true believer. I remember crying for maybe 5 mins in my classroom, when I received the call, but then I heard a voice, and it said…. “Do not be afraid”. I immediately stopped crying, packed up my things for the day and left. But there was a sense of peace that fell over me. it was something I’d never experienced before. I knew I was going to be ok. From that day forward, I chose to keep a positive attitude through it all. Through surgery and 8 1/2 weeks of radiation, I pushed through. I’m in no way saying it was easy breezy, because Lord knows it was the toughest experience I’ve ever had to endure. And even now, I experience some side effects from the treatments, but I continue to remain positive, remain grateful for each day and I keep on living. I feel it’s a blessing to even be able to share my story. All I can say is God is real. He gave me strength I didn’t even know I had. I’m forever thankful

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

I LOVE being a creative. Whether I’m performing someone else’s work that has resonated with me or creating it myself from scratch, I feel the most rewarding aspect is the actual process. Putting it all together is such a tough feat in itself, and to see it all come into full fruition; seeing the maturation and the final product is such a delight. I love it all! I believe I love it so much because most projects requires you to work with other creatives. That’s such a joy as well. There’s nothing like discovering new and different layers to a piece of work as you’re going through the process with others. It’s magical. Just thinking about it has me excited to work on my next project!

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/allthingstonya/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyaNicoleMusic

Image Credits
Everett Zuraw Myla Williams David Mandel Dior Photography