Meet AKhana Pharaozen

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful AKhana Pharaozen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi AKhana, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
Hey thank you for having me. When I have creativity blocks, I overcome them by allowing myself to feel those intense emotions that I usually suppress. I allow myself to be angry; I allow myself to cry. It’s stupid to act like things are okay when they really aren’t, and it holds you back from being your real self and doing things that matter. Generally, I pull from the negative feelings I have, because they keep my fire burning the most. They are my gasoline and charcoal.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Yea so I’m an alternative artist, that much is clear, but apart from that, the first thing I’d like people to know about me when they discover my music is that I express the duality of myself through it. I demonstrate the deep feelings that I can’t show elsewhere. I’ve always done it like this, and it allows me to be express my full self without sacrificing normalcy. You can see this expression even in my early music, through songs like “On ya block”, which tells the story of how I nearly died from a punctured lung in a fight over something meaningless in the grand scheme of things! In other songs I often talk about dealing with mental illness, feeling like an outcast, and feeling trapped by societal expectations.

The intensity of my music is reflected in all of it’s accompanying content. My music videos are hardcore and harsh, and my physical merchandise is representative of all of this. I actually design and sell shoes, and you can see how much of an influence they take from me and my culture. For instance, with my recent music video for my song “DAMAGED BOYS” I dropped a new line of shoes. The shoes capture the essence of the video perfectly, incorporating spikes, quality Italian leather, and a red, black, and silver (or gold) color scheme.

I am creative in every aspect of my life, from how I brand myself to how I write essays in college. I have only scratched the surface of this talent of mine. With the continued support of my fans, there is so much more to come!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One quality that allows me to understand, use, and express my own undertones is the ability to reflect on myself and my wrongdoings, even if it means dredging up painful moments and feelings. I am allowed a deeper understanding of myself through this. It requires keen self awareness and a strong mind. If you want to delve into your own mind for the sake of creativity and a higher level of consciousness, you need to understand that even you make mistakes. Allow yourself to not only point out your mistakes, but to figure out what you could do differently. Search for reasoning behind your actions, but don’t use it as an excuse. After you see what you could have done differently, change your behavior accordingly. If you can – put yourself in a similar situation to the one where you made the mistake and do the things you should have done before. It can be very beneficial to you. Punish/sentence yourself, but during this process you must realize that even you are the best at something, and even you do things right. Look for the things that power your strengths, and feed them.

A skill I have that is imperative to my success as an artist is the ability to learn digital software easily through inquisition. I make time to mess around with new software and gain a basic understanding of it by myself. That initial understanding gives me a foundation to work with. I then supplement this with simple tutorials on YouTube, SkillShare, and similar things. I have used this skill to learn video editing, basic 3d design and animation, video game modding, photoshop, and music production.

Lastly, a quality that allows me to function effectively in almost any situation I find myself in is trust. I trust myself to ask the right questions. I trust myself to be able to fight through life threatening situations. I trust my friends and family to support me when I’m at my worst, and to see me when I’m at my best. I have inherent trust in others when it comes to providing things that I cannot get alone. I trust the world to put me where I belong in order to grow and heal.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with. For one, I am an independent artist, and for me this means I take on all roles such as the roles of manager, marketer, and promotor. These will ideally be positions filled by other people, so if you have experience and would like to work with me, let me know!

I am also looking for brand opportunities, particularly regarding fashion. If you own a company that matches my aesthetic, I’d love to rep your products!

Another thing that I’d like to mention, in regards to fashion, is that I have my own clothing brand. This includes things from literal designer shoes, to t-shirts, to socks. If you are interested in working together, either by providing promotion/a store front, or by doing a brand collab, hit me up!

I enjoy working with other artists as well. If you’d like to work on a song together, get at me. I am always intrigued by the difference in how myself and others perceive things. Making songs together is a great way to get a good look at those differences. I also think it’s kind of amazing to come together with another person or group for a similar reason, such as great music, and even (at times) political statements.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
6six.medias lowkeykhaotik

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