Meet Reneé Sunshine | Singer/Songwriter, Model, Aspiring Actress

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

Hi Reneé, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I decided to pursue an artistic/creative career because it’s what I love to do and what makes me the happiest. I have worked plenty of jobs and been great at them too. From assisting with the operations of a car lot, being a licensed insurance agent, and running my own jewelry company, I have tried to find happiness in different fields. I went to college to work in the healthcare field too. I started a family young, so I put off my dreams to work in fields that I know would provide a great income for my family easily. But no matter what, all roads lead back to my passions: singing, writing, and modeling, Creating is my passion and nothing else fills that void.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a singer/songwriter, a model, and now an aspiring actress.

First, let me say in order to get a clearer picture of the woman that I am today, I have to go back to the beginning. I became who I am by going through complex situations that forced me to see a way through. The knowledge gained from walking through my struggles has strengthened me to my core, and pushed me in a direction to live my life to the fullest, spreading light, love, and positivity to anyone that crosses my path.

I am more than just pretty face. I am a beautiful soul. I am not the sum of my struggles, but I am a product of success from their teachings. I do not hold on to the sorrows of my past, but I embrace the present , and use my wisdom and ambition to make decisions that will create a bright future. I am Reneé Sunshine.

When it comes to my singing/modeling I am extremely excited to re-introduce myself as Reneé Sunshine. My middle name is Reneé and it means “born again”. Born again of sunshine. For me the name Reneé Sunshine means that I have been through the struggles of life and made it, and now with renewed wisdom and faith in myself and my future, my mind is set on positivity, light, growth and success.

Formerly, I went by “Honie” when I released my first EP called “Stages” back in 2016. The genre is R&B/Pop. The name Honie was a play on the word honest, describing my feelings and thoughts on situations expressed through my music. It’s still up in iTunes but not for long lol. I have new music coming out soon and I want my old stuff taken down because I have grown so much lol. I started recording music at 22 years old and now I am being managed currently by the talent agency Xtrodinary Talent. Things are going great! I can’t wait to share my music with the world! I will announce it on Instagram when the time is right so please be sure to follow me!

My story starts with my family. My family and I have been through it all. I ran away from home as a teen to escape becoming the next victim of domestic violence, prompting my mom to get the courage to leave and start over a new life with us (my siblings and I, 6 of us aged 1-15 at the time) in GA with my Aunt. My mom chose a better life for us over her fear and I’m glad she did. There was 11 of us into a 3 bedroom apartment when we first came here but we made it work! I got a job at Kroger with my older brother and my mom worked and got her medical billing and coding degree. A year later we moved out . I worked to support my family and went to school.

I ended up meeting my now husband at 18 and had a baby by 20. My father changed his life after the divorce and had become a deacon in the church. You see how God works? From ridiculing God to becoming a servant of Him, I have seen what having faith in Him can do. When I had my daughter, we finally met back up and saw each other after 5 years. He apologized for all the wrongdoings and promised me he was a renewed man and would prove it. I forgave him and let go of the past as I wanted to give him another chance. And he lived up to his promises. He became the best father I could have asked for as an adult, and an even better grandfather. He made his amends with us as best he could and became best friends with my mom, although they never remarried.

If anyone is going through a domestic violence situation, please speak up and get out. Not everyone has an ending like mines and it can mean life or death. Nothing can change until you make the decision to leave for your safety and the future of you and your children if you have them. Without my mom deciding to move us to GA, I have no idea where I would be today. She saved my life.

My father died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2020 (RIP I love you) and oddly enough this is sparked a sequence of events that eventually led to me pursuing my dreams again. I was having the toughest time dealing with him not being here, amongst so many other things. I was working with my husband supporting his dreams and goals, taking care of 6 kids ( I had ended up having 4, and my husband had 2 before we got together) and my mom fell ill and ended up coming to live with me along with my two high school aged brothers at the time. I stopped school and was working day in and day out at work and then at home doing my wifely duties, motherly duties, and taking care of my dear mother. I love my family and I enjoyed being with them, as they are a blessing and it’s my job to take care of them, but I wasn’t pouring into myself at all or taking anytime to connect to who I was inside. I had become a work horse. I became a sum of daily tasks for everyone else that had to be completed before I closed my eyes for bed. I loved so hard and cared so much I sacrificed my dreams and goals for my family. I had tried to start pursuing my dreams every couple years but a new responsibility would fall on me that I felt I had to take care of and I would get side tracked.

But when my dad passed in 2020, divine intervention took place and made me stop everything and re-evaluate my life. My mom got sicker right after my dad passed and it is so hard to see her in pain, knowing I couldn’t take it away. Then I was the only one who got sick with Covid out of a house of 9 people. I ended up with double pneumonia in both lungs, and eventually acute respiratory failure resulting in a long hospital stay and not knowing if I would come home. But I did, on Christmas Eve, with an oxygen tank I had to use for 3 weeks. I realized I can’t do everything and I am not superwoman. And I didn’t want to be her. She could have it. I can be broken. Everyone can if they allow it.

When I came home I began making the changes to take care of me. If stress kills me then what would it all have really been for? Every task I was stressing to complete would just be done by someone else eventually, so why drive myself crazy trying to do everything? I started praying more, asking for guidance and clarity, spending more time exercising and meditating to clear my mind, eating healthier, and becoming more in tune with myself and my spirit, and the things that brought me personal happiness. Like making music, writing, and singing.

Then opportunities just started coming to me like the modeling one with Peach Born Boutique. Now I am building my portfolio and seeking more deals with brands I align with. I am booking more photoshoots, fashion show events, and more people want to collaborate and use me as a model. I now have help to manage my singing/modeling career thanks to Xtrodinary Talent managing me. God was making a way for me because I had faith and fully believed I was going to be successful and that I was doing what I was supposed to do. I got over my fears of failure and just starting honing in on my crafts and networking. It’s only up from here now!

