Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Armani Dae. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Armani, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Wow, this is going to be a loaded answer. My resilience? Well, in two parts: Part one – my resilience comes from my parents. My mother is a strong black woman who gave birth in her teens, worked and had a religious marriage all while battling life as an adolescent, black woman in America (in the hood of Philadelphia, PA to be exact). My mother has always been a hustler having multiple sources of income from her many talents and not ever having to depend on “the system” as many call the government. That’s no shade/disrespect to anyone (including myself who has lived the opposite of that). My father is an immigrant from Jamaica. A strong caribbean man who migrated to this country in his early adult years. He hustled as a chef and Dj, trying to build a new life for himself and later for his family that he would create with my mother. All my life I’ve watched my parents hustle, hustle, hustle and still give kindness to people. It wasn’t always the easiest but they were persistent, resilient.
Part two – My resilience is just in my nature, my soul, my spirit, even my zodiac sign (team Leo, my mother is also a Leo. Yes I am hype ha ha). Have you seen a lion in their habitat? What’s that saying? “Lion – King of the …” you know the rest. (winks). While yes I am a leo, I also have many other intersections that bring value and sometimes unfortunately generational pain to my being. I am Black, I am of Caribbean descent, I am Trans, I am Queer (pansexual) and very in tune with my emotions. Can you imagine living in a world that hates you because you are black? Because you are trans? Because you are queer? Because you are an emotional and not a macho, hyper masculine guy? That is my reality everyday. Everyday I wake up and the first thing I do is breathe, stretch and meditate, telling myself “i am beautiful (yes a beautiful guy), I am worthy, I am already successful/wealthy/loved/love”
So, my resilience comes from my parents, it’s who & what I am, and because it’s one of the very things that allows me to motivate others to be the same. I have written books because I am resilient, done panels/public speaking, mentored others, worked on and off screen of projects, created events & art to uplift and celebrate many marginalized groups of people (black/people of color, trans, non binary, queer) my work has been in an international resource guide, shown out of the country, has been used in a schools educational curriculum. I have to be resilient, resilience is me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
“Who & What is Armani Dae?
WHO:
Armani (Armani Dae, two words)
CEO/Creator of ArmaniDae LLC, is a Creator, Actor, Author and “Artivist” (activist through art).
Born & raised in Philadelphia, PA (currently in Los Angeles). From photography to pouring positive energy into others Armani prides himself on creating art and events that spark conversation and speak volume. His work including but not limited to photography, paintings, written materials, and more always shed light and bring awareness to many important life aspects such as Self Love, Equality, Body Positivity, Trans Rights, Wellness, Community, the importance of Art and the expression of life through it.
Traveling through (and living in) many US states and Canada, Armani has volunteered & partnered with many LGBTQ+ people, businesses and organizations utilizing his expertise & experiences to make a difference, create visibility, motivating and educating all within reach; one place, one beautiful art creation, one helping hand, one smile at a time.
Armani was awarded “Juneteenth Jubilee Honors” in 2021 and is a recipient of the “New York State Senate Proclamation” Honoring Black, Queer and Trans Leaders. Portions of his first published book “Exposed Truth” photo book (which aims to celebrate, uplift and motivate TGNC people while fighting the misconceptions) are currently being used in a Texas university’s gender and sexuality curriculum. His work has been featured and showcased on TV, Album covers, multiple websites, in newspapers, a magazine cover & in magazines. More recently his work is featured in the newly published international resource guide “Trans bodies, Trans selves”.
WHAT:
(one word) ArmaniDae, was founded in 2009, (formerly and commonly known as ArmaniDae Photography on social media) is an artist owned business specializing in photography, paintings, apparel, books, events and more. Art is used to aid in wellness, visibility, the importance of art and the effects it possesses. Art is therapy, Art saves lives and so is the vision of the business.”
I think what can be hard but also easy to do without a thought is create art and encourage others to explore their creative side. For me, since a child, my main and foremost way to express myself has been art (music actually came first, I used to sing and play the violin). Sometimes I struggle to comprehend the littlest things or to be verbal but with my art I am able to communicate without issue. The downside is that everyone’s interpretation of your art may not be what you intended. I love art because there’s no one way to create it.
If you are in Los Angeles, CA on:
December 29th – I am hosting the Closing Night of my annual “Exposed Truth Art Exhibition” (since 2017) an exhibition featuring different trans/non binary creators, celebrating their visual work on display, sometimes there are performances and vendors. For information/tickets go to ArmaniDae.com
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
MENTAL HEALTH/WEALTH – by keeping and trying to maintain a healthy/wealthy mind you can achieve anything i truly believe (in due time). Imagine that most things that you do/say start from your mind. If you can control your mind, fuel it with good things all from within will mostly be good (notice i said from within, we can’t control the outside world). Be kind to your mind/body and they will be kind to you in return (despite the chemical imbalances that no one can control, obviously).
SELF CARE & FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION – (2 in 1) Taking care of yourself, meditating, speaking positive affirmations, finding creative outlets, ridding yourself of generational curses & any negativity that comes your way as best you can (not to be confused with embracing some hurt when it comes to see what its purpose is then releasing it, this can be good). Fuel yourself with good food/snacks, stay hydrated, get rest, stretch, obviously everyone’s situation is different but do your best to find these things and give them to yourself . You deserve! Once you start freely expressing yourself whether through art, gender, clothes, or whatever (while it may be tough in this economy) it can be rewarding for you and that’s what matters first and only truly. Yes we want to care for others and do what’s for “the greater good” but how can you help anyone else if you don’t help yourself? Even on planes when giving safety instructions they tell you to “secure your mask before helping others”.
Lastly, people are going to talk about you good/bad, alive/dead. Do what feels good to you. There is no prototype of a person, no one way to be, so live your best life!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed, I practice stillness/meditate. When things are overwhelming me i stop whatever i am doing (if i can), i close my eyes, clear my mind as best i can to a black space or waterfall and inhale through my nose, hold for a few seconds then exhale through my mouth. Depending on where i am i do this as many times as needed but 3 is usually a good number to ground/calm me. Also,
– Create art (video, paint, journal/poem/story, photo, etc)
– Think of a melody I created or a song that soothes me. I’ll sing/hum it in my mind so no one notices my current state.
– Sleep, one of the best gifts to your body
– Exercise: swimming, walking, jogging, weight lifting, jumping rope
– Cry, then sleep (society frowns upon men crying, but we are also human and though its been years since my last cry, as long as these tear ducts work i will cry without care of judgment)
Try these things, but as you go, find what works best for you. If it feels good then do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: ArmaniDae.com
- Instagram: @ArmaniDaePhotography ( all the art)
@ArmaniDae (me/creator) - Facebook: @ArmaniDae Photography ( all the art)
@ArmaniDaeOfficial (me/creator)
