Meet WAVEY THE CRE8HER: Multimedia Artivist/ Creator/ Model/ Creative Advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with WAVEY THE CRE8HER and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi WAVEY, what are you inspired by?
As a Mixed Media Artivist, I am inspired to reflect what is not only a reality to me, but a reality to, far too many BIPOC. I am inspired by Melanin. I am inspired by STRONG BLACK WOMXN. I am inspired by Black Love. I am inspired by BIPOC. I am inspired by our strength, our resilience, our rich roots & culture, our accomplishments & what we are constantly contributing to society (art, fashion, music, etc). I am inspired by those using their voice/platforms to: take up space, educate, spread awareness & change the world for the betterment of humanity & mother earth.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is a reflection of my reality & the reality of Living While Black in Amerikkka. I am an Artivist of color so I am inspired to share our stories, our struggles & accomplishments, our rich roots & most importantly our melanin. I create to shine a positive light & possibly different perspective, raise awareness & be the change I want to see. I have always been passionate about normalizing & bringing awareness to issues so that other people don’t feel like they are alone in what they are going through. Social justice, mental health, women empowerment, equality & racism are just a few of the topics I infuse into my art. My mixed media creativity most definitely sets me apart from other artist. I do not know of a single artist that creates the way I do. There is no limit to what I will pair with my art, it’s all experimental. I use clay, rocks, wood, moss, feathers, hair, fabric, clothes, jewelry and other misc craft items. I am most proud of the skill I am continuing to develop as I create. It has become easier and easier for me to bring the vision in my head to life on canvas. I’ve even caught myself admiring a few of my most recent pieces bc they’re literally the spitting image of what I envisioned. Creativity, consistency, dedication, long days & sleepless nights helped to get me where I am today, along with the love & support I have been blessed to receive. Getting into events hasn’t been too much of a challenge for me, I think that my art often speaks for itself & the art scene in atl is phenomenal. My biggest challenges are dealing with procrastination, figuring out how I want to price a piece & finishing by certain deadlines. I feel like my challenges stem from being self taught & reflect things I haven’t mastered yet. When I find myself procrastinating with my art, it is when I have gotten to a point in which my brain just freezes. My creativity starts diminishing. This is often triggered by an intricate and overwhelming part of the piece or a section I just can’t quite figure out. I like to balance my procrastination out by working on a few pieces at a time. This allows me to focus my time & creativity somewhere else, so I can still be productive. By the time I am ready to go back to the original piece I have a way better concept for how I want to execute it. As a Mixed Media Artist, there are a multiple factors that play into pricing: time, intricacy, size, materials etc. With every piece being different so are their prices. It’s also extremely important not to undervalue your art. When I showcase I am more focused on connecting & spreading my message, rather than selling art. I am working on becoming confident with the prices I give my art & pricing them at a value I feel they are worth. I know that everyone can not afford my work & that is okay, because there are far more ways to support an artist other that direct sales. Such as liking, commenting, sharing and engaging in their posts on social media. Finishing my projects by certain deadline can be hard for me for a few different reasons. Right now the main one is working 50 hours a week, I don’t always feel the most motivated or have as much time as I would like to work on certain pieces. A lot of my art is done a little a day. Most of my off days then become art days & I will art from start to finish. What I want the world to know about my brand & story is that; Anything is possible. If you want it, if you will it, you can make it happen. Diamonds are made under intense pressure, as BIPOC we have a lot of that. Take your pain, take your struggle, take your drive & turn it into exactly what you want for yourself. Speak up for what is right & do your part to be better & leave things better. When you share your talents with the world & use your platform for good, your opportunities and blessings will become limitless. Lastly STAY WAVEY!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born here, but I moved to West Chicago when I was real young. The summer going into 6th grade I was old enough to start visiting family on my own. So every summer after I would be here. My favorite place to eat for the longest was Checkers & Zaxbys. Now that I actually live here I don’t eat much of either. I moved her a little over a year ago, unfortunately due to COVID-19, I have not had the best opportunities to explore all the city has to offer. Food Terminal is most deff my favorite spot in midtown!! I could eat there literally every day. Ponko Chicken, Bar Taco & Grecian Gyro have to be my fave other places to eat out here. I still have a lot of restaurants to try, so I know that list will continue to grow. I have been fortunate enough to have a full time job since COVID started, but that does not always leave me the most time to focus on my other interests, as well as myself. I love to be in nature, I find it extremely therapeutic. Sweet Water Creek is one of my favorite places to let my mind go. It’s a different adventure everytime I’ve gone & it’s dog friendly so my baby girl enjoys it bunches aswell. Tallulah Gorge State park is also an extremely beautiful adventure. I will be crossing more state parks & trails off my list this year as I plan to camp and explore new locations very soon & more consistently. The art scene in Atlanta is PHENOMENAL. As an artist, my fave place to be is an art show. I love everything about showcasing- the energy, the love, the support. It’s addicting. Just about everyone I have become friends with since living out here, I met at an art show or connected w/ though art. Little 5 points would have to be one of my favorite place to visit here in atl. There is amazing food, crystal shops, local artists, thrift stores & holistic shops. The energy is amazing & if you haven’t bee there yet, you gotta check it out!

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?
I want to give a shout-out to every single person that supports my artistic vision & journey. I am a self taught creative & with practice & consistency I am constantly getting closer to mastering my craft. But, genuinely I would not be where I am today without the love, support & encouragement of those I am blessed to connect with through my art. For as long as I can remember I have been doodling & creating and it has always attracted attention, but it wasn’t until I moved to Phoenix, my art actually changed my life. It was back in the winter of 17’, I was working on an Ice Cube piece. I had posted a progress shot & it got mad love my friend Ronnie Dijon. He connected me with a dope local curator K.Short, who gifted me with the opportunity to fill her final venue with my art & my art alone in the heart of Phoenix. From that opportunity I connected with Lee Water, he invited me to fill his next event with my art. I created 20+ pieces in a 6month span & filled The Grand ArtHouse for my the first paid showcase! When I moved to Atlanta in 2019 I had my first installation a few months later at Ebricks Coffee House, I was chosen along with 10 other talented women of color, currated by Jamaal Singleton. That event was life changing, art had always been a hobby, but when I left that night art was a priority! I have since been in 10 artshows in the past year. If it wasn’t for COVID I would have been able to add Australia, NY & LA to my lists of first time places to showcase. But when one door closes, another will open. I want to give a shout out to BrightRing a Non-For Profit here in Atl. They focus on promoting art culture & assisting young artists establish themselves. BrightRing has given me some of the most enjoyable & most profitable art opportunities I have had since I started showcasing, here in ATL. As an Artivist of Color, my purpose aligns with their platform & the energy is always phenomenal. I want to s/o the people who stop in the middle of the parking garage to help me with set up/break down. I don’t have anyone who has been to all my shows or most of my shows. 99% of the time I do everything myself and get my pictures from supporters & photographers met that night. So literally everything offered at shows whether it is help, photos, sharing my art, or even networking means the WORLD to me. It is because of those that support me that I am where I am. Special should out to my photographer friends & every supporter of my art that helps me document this journey. Lastly, I want to s/o Seth Johnson for spending countless hours with me documenting my artistic process, supporting at my last few shows & encouraging me to act on all my creative visions. You’re all so appreciated<3

Website: WaveyTheCre8Her.Com

Instagram: @WaveyTheCre8Her & @TheCre8HER

Twitter: Twitter.Com/WaveyTheCre8Her

Facebook: Facebook.Com/WaveyTheCre8Her

Youtube: Youtube.Com/WaveyTheCre8Her

Image Credits
Seth Johnson Jamal Finney