Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ine’a J. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ine’a, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Being a first generational college student, this is something that was new to me but had become very relevant.
During my collegiate and graduate days there were several time periods whether there’s classes etc where I may be the only black woman present.
This also fostered into musical situations where I may go to a studio or writing session and there are only men and I’m the only woman there.
These situations specifically show lack of respect for the oddball out and lack of acknowledgement as well. It’s easy to make you feel like you aren’t valued and less talented. This is why we hear the term that black women have to go three times as hard just to be on the same playing field as your peers. Which is sad but honestly true and something I’ve dealt with for a while now. It takes more effort to be respected on the same level in these situations but is necessary as then you have to realize that you are now a representation of those who do look like you. Regardless of the perception of others, remembering to be on top of your game, letting your light shine, being knowledgeable, and having confidence are some of the things that have gotten me through situations like these to come out successful.
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?
Hi my name is Ine’a J, aka The Pen Fairy. I’m a pop-R&B artist, musician, producer, songwriter and overall creative.
I just released my third studio project titled ‘4’ which I am so excited about. The release show is January 24th as I’ll be headlining the Epiphany Arts Center.
Live performances is something that I’ve grown to love more as I’ve been an artists and having the opportunity to perform with a band. There is just something about live instrumentation that brings a studio record to life. Especially when it’s a track that you produced yourself, it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world almost like screenwriting a play or movie then seeing the final visual on stage or on a big screen.
What’s also special about my projects is that I create a cool lore and allow creativity within my music. ‘4’ is a continuation of my first studio project ‘Planet J’ putting an emphasis on space and the idea of creativity through musical implementation as God created this space on the fourth day. I let my listeners and supporters follow me on Spaceship 4 through my musical journey of my world “Planet J” and we continue to see where it takes us!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Solution Oriented: Having this mindset has helped me during my course of time and has become very impactful. There has been several times where things failed or didn’t go the way I planned. Being able to look at situations by how I can overcome them and create a solution versus wallowing in the turmoil has helped me tremendously. It’s easy to get caught up in the issue and take it as a loss when in reality it’s just another challenge per the greater good.
Community: This is something that I learned in the beginning was very important. Even if it’s a small community because frankly you cannot do everything on your own. Whatever your community looks like for you to help you learn and advance.
Organization: being organized has also helped me in regards of staying on top of things and helping me out in advance by being prepared for something I didn’t even know I was prepared for. This way I am always a step ahead of myself and more helpful when things are at a busier time. A lot of times information can be repetitive so creating templates for yourself as well is also helpful.
For someone who is early in their journey, here’s my advice on how to best develop your career. Always remember your why. Things get jumbled during your journey and they also get hard. Remembering why you started and keeping that in your mind will help you to continue preserving. It’s also important to remain consistent. Even if you are not creating everyday it’s important that you’re doing something towards your goals even if it’s business on the back end, sending emails, preparing and scheduling things. Just making sure that you are making efforts towards what you are working towards
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Currently I’m facing a challenge of re-evaluating my goals. During the beginning of my journey my goals seemed very much larger to reach than they do now as I was able to achieve them fairly fast. This looked like “creating an ep”, “releasing a single” etc. now that I am on my third studio project and performing 10 shows in one year, I am even more successful within my journey than I had imagined. It’s beautiful to see but also unfathomable everyday for me. With being said, I’ve learned that it’s okay to formulate new goals to continue working towards greater things even if they seem too high to reach. At one point what you have now seemed a little unachieveable so you will be surprised at what happens when you keep going. If you shoot for another galaxy you’ll land on another planet and if not you’ll land on the stars.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flow.page/ineaj
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ineajofficial?igsh=MTR4dmIxeXo1ZHlmMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ineajofficial?si=yBdRXrQ2PxrA9aOZ
Image Credits
Elizabeth Rosales
@filmbae35
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