Kamila Shakur: Creating with Reverence

Did you think of yourself as a creative kid? What does creativity look like for you these days?

I was definitely a creative child. Intuitively, creative writing was very therapeutic for me. I was also blessed to be surrounded by art and immersed in the performing arts since I was very young. From starting dance classes at the age of 4 to being classically trained in vocal music and piano, to having a mother who worked as an event coordinator at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History… And just having parents who loved good music and beautiful aesthetics. All of that was very formative for me.

These days, creativity looks like reverence. It’s how I show gratitude for the gifts and the artistic inclinations I have. It’s how I honor my ancestors and build worlds with the future of my lineage in mind. It’s a sacred practice and I truthfully feel like my life depends on it.

How did motherhood change your creative practice? 

My kids helped me understand that my creative practice needed to be about more than proving how talented I was. It needed to be about fun and expression, which is something I didn’t really understand before, even though creativity was such a huge part of my life growing up. Creating always came easily to them and it was natural for me to encourage it. And I noticed the way that I was encouraging their creativity was a lot different from how I engaged with my own creativity. Additionally, when I saw the response I would get when I posted photographs I took of my daughter, it made me realize that the best way for me to impact people was through my creativity. Photos I’ve taken of her have gone viral several times (the least professional, yet most famous/recognizable one being found towards the end of this article.)

The third time one of my photos went viral, that made me decide to actually start my photography business. I don’t do photography professionally anymore but when I did, it was focused on birth and maternity. I did maternity shoots and photographed home births. So the connection between my creativity and the aspect of motherhood is inextricably linked. Without becoming a mother, I’m not even sure I would have a creative practice because they revitalized it and gave my creativity more of a purpose.

Who would you love to collaborate with? What’s a dream project for you?

Solange Knowles. A vocal performance and poetry reading at a gallery where some amazing visual art is being exhibited. Something intimate, but powerful. I’d love that.

What’s inspiring you outside of your own genre?

Definitely this show called The Bear. It’s huge now and I think it’s inspiring a lot of people. Technically I have done script-writing work before, but I’d still say it’s outside of my genre since my current creative focus is poetry and music. The show is inspiring for a number of reasons but most of all, I think it expertly captures the essence of how we relate to one another and how it feels to be so desperate for the blood, sweat, and tears to pay off when you have a dream and you’re giving it your all.

How can we support and encourage each other more?

Just show up. Even when you don’t know what to say. Even if you don’t have much to give. Being present with one another and letting people know they aren’t alone is an underrated form of support that we can offer. It’s very simple.

What do you hope your kids will learn about creativity from you?

The biggest thing I want them to learn is that their creativity is vital to their wellbeing. I don’t want them to abandon it or think it doesn’t have a place in their lives because they’re busy or it doesn’t lead to money. I also hope they learn that it’s possible to take your creative gifts and turn them into something bigger if that’s what they choose.

If you could give everyone a small treat, what would it be?

A fruit tart! Those are so good, I had one at Disney World one time when I was like 15 and it had such an impact on me lol. I think everyone should have a dessert as good as that one.

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Kamila Shakur is a multidisciplinary artist and spiritual practitioner whose work centers on knowledge of self, ancestral memory & Afro-Surrealist world-building. She resides in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan with her 13 year old son, Darrel and her soon to be 11 year old daughter, Aaliyah. In addition to her own artistry, Kamila is currently creating tools and facilitating digital spaces that support artists as they implement reverence and ritual in their creative process through a framework she built called Creative Spirit Work.

Links:

Website: https://kamilashakur.univer.se/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamila.shakur/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KamilaShakur

Published Poem: https://www.zoeticpress.com/nbr-issue-30

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Hi! I’m Heidi. Writer. Editor. Mother. I’m interviewing 100 creative mothers, because I believe the more we see other mothers making beauty and meaning in small moments, the more we will be inspired to make our own kind of art, whatever that may look like during this intense season of life. Support the project by sharing with a friend.