We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Indica Nights. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Indica below.
Indica , so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
There have been plenty of moments I can think of when I rose to success in an unlikely environment, some even being corporate environments, solely based off my ability learn quickly. Being a young African American woman I already have a disadvantage at everything, that’s just the raw reality of the world. I learned at a young age that I had to work a little harder and smarter if I wanted to succeed in pursuing my passion. Music is my passion, it’s something I’ve grown up with that always fascinated me. Whether it was dancing on the school dance team in grade school or singing songs I made up to the smooth jazz my grandmother would play in my early childhood. I took the initiative to teach myself how to make beats my junior year of high school. I had no idea what I was doing, my best friend at the time had gotten sound kits from her cousin for free and we just dived in. Little did I know that would be the start of something special. I never stopped once I started, I may have taken short breaks because well life happens, but I’d always eventually be directed right back to music. I would watch YouTube tutorials to help me learn and there’s been a few solid people I’ve come across who taught me what I needed to know. In 2014 I started rapping and singing often on random YouTube beats, eventually on my own. On this journey in effort to stay self sufficient I’ve acquire so many other skills such as playing the piano, doing making up, photography, graphic design, audio engineering and even opened up my own business. In addition to acquiring these new skills, I’m a mother to 2 kids so at the end of the day my journey is just that …. MY Journey. My success and effectiveness is solely based upon me and what I’m capable of, regardless of who else may or may not be in the room as well. It’s so important to always be open to learn something new and maximize your skill sets ! You never know when one door will lead to the opening of another.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am Indica Nights. A self taught Producer/Recording Artist/Entrepreneur. I love creating music, I actually just love creating in general, it’s like therapy for me. I’ve been producing music since 2011, I began singing and rapping in 2014 & engineering in 2020. The most exciting thing about being a creative is always having the opportunity to learn something new and seeing my progression and growth over time. I often think back to when I first started making beats and had no idea what I was doing, but how eager I was to learn to now where I’m confident in my skills and what I create. My natural desire to be creative has taken me down various other artistic avenues as well, I’ve learned and am still learning to play the piano, I’ve gotten very good at makeup and have done my own makeup for all of my photo shoots, I just recently got into photography and editing photos, I’ve learned graphic design and have done all of my cover art for music releases and most recently I directed, filmed and edited my very first music video. I hope the more I learn, the more I’m able to create, the more I’m able to share with everyone ! That’s the best part of it all, sharing my art with others who appreciate it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back I’d say being a risk taker, staying open minded, and observant were and still are very impactful on my journey. If you’re not willing to take risks you are robbing yourself of opportunities. There have been plenty of times I’ve taken risks and they opened doors for me. You definitely have to be smart about it, everything’s not meant to take a risk on, you have to be able to trust your intuition. Staying open minded is very crucial because there are so many different elements to life and there’s so much we don’t know, being closed minded keeps you confined. You learn the possibilities are endless when you keep an open mind and learn new ways of life. Last but not least stay observant. There are so many people who have done what you’re trying to do or something similar, so many who have failed. Being observant is about watching and taking note of what you have noticed worked and what didn’t work so on your journey you can prepare for, or avoid certain mistakes that could hinder you or set you back.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle changed my life tremendously. I tell everyone this ! It really changed my perspective on life, I gained wisdom on living in the Now and not stressing about the past or the future as all I have control of is what I do in the moment. This book also taught me how to take back control of my mind and how to properly process my thoughts and feelings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/indicanights
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/indicanights?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndicaNights?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/indicanights
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@indicanights
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/nS3qNx2TPmbjcaPVA
