We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kamiah Vickers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kamiah below.
Kamiah, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Months before graduating college, I had specific ideas on how to keep my artistry alive and well. In my discipline journal, I started to develop a routine that I could use to keep myself consistent and disciplined. “Write every morning”, or “See two shows once a month”. I thought having structure would help keep my creativity alive. The transition into post grad was not easy; I found myself spending many days uninspired and unmotivated to do anything. I would stare at my computer, waiting for the words to come to me, when in reality, they just weren’t. My creative energy was treading ever so slowly. This was something unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, especially coming from an institution where creativity was infinite. Internally, I always wondered what I needed to do differently to activate that spark in me. In my mind, a creative person was someone who woke up everyday and immediately was inspired to create. To do the work. Someone who lived and breathed their artistry. For a long stretch of time, I allowed myself to believe the lie that I had lost my spark. These thoughts ended up procrastinating my work, and ultimately making me lose my passion. But one fall afternoon, as I was taking a walk in downtown Brooklyn near the water, I saw a couple holding hands. They were both petite, dressed in beautifully obnoxious colors, sharing what appeared to be a foot long, and laughing as if they were the only ones in the world. As a playwright, my mind immediately took flight. I thought about what their story might be, who they were before they found each other. I pondered about what a conflict might be in the story, and how they would overcome it. I reflected upon setting and other characters in the story. Little did I know that these two random people I came across would inspire my next play. I learned a very important lesson that day: I don’t have to work up to being a playwright, I am one. We don’t need to earn the title of being a creative, we simply are. And there’s so much proof in our everyday life. A story came so naturally to me just by looking at two people. It takes a creative mind to look at everyday life and create something new from it. That day taught me that creativity doesn’t just look like staring at a computer screen waiting for the idea to come. For me, keeping creativity alive looks like stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things. It looks like sharing my thoughts, ideas, and visions with the people I trust. It looks like listening to my favorite writers podcasts, and learning what they have to say about their work. It looks like going on a walk and letting my thoughts run rampant. Creativity exists inside of me. No matter what. I keep my creativity alive by existing, learning, loving, trying. It’s endless, and I’m so glad I realize that now.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
To describe what I do, I like to use the quote, “Writing the script and acting the part”. Playwriting and acting is far beyond a hobby, it’s what I do. It’s my passion. Though the two are separate gifts, I like to think they both motivate one another. What I am passionate about writing I am also passionate about acting. I write pieces of work that are so personal to me and my experiences as a black woman. I aspire to act in plays that highlight the voices of black women as well. For me, writing is so important because it allows you to amplify the stories that you wish were told. I desired more stories about love, particularly black love. A lot of what I write is what I wish was already written. I desire to fill gaps and tell my truth boldly. In terms of acting, there is nothing like stepping outside yourself, and inside another world. Taking on another character requires so much discipline and patience. Acting, in my eyes, is so rewarding. I hope to continue growing in both writing and acting, and taking on meaningful projects that further my artistry and the industry.
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?
1. Vision 2. The art of stillness
3. Discipline
My favorite bible verse comes from Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. No matter your profession, everyone needs to have a clear vision of they want. When I say vision, I’m not only referring to vision board picture cut outs, but a clear understanding of what you want out of life, and where you foresee yourself being. Many of the confusing, unsure times in my career came when I lacked vision. Once you start to write down your vision for everything, things shift in your life. At the beginning of post grad, I didn’t yet have a job. I knew exactly in my mind the type of job I wanted. In my journal, I wrote down the vision for the job I didn’t yet have. “Part time, creative, work from home, etc.” A few weeks later I landed a job that had all of these things. You are the driver and your vision is the gps. If you don’t have a vision, you’re not going to know what to chase after. This doesn’t just go for career, it also applies for health, relationships, goals, etc. Write the vision, and write it boldly.
A major lesson I had to learn is that stillness is a power move. In my industry, there is a plethora of new things being created. New work, acting gigs, plays, and even new ideas from your peers. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything being created and think that you have to hurry and create something too. This way of thinking can cause major burnout and rushed work. Being still and content in yourself and your artistry is the most freeing thing you can do. Sometimes, this is easier said than done; I too am still hammering this concept in my mind. But there is truly a time for everything. There is a time you will book a role, and a time you won’t. There is a time you’ll have a striking idea, and seasons of empty pages. In the times of stillness, you must be confident. You also have to trust yourself. When you feel like you are forcing yourself to make something, ask yourself who you’re making it for. The answer should always be you. And if it isn’t, you may need to reconsider the work you’re doing.
Discipline turns into devotion. The word discipline scared me for so long. I imagined discipline to be a difficult feat, when in reality, discipline is just showing up when you don’t want to. It’s just writing a full page when you don’t feel like it. It’s going to the gym when you’d rather lay on the couch. What starts as discipline as an artist usually ends in devotion. You do it to develop a routine, but the more it becomes a habit, the more connected you are to it. In class, we had a challenge to write a poem a day. Now if anyone writes poetry, you can understand how exhausting that sounds. At the beginning, I hated doing it, so much to where I would skip some days. But the more I actually did the work instead of complaining about the work, I found myself enjoying the process. I also found that it was becoming easier to do. Discipline takes consistency, and consistency leads to results.
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 recommend 3 books: Atomic Habits by James Clear, Black Women Writers at Work edited by Claudia Tate, and The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. Each of these books have served me in different ways. Atomic Habits completely changed my perspective on habits, goal setting, and discipline. This is important for artists, especially because many times we are independent agents over our career. Our habits affect our artistry, whether we realize it or not. Black Women Writers at Work is important for writers of all genres to read. Claudia Tate interviews a plethora of important black women regarding their process. This book has allowed me more freedom in my voice as a writer, and the opportunity to learn important lessons from those who have paved the way. The Artists Way is truly a book that heals your inner artist. It stretches you, pushes you, and breaks any imposter syndrome you’ve ever experienced. It teaches us the importance of our personal creativity, and how to always show up for ourselves as artists.
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