Meet Zimuzo Okala | Nail Artist & Multi-hyphenate creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zimuzo Okala and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zimuzo, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always been really creative! My mom has so many bags and storage bins full of things I created as a child. I actually fought having a creative career for a while because a lot of what I heard and saw growing up was that creative things are for hobbies and that I would need a “real job”. It wasn’t until after I graduated college did I realize that creativity is necessary everywhere and that being happy and making a living were not mutually exclusive. I really thank my mom for encouraging me to pursue this path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is a mix of funky, sometimes glam hand painted and 3D styles that tell unique stories. I often incorporate my experiences and interests into my work. I’ve worked really hard to try to understand myself better as an artist and to better translate that through my work. Honestly I’ve only scratched the surface but I’m really proud of how my work resonates with people and sparks conversations.
Getting here has been challenging and has tested my patience and resilience. It can be really demoralizing to feel like what you want to share isn’t reaching people or that it’s not good enough or even worse not perfect enough. I’m pretty hard on myself so developing as an artist has forced growth within me as a person as well.
There were plenty of other challenges, from even accepting that I am an artist to learning about small business practices. You never really understand taxes until you get hit with them! I recently got my first very viral video at 2.2 million views my biggest before that being in the 100k-300k range and I’m really proud of that and I am learning a lot from it as well.
The biggest lessons I’d say are adaptability, and the importance of building genuine relationships. Adaptability in my opinion goes hand in hand with creativity and relationships drive everything we do as human beings. I strive to do everything I can with love, because I want to make art that makes people feel. Ultimately I want to make art that heals people whether that’s through nails, other mediums, or creative endeavors and I think that’s only possible if I lead with love. Having a support system that is built on love and centers the power in community is crucial.
My brand is about more than just art—it’s about inspiring others to embrace their creativity and just make that leap even if it’s a baby step of a leap. My journey is one of passion and perseverance, and I hope it shows that you can create your own path, no matter the challenges.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d definitely start at The High Museum, we’d have to hit Buford Hwy for the international food spots (Bismallah Cafe if a favorite of mine) and afrobeats clubs. I would absolutely take them to Bastone for the pasta happy hour too. One night would have to be on the Ponce roof for games then go to the Clemont hotel rooftop to chat and chill. We could do a dance class in Virginia highland or a pole class at pink pole studio, there are a lot of good food places around those spots too! We would have to go down the beltline one evening and go to Gu’s dumplings. I actually really like walking though piedmont park and the farmers market there is cute! If we still had the energy Roswell mill waterfall is a great option!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
S/o to my mom, my brother, my boyfriend and my friends! To have support like this is something I can’t believe I’ve been blessed with and I am eternally grateful!

Website: https://zimokala.com

Instagram: Zimthenailtech

Other: TikTok-Zimthenailtech

Image Credits
@itsjaydaniel-jaydanielphotography.com