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

Hi Raven, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I love this question because I think my definition of success has changed immensely over the course of the year. Success to me used to look like what it looks like to most people. The house, the car, the money, the clothes, the instagram followers. Whatever it looks like in a material based world, that’s what I thought. But I have the house, I have the car, I moved to a new state in the middle of a pandemic, I am successful by society’s standards, however it wasn’t until I set up the dance studio in my basement that I felt real success. Success comes from happiness. From the ability to keep going, the ability to find that thing that keeps you going. I remember having to work 12-14 hour days just to afford my rent and my car note, and yea I was exhausted but coming home and knowing I had the space to create, and to share my art with the world, the space to be my natural honest me. That is when I felt truly successful. Even in my card reading, I can’t connect with the other side or seek answers until I am right on the inside. My success solely stems from my happiness, it has been the hardest fight of my life and I am eternally grateful that as long as I do what I love I will be great.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I pride myself most on being a multifaceted artist. First and foremost I am a dancer and a choreographer. I eat sleep and breathe dance, I have been dancing for more than 20 years, I have bleed, sweat, and cried for this art. Even after having major back surgery I knew my home was truly on the dance floor. I love it because it is therapy. It is the way that shy people say “I am here” where words fail movement speaks so many volumes. Dance has taught me about discipline more than anything, How to stand when being spoken too, how to ask questions, it taught me that with hard work comes so many rewards, It also taught me that being an artist opens so many doors, since dancing started to take off for me modeling became an almost immediate side hustle. I am grateful for modeling because I learned so much about makeup and just how to be a woman (Im a sweatpants baggy t-shirt kind of girl) it also was my first hand experience with normal women (by normal I mean not the kind that only talk when comparing pirouettes) I learned humility, I learned that I am not always right, I learned etiquette, and how to walk with confidence. I also learned how to listen to my inner voice which led me to tarot reading, My beloved friend and sister Brittany Spivey passed last year and one thing we had in common was dance. She was the one who pushed me through college to dance when I quit, she drove me to every practice, she called me in the morning to make sure I was awake, and on days when I would fall behind in my school work she would sit with me at the library all night and then drive me home. Immediately upon her passing I was drawn more to dancing because I could feel her spirit. Well she also was very into cards, and astrology, and divination, my sister was a real witch! In a way I feel as though when she died I got her spirit. Its as if I got her ability to understand people, to understand the cards, to understand the way my body moved. So much so that I can’t even imagine one without the other, I always say its power that keeps me going, my power, the power of those who guide me, the power of my friends who are blazing a trail, and the power of the ancestors who set the path for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly this one is hard because I moved to Atlanta during the pandemic. The only place I usually go is to work. I have been to the Cheetah Lounge and I really like it there. The food is amazing! Other than that the aquarium looks really cool I am dying to go there, Harold’s chicken has really good food. And I want to go to the rap museum as well. My favorite place by far is Ponce De Market. Its my usual hangout because I can go by myself, check out some crystals, some books, have a drink, and get some oysters,

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?
Honestly Shout out to my high school dance teachers, for pushing me towards greatness, but giving me the space to realize that greatness is only great if you believe it is. You are only as great as you think you are. To Mrs, Braswell Ms. Vandoren Mrs. Pickett Mr. Maloney Greer Reed Jones Sarah Parker Gabriel Ash Kontara Morphis Ira Cambric The push you gave me, the confidence, the inspiration, the drive you instilled in me I can NEVER repay. But I will spend my life showing you that it made a difference! Thank you

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