Meet Ishara Henry

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

Hi Ishara, 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?

Growing up as a dark-skin, kinky haired young lady in the Ohio Valley, I got a lot of practice navigating environments where I would be the only person who looked like me. I attended predominantly Caucasian schools for all of my life, even College. I endured a lot of abuse surrounding the way that I naturally looked but it built resilience and self-assurance for me around my appearance.
It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized that this was a strength that not everyone who looks like me has the opportunity to build. I used to get frustrated behind the fact that I would be the only Black face at events or activities, that I would be asked questions or to provide my opinion on “race”, that I couldn’t just randomly pick a hair salon to get my hair done but now I understand that I get to be a representative. Representation is so important for oppressed and/or marginalized communities and I get to be that through the work that I do. I navigate these spaces now with the understanding that I have a unique lived experience that will generate thoughts, feedback, and ideas that will be relevant in a way that those who do not look like me will never have through no fault of their own. The phrase, “you don’t know, what you don’t know” gives me the ability to move through these environments with peace, grace, and mercy. I have built a life with privileges that didn’t always exist for me so now when I am in rooms where no else looks like me with people who have lived a life full of the privileges that I have had to acquire, I stand in knowing that I have value to add to the dialogue. I can identify bias that they aren’t aware of, consider factors that won’t cross their minds, and educate on barriers that my community face that they may be oblivious to. My effectiveness and success come from knowing, standing in, and believing that my voice matters, my life matters, and I can be a changemaker by showing up as authentically as I can in any room but especially in a room where I’m the only person who looks like me because Representation Matters.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My professional life becomes more multifaceted every day. Currently, I am a Creative Entrepreneur through my Visual Design company, Visuals by Ishara (VbI). As a Visual Artist under VbI, I specialize in photography, graphic design, videography, mixed media art, youth program facilitation and instruction, as well as mental health advocacy and awareness. I aspire to be a professional traveling photographer so I’m always open to building professional relationships outside of where I currently reside.

I am also the Senior Partner and Media Director for The BlackTeaBrownSuga Network (BTBSN), a small multimedia production company that utilizes music, media, and audio/visual storytelling through videography, podcasting, and livestreaming to amplify community voices and help people understand the “why’s” of their behavior through mental health. Mental Health is very close to my heart so I’m very excited that I’ve been able to solidify and sustain such an impactful position and partnership. We’ve recently completed a cross-country tour through BTBSN’s Creative Apprenticeship Program called the 2024 Eszquire x Friends Tour where I had the privilege of capturing heartfelt interviews, music performances, fire dances, and much more. Video and Photos will be coming though my various social media platforms (Youtube, Instagram, FB, etc.) I also serve on the Board for a non-profit organization called Radiant Hall Studios who provide sustainable and affordable studio space to artists across the city of Pittsburgh. As a self-taught artist, this has been such impactful experience for me because not only has it introduced me to and provided me with this amazing community of artists to connect with and learn from but has provided me the opportunity to be able to help ensure that this space continues to exist. I get to be a part of shaping the artistic landscape in the city as well as making sure that the needs and concerns of the artists are prioritized.

I also began learning to DJ at the beginning of 2024, courtesy of DJ Club at BTBSN, and I’m starting to trust my skills enough to take on public gigs. I’ve done my first solo show as a Visual Artist at the Cooper-Seigel Public Library in Fox Chapel, PA from March – June with my entire collection of artwork on display and for sale. This was after one of my pieces, “UnIty,” was on display at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History for the month of February as a Honorable Mention of the Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Art Show. I know there are artists who’s works never see the inside of a museum so to be so early in my journey and have accomplished this means so much to me. I create for myself, sometimes as a means of therapy, but I only have so much space for them so I plan on doing an online art auction in the near future to give my works new homes.

I’m always adding to my professional toolbelt so feel free to connect with me through my socials to stay updated!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

If I had to choose three qualities about myself that have been most impactful on my journey, I would say that those are patience, understanding, and awareness. A lot of my “success” comes from the people that I’ve been able to connect and relate to but dealing with people comes with dealing with differences. The awareness of those differences, whether they be in opinions, upbringing, environments, norms, or whatever, helps me to navigate my relationships with a certain level of care and consideration that I don’t see often. Everyone moves at their own pace, in their own way and my patience helps me to be okay with allowing others the space to navigate the way in which they need to. It used to be a bit frustrating but I’m constantly moving with the understanding that other’s actions and behaviors are not personal or about me which has helped me to build deep, meaningful connections on a personal level that transition over into my professional life.

I believe that any quality, skill, or area of knowledge can be and is built through practice. Repetition over an extended period of time. I was not always as understanding or patient as I am today but I decided that these were qualities that I valued and made them a practice. My advice to anyone looking to develop the qualities I’ve mentioned or any others would be to intentionally decide why these are important to you and dedicate yourself to making decisions every chance that you have that align with those qualities. It won’t be easy in the slightest, but it will be worth it.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

A challenge that I’m currently facing, and I believe that I will continue to face, is the inconsistency of finances that comes with entrepreneurship as well as the rejection that comes with being an artist. As an artist who mothers, I’m constantly trying to find the balance between pursuing my passions and providing for my children which the inconsistency of being a Creative Entrepreneur constantly keeps me in imbalance. I have months that bring in thousands of dollars and then I have months where I barely clear a few hundred. “Past due” is a phrase that I hate to say that I’m getting comfortable with seeing often and makes me feel like I’m not doing enough. Maybe I’m not but I know that my feelings aren’t facts and I’m doing my best.

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