Meet YawnyBlew

We recently connected with YawnyBlew and have shared our conversation below.

YawnyBlew, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

 

Finding purpose is a lifelong journey, and I genuinely believe that the ever-present search is what makes the ride so enjoyable. For me, music has always served as a guiding compass, leading me to worlds I wouldn’t have even imagined. I began to truly feel a sense of purpose in my work when I started using my creativity as a means feel present and connect with others. That might not sound groundbreaking, but for awhile I was so caught up in trying to find success as a songwriter that I lost my personal connection to my music and why I enjoyed making it.

 

Real purpose these days comes from sharing creative space with others and making things that we truly enjoy. Art rooted in fun, healing and exploration is what speaks to me most in this version of my journey.

 

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is YawnyBlew and I am a creative entrepreneur. My journey began in college, where I started as a singer/songwriter and eventually became a music and entertainment journalist. After stints at The Source Magazine and The Music Times, I moved to Los Angeles where I spent a few years writing music under the likes of Rodney Jerkins, Harold Lilly and Sean Hamilton.

 

In 2020, I launched my music career under the name YawnyBlew, using it as a platform to showcase my songwriting during the challenging times of the pandemic. This endeavor sparked a deep interest in creative direction, project management, branding, and marketing. Pursing these skills changed the ways I was able to work with my fellow artists and even created opportunities for me to work in tech (Meta) and personal development and advocacy spaces (Backline’s Breaking the Barrier, GLAAD’s Black Queer Creative Summit).

 

My music as of late has centered my personal journey as a queer man of color. I released DREAMBIIG last October with Tarik “amir.” Carroll. The album was a celebration of black queer culture and blended elements of hip-hop, pop, ballroom, r&b and electronic music while visually referencing ‘90s icons like Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes and Outkast.

 

This March has been an exciting month for me. I am currently running a Merch Madness Challenge with Mike Brown of The Art of Letting Go Podcast. We are selling shirts meant to inspire artists to remember who they are and own their greatness. We’ll be releasing a song, (“This Shit Hard”) and a podcast (The Creators Toolkit Series) in the coming weeks as well. The goal of this collaboration is to share tools with each other and our creative entrepreneur community around merchandising and e-commerce.

 

I also officially launched a consulting page through my website www.YawnyBlew.com for folks to connect with me and work together.

 

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would say the qualities that have most benefitted me have been working hard, being a team player and knowing when to pivot. I love what I do, so working hard has never been an issue. I also understand that being able to collaborate and work with others is paramount and I really feel like I have become a master collaborator and understand how to share space and ideas with others. Pivoting has been crucial too. Creative careers have no set paths or guidelines so it is important to remember that you can always change paths and do something different if the current version of your plans is not working.

 

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

 

I have been reading a lot of books looking for inspiration and wisdom and am thankful for my weekly book club of black and brown queer creatives. This month we are reading “Real Artists Don’t Starve” and it has been so validating for me. Songwriting is a beautiful career but was not super lucrative for me personally. The industry just isn’t built to compensate people fairly or appropriately. A lot of the pivots I’ve made over the last 3 years have been in hopes of creating a career that is both financially rewarding and creatively fulfilling. Reading “Real Artists Don’t Starve” is validating a lot of the choices I’ve made recently. The biggest nugget I’d give to anyone pursing a creative career, divorce yourself from the idea that success in art is not practical. It really can be. You don’t have to be a starving artist. In fact, the idea of the starving artist is a fairytale. Invest in your talent, have discipline, make plans. Don’t be ashamed to prioritize stability and mental health in your journey. Because when success comes, and it will come, you want to be sane enough and situated enough in yourself to enjoy it.

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Image Credits
Ravon Riley, Mike Brown, Ladarius Williams

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