We had the good fortune of connecting with De’Ja Armstrong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi De’Ja, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe in taking risks. It is truly the only way you can level up not only in your life but also your career. With risk comes great reward but without risk you stay stagnant. Risk can be scary because it pushes you out of your comfort zone, but the reward you obtain from taking a risk is always greater than the fear. Taking risks has played a major role in my career over the past year. Just before moving to Atlanta officially, I contemplated on when I should move and what would it look like to “have all my ducks in a row” before I take the leap. It wasn’t until one day I told myself that I have to just do it. Believing I can be successful and spiritually aligning with my goals helped me with taking my risks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I deeply consider myself an artist of many disciplines. I began in modeling. When I was a kid my mom and I would create sets in the house with some fabric she thrifted and furniture from around the house and we would have our own photoshoots. My love for being in front of the camera stayed with me throughout college. It wasn’t until I was given my first film cameras in 2019 where I then transitioned to photography. I spent time with the art of photography by creating visual essays about the national lockdowns and capturing behind the scenes for various music videos. Currently, I find myself making the director’s role my home. I am a lover of my own nostalgia. I want any viewer of my work to feel something and be present. I am constantly evolving as an artist, so continuing this journey of becoming, whatever that looks like for me, is what I am most excited about. Some wisdom I’ve gained on this path is to always remain true to self, follow my intuition, and take small steps to create long term success. I want the world to see in me the power we can all achieve by simply being in harmony with self. Complete harmony of mind, body, and spirit is very important for not only the thriving artist but to take advantage of the human experience.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Dressing up and experiencing the city’s most posh attractions is one of my favorite things to do. I love fine dining, exploring art museums, going to comedy shows, and having great conversation over beautiful cocktails.  A day out on the town would start with a trip to the High Museum of Art to check out the latest exhibitions. For dinner I would recommend STK steakhouse, a fine dining restaurant with great music and even better food, service, and atmosphere. Other daytime activities for the week would also include taking my guest hiking at Stone Mountain National Park, going to grab brunch, and going thrifting!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother has been someone that has alway kept me grounded and reminds me of my power. “Keep your head up and just keep going” She told me this powerful statement before I left NC and I return to this affirmation whenever I feel like I am being too hard on myself. My close friends also played a huge role with me taking the big leap to moving to Atlanta. I want to thank everyone in my tribe who mention me in opportunities, and feed life into me through the words they speak of me and to me.

Website: Girlmeetsfilmm.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlmeetsfilmm/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeJtheArtistATL

Other: personal IG – https://www.instagram.com/deja_z/

Image Credits
Sarah Maria @Fuckthatnoise on instagram – (cover photo credit) De’Ja Armstrong @girlmeetsfilmm on instagram – (My work in the article)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.