We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shandrea Johnson A.k.a DIYA a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shandrea Johnson, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I’d say my resilience comes from a few years of juggling two jobs while still pursuing my dream as a singer and songwriter. Working in caregiving—especially supporting clients with dementia—demands emotional strength, patience, and adaptability. My second job coaching autistic clients teaches me presence and compassion. These roles can be draining, but they’ve shaped my ability to stay grounded under pressure.
After long shifts, I still find the energy to create, record, or study my craft. That discipline, that choice to keep going even when I’m tired, is where my resilience lives. It’s the belief that my future as an artist matters enough to push through the hard days. That determination, and the pride I take in supporting myself financially while building my dream, is the foundation of my resilience.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As a singer-songwriter, I’m excited by the fact that music lets me share who I am — my story, my emotions, my perspective. My sound is rooted in feeling good, uplifting energy, and the belief that every day is a new chance to shine brighter. I want to make music that moves people, inspires them, and makes them dance.
I’ve always felt like I had something to offer the world. I wasn’t the book-smart kid growing up — I was the curious kid who loved the arts. I started piano at age five, joined the adult choir at twelve, and later discovered my passion for fashion and image. For a long time, I stayed comfortable being unseen, hiding my voice and gifts. People would say, “I didn’t know you could sing,” because I kept that part of myself tucked away.
But I don’t ever want to be older one day wishing I had tried. That belief — that fear of never knowing who I could’ve become — is what pushed me to finally step forward and take my artistry seriously. Now I’m giving myself the chance to step out from behind the curtain and grow into the artist I’ve always known I could be.
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 the three qualities that shaped my journey the most were resilience, curiosity, and self-belief — even during the times when I wasn’t fully able to see myself.
On longer worked days when I am tired from work resilience is what keeps me going and motivated to still commit to growing as an artist. It taught me that progress doesn’t always look glamorous — sometimes it’s just showing up for yourself even when no one is watching.
My advice I’d give anyone at the beginning stage of their journey- Don’t rush instead trust the process, Be consist and appreciate the small steps. Momentum build quietly until one day it doesn’t feel small anymore.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My biggest challenge right now is having the courage to share my art vulnerably. The music industry is fast, saturated, and shifting — sometimes it’s daunting to stand out or speak loudly in a world full of noise. But resilience grounds me. It reminds me that authenticity can’t be replaced by trend or algorithm. There is still power in human expression.
I’m learning to trust my perspective and step into visibility with more confidence each day. Instead of hiding, I’m choosing to be heard.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://diya.bandzoogle.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__diyaj/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diyajmusic/
- Twitter: https://x.com/diyajmusic?s=21
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuc5IbuuH1v3PCIVXC_GZ-g?app=desktop
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Diyaj
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