Today we’d like to introduce you to MOON..
Hi MOON., please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts in Rochester, New York, in my grandmother’s attic with only a white chair and a 64-pack of crayons. The chair became a canvas to my young mind, connecting lines to circles to make a masterpiece that would unknowingly cause me to get a belt to the butt a few hours after leaving what has become my art studio. Art has always been a second language to me, evoking different emotions without using a single word or creating a new realm of reality that only exists within the artist. Music soon became an obsession I didn’t think would get me far. Listening to songs my brother had on in the background while he played the PS2 sparked a new sense of adventure for me. Watching artists like Lady Gaga, Jill Scott, and Michael Jackson gave me hope that someday I could perform in front of a crowd doing what I love, and that day arrived quicker than I could fathom.
My elementary school music teacher kick-started the fire within me. Teaching 4th and 5th graders how to sight-read classical pieces and playing them on a xylophone made me wonder how far I could take my instrumentation abilities. Transitioning into marching band felt like a whole new world. Being around people who not only were the same age but also had the same fascination for music that I do gave me a sense of self during extremely confusing and dark times. From performing in the governor’s mansion to playing on America’s Got Talent and marching in Mardi Gras, I knew I had a special gift to show the world.
Throughout my life, music and art have shaped me into the person I am today. Intertwining music with my vision to create allowed me to pour into myself and find myself as an artist and an entity. The journey wasn’t and isn’t easy, taking steps towards your end goal, whether it’s big or small, is a building block that can and will shape your future. Navigating through my life now as a young and creative adult, the hustle has just begun for me. Not only am I preparing for my future as an artist, Im coming up with new ways to showcase my talents to share with the world. My experiences in life have been connected to one long thread, and that’s creativity.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an artist is never smooth sailing. You go through so much to get the validation of others to “prove” that your art is worth more than what meets the eye. Constantly being told as a kid that “I wasn’t good enough” or “Im just not talented” or “I’m too smart to waste my brain on something silly” really stunted my growth. I became a super anxious, depressed, and quiet kid for so long because I knew my peers and the adults around me wouldn’t understand. As time progressed and I realized art wasn’t just a hobby, I had to sit with myself for some time and reevaluate myself, not only as a person but as a creative. Getting over the trauma of constantly being told “you aren’t good enough” and my art being overlooked and undermined has and still is something I struggle with, but knowing I have a whole tribe marching along with me gives me that sense of security I’ve been looking for.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Im a musician, Im a painter, Im a model, and I recently picked up tattooing, which I didn’t think would become an interest. Modeling is also another creative outlet that never really sparked my interest until I got to college. Having photoshoots in different cool outfits or having different set designs or props truly feeds into my hunger for showing people how creative I can get.
As for what people know me for is a mystery to me at the moment. I keep to myself a lot, so outside voices typically never reach my ears unless someone comes up to me or vice versa. What I would love to be known for is my ability to inspire creatives and create outside of “the box”. For people of color, it’s important to actively see people like us in close proximity doing something that they always dreamt of or never thought could be possible. Regardless of how many slammed doors we’re going to encounter, there’s always going to be a backdoor that’s open for us and only for us; it’s just a matter of time before we find our way there.
What I’m most proud of recently is facing my fears with my art. Im creating more freely for the validation and love for myself and inner child, and it’s such a breath of fresh air. Allowing my inner child to take over and create anything they want has helped me make pieces I didn’t think I was capable of making. Having that playful mindset with creativity is truly a gateway into art. Yes, it can be serious and have a deeper meaning behind it, but if you aren’t creating for fun outside of sending political messages, then why are you truly creating?
What sets me apart from others is my point of view in life and how I view creativity. Being a twenty-year-old who, of course, grew up in the age of technology, we live in a very fast-paced world. Everything needs to be urgent and straight to the point because everyone’s attention span has diminished over the years. Starting with Vine and their six-second videos and now TikTok with their two-times speed option, most people aren’t paying attention to what artists are saying if it isn’t already in their face. Art isn’t and will never be like that. You have to sit with art and sometimes look within and around to truly understand why the artist created what they created, why they used certain materials or a certain medium. People don’t care for the arts like they used to, which is disheartening. For me, art is a resource, a survival tool, a way of life. It gives me a sense of hope during gut-wrenching and heart-shattering times, it fuels my soul, it fuels my everyday life, it’s the reason I continue to wake up and look forward to the future. Art gives and is hope.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One book that has been helping me a lot recently has been “The Artist’s Way”. I know the book is pretty popular at the moment, but I understand the hype. Within the first week, I’ve already learned a lot about myself and unpacked trauma that I didn’t know existed. There’s something called ‘The Morning Pages’ that the book requires you to start doing. Essentially, as soon as you open your eyes, you write three pages of whatever. You can talk about how much you have to use the bathroom, how bad your breath stinks, literally anything. As a writer who hasn’t truly written anything in almost two years, it helped me out of my writer’s block, it helped me be more creative, and have those creative juices flowing. Im really big on journaling, so allowing myself to write freely with no expectations because I know nobody will have access to my journals heals that betrayed portion of my inner child. The book teaches creatives that it’s okay to want to create art even if others don’t like it, it’s okay to create art freely, and it teaches us not only to train our creative muscle but also to cater to ourselves and that inner child that unknowingly helps us create.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staabitmoon/profilecard/?igsh=MWpobzUxcTVtN3hzdQ==
- Twitter: https://x.com/staabitmoon?s=21
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@staabitmoon
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/moon-326806442/cupids-broken-bow?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing&si=6d00bc2ebdbc43a7842bfc967f2d5d75
Image Credits
@braadforrd
@hoodie_soup
@brianna.elanie_
@dezman.alexander