That is what I am most proud of- not settling and giving up on my dreams. Not telling myself it’s “too late” because it never is. I changed my mindset from “I can’t” to “I can and I am”. I set rules and boundaries for those close to me in regards to what I would and won’t do, and what I will and won’t help with. I realized I can’t do everything and it’s okay to say no. Putting your foot down can go a long way lol. I noticed my confidence increasing, my mind clearing up, and just being able to think clearer and do more. I was growing spiritually and achieving my goals, one day a time.

Now I am getting opportunities from all around, lately achieving a regular stand in role on a major film that is in production right now with some mega stars! I never thought I could make it as an actress or in the acting field but now I am making waves in that area too and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

I just really want people to know that no matter what, have faith in yourself and don’t doubt your abilities to achieve your dreams. Nothing in my life got better until I recognized I was allowing myself to do too much for others and I kept telling myself I couldn’t do the things I wanted.

Self care end mental health is important especially if you are dealing with a loss, taking care of a family, and taking care of a sick or disabled person too, as I am. You have to pour into yourself more than you pour into others. You simply can’t help everyone else if you are breaking down too.

I changed my mindset to a more positive one, and started listening to and repeating positive affirmations every day and night, and simply asking God to guide me and bring me peace and clarity. I thank Him daily for all the grace and goodness I have in my life.

Take at least 30 minutes a day for yourself. I have to have 1-2 hours a day to myself. No compromise lol. I may split it up or get it at like 6 am before my kids get up and 9 pm when they are sleep, but I need my me time to handle the load God gave me to carry lol. But that is what I need. Figure out what you need to be happy and stick to your guns. Your loved ones will understand.

I’m nowhere near average or typical in any area of my life. I am a free spirit, tatted up with multiple piercings and facial dermals. I love to be silly because that is what makes me happy. I prefer to live in peace and have fun over anything, because life is too short for anything else. I am far from perfect and I don’t want to be. I could write a book on the struggles of my life but I choose to focus on the fact that I made it through, and I am a wiser, smarter, stronger, and better woman for it. Now I’m laser focused on my path and nothing can stop the greatness coming for me in my modeling, singing, or acting career. Just keep watching and you will see all the growth and change in me. Hopefully this inspired someone out there and makes a positive impact on their lives.

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.

Monday: Brunch Breakfast At Barney’s, Tuesday: Taco Tuesday at Superica, Wednesday: Prime Time Or Dave And Busters food and games.
Thursday: Blue Moon Pizza
Friday: Steak Market
Saturday: Kandi Old Lady Gang.
Sunday: Picnic in Piedmont Park with a sub from Publix

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My family deserves the biggest shout out for helping me get back to following my dreams and doing what makes me happy. My husband, mother, father (RIP 7/24/2020), sisters and brothers, and especially my children. They were so excited when I announced that I needed to pursue what was truly in my heart because I wasn’t happy.

First I would have to shout out my husband. He is my biggest supporter, being there to cheer me on and encourage me, and helps me push through my anxiety to get stuff done and not overthink it when I get overwhelmed. Plus he takes most of my pictures when I do fashion posts on IG and they look amazing! Who doesn’t love a man who knows your angles ? Lol.

Next, my mom is my hero and one of my motivating factors to do my best in life and keep pushing through and doing your best. She is always smiling and seeing the brighter side of life and truly reminds me of sunshine. She is in constant pain due to her ailments and has been though so much in her life but she never takes it out on anyone or walks around with a bad attitude. She is just a fountain of love and good energy and it amazes me how resilient she is in the face of so many challenges. She is my angel.

My best friends Charlotte and Fatima deserve a huge shout out too because they have always been supportive of me in everything and love me like a sister. You ladies are amazing!

I would also like to give a special shout out to Shabreka Jartu, the owner of Peach Born Boutique. I had just prayed and asked for clarity on pursuing my dreams shortly after my dad passed and I was having a tough time dealing with life. Three days later, my family and I were in McDonough Square walking around, just enjoying the day. She walked pass and then called out, stopping my husband because she wanted to speak to me. I was confused and thought I dropped something because I didn’t know her. She asked me if I was a model. I was shocked because this was one of my dreams I was pursuing after I graduated high school, but stopped after I got pregnant. I was wanting to get back into modeling but I lacked confidence because I was much thicker than before. I told her I hadn’t modeled in years but I was thinking of pursuing it again. She said that she was looking for a curvy model and would love for me to model for her. I was elated! She gave me her information and I was hired to be her model/ brand ambassador shortly after. Meeting her and working with her has been amazing and she really helped me on my path and I know she is a God send! From there on I knew what I needed to do and I have been working on fine tuning my crafts and talents so that when opportunity arises, I am prepared. I just want to let her know I appreciate and love her for giving me a chance. She is the sweetest and her clothes are trendy and stylish so please be sure to visit her shop or her website peachbornboutique.com!

Lastly, Natasha Myrick, Savanna Powers, and Rose Marie, I want to say thank you for supporting my dreams and always encouraging me. Natasha you especially have inspired me and you always have me in mind when opportunities arise and I can’t thank you enough for that. You are amazing!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshine_n_smiles24/

Image Credits
Photographers used: Flower and yellow pictures AH Photography Instagram: @ah_fotos Website: https://ah.photography/ Queen and diamond, red roses pictures Jordan Visiion Instagram: @jordanviision Website: https://linktr.ee/Jordanviision Slingshots Photography Headshot picture Instagram:@slingshots.ATL Website: https://www.slingshotsphotography.com/