Today we’d like to introduce you to Tsega Beloved.
Tsega, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I originally had no intention of being a multimedia artist. It wasn’t until college that I felt confident enough to express myself. I’ve written poetry my whole life, and through high school took on every graphic/visual project I could in the clubs I was in. However, I didn’t take any of it seriously until I began collaborating with artists I befriended in college who emboldened me, and gained the encouragement of mentors who bought me my first watercolor paints and my first adult poetry journal. My fears of failing my family or never making any money made it a real challenge to switch majors and study art full-time. But since choosing art over fear, I’ve created things I never imagined myself capable of; sculpture, photography, music, poetry, graphics, and whatever else I could use to find my voice. I’ve gotten the chance to exhibit my work in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and even my hometown of Atlanta. It hasn’t been an easy ride since choosing this path, but there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than this.
Alright, so it hasn’t been a smooth road. Can you talk to us a bit about some of the obstacles you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing about my journey has been smooth, but I’d like to think I’ve learned a lot. Although I found my artistic voice in college, I endured a deep depression right from the start of my freshman year. I was in and out of counseling where I learned that what I thought was just normal stress that everyone had to go through was actually chronic anxiety. Things escalated halfway through my junior year when I started showing signs of mania that ultimately led to my first episode of psychosis. I then spent a week in a mental hospital and received my diagnosis as Bipolar Type 1 which turned my entire world upside down. I had to spend the next half-year out of school adjusting to various medications that changed my body in dramatic and uncomfortable ways. After returning to school I still hadn’t fully adjusted and struggled, having gone from dean’s list to barely passing my classes. My social life suffered, my grades suffered, but the funny thing is that through this time, I never stopped trying to create. I never stopped writing poems and songs, I never stopped developing concepts for projects, because for me, that voice was all I had left that reminded me of who I am underneath what felt like a sad story. I just didn’t want to be a sad story. I refused. To anyone, or any women, that may feel powerless to their circumstances, I’d say remember that you get to decide how your story ends even if you can’t control what happens along the way.
Knowing that you get to decide how your story ends is such an important lesson. Thank you for sharing that with us. What else should we know about you and your work?
I’m a creator that tries to tell an honest story however I can. I think working across mediums is part of what sets me apart; whether it’s through a song, a poem, a photograph, or a graphic illustration, it doesn’t matter as long as I can communicate and connect with my audience. But I also think vulnerability and honesty in my art is really what makes it stand out, and it’s what I’m most proud of. I know what it’s like to feel alone, unseen, and unheard, so I put myself out there because I know there’s someone who’ll feel a little bit less alone because of it. Courage is contagious. Maybe someone going through it will hear about my journey and hopefully be inspired by the fact that I’m still going and still trying.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I believe women provide a refreshing and unique voice be it through politics, journalism, entertainment or any field they are in. Women’s stories have gone unheard and untold for a very long time, and I think learning from these perspectives can improve the experiences of everyone. From looking at the different working women in my life, innovation seems second-nature for these women who’ve been forced to navigate systems working against their success their whole lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tsegabeloved.com
- Email: tsegaproject@gmail.com
- Instagram: @tsegabeloved
- Twitter: @tsegabeloved
Image Credit:
Joy Ofodu, Isuan Oyakhire
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