Daily Inspiration: Meet Kierra “Ki” Colston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kierra “Ki” Colston.

Hi Kierra “Ki”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Words from Kierra “SupaStarDefined” Colston “I often say that we are all just moving rhythms or paint strokes trying to find where we blend in sync with the world. My own rhythm started in the south side of Tallahassee, Florida. Growing up as a gay, Black woman, I was often introverted and shy—even bullied—which shaped a lot of insecurities early on. I spent years playing a part just to fit in.

My path hasn’t been a straight line; it’s been an adventure fueled by ‘grit.’ At 16, I moved to Atlanta to pursue music, which led to a period of being homeless for seven months. Even after earning three degrees—an AS in Audio Engineering, a BS in Entertainment Business, and an MFA in Film Production—I felt like a number in the ‘American Matrix’.

The turning point was taking a leap of faith to Shanghai, China, in 2017. For the first time, I felt valued for my talent rather than just being another applicant. That began a six-year journey as an expat, with also living in Japan and Mexico, which shifted my perspective on art and education. In Mexico specifically, I started healing from abuse and years of heartbreak which all felt like setbacks, finding the balance and spiritual growth I needed to truly focus on myself and my entrepreneurial visions.

Nearly 4 years ago in 2022, I returned to Atlanta, bringing all those global rhythms back home. I wear many hats: I am the CEO and lead creator of Dream On Entertainment (dba KinetiClarity Media), the President and program leader of the non-profit Dream World for The Arts, and a Media/Film educator at the Atlanta International School. Whether I’m working on a major set like Creed III, helping artist with branding, or building art curriculums for youth, my mission is the same: helping others find their voice through the arts so they are seen fully and don’t have to hide who they are, just like I once did.”

“In some ways I consider myself a ‘jack of all trades’—an artist musically, visually, and editorially. My journey began with a deep love for music as a toddler, I’ve been creating my own music since I was 12, inspired by legends like Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill.

After navigating the highs and lows of the entertainment industry—from homelessness when I first moved to Atlanta, to working on sets for HBO, Lionsgate, and HGTV—I realized my true passion was at the intersection of creation and mentorship. My 14 years of creating curriculums and teaching have taken me across the globe, where I’ve built creative art curriculums in China, Japan, and Mexico.

Living abroad as an expat for six years allowed me to escape the feeling of being ‘just another number’ and gave me the freedom to build a legacy. Now, back in Atlanta, I am focused on three pillars:

– Empowering Youth: Through my non-profit, Dream World for The Arts, and my role at the Atlanta International School.

– Servicing Creators: Through Dream On Entertainment, where I provide everything from image consulting, photography/videography, and sound mastering.

– Personal Artistry: I am currently finishing my second Master’s degree in Instructional Design and preparing to release my EP, Picking up the Pieces – The Journal, which chronicles my journey of turning pain into art.

I believe art is the true connection between every human, and I’m proud to use my experience to help businesses, artists, and students find their own beat.”

My journey began on the south side of Tallahassee, Florida, where I grew up as an introverted, shy, and “weird” dreamer with a deep-seated love for music, art, and basketball. While I often felt I had to play a part just to fit in, music was the true center of my heart, and I believe that sparked all the love for visual media that followed.

The real turning point came at 16, when I took that massive leap of faith and moved to Atlanta with two best friends to pursue a music career. That period was a true “baptism by fire”— we were homeless for seven months while trying to land a deal. Although we eventually found success in our own ways, that early struggle with stability and identity taught me that I couldn’t just wait for a seat at the table; I had to build my own. This realization pushed me to pursue a multi-disciplinary education, eventually earning three degrees and founding my own businesses to ensure I was always in control of my own creative rhythm, while having the chance to showcase things that mattered deeply to me, creatively.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
“My path has never been a straight line; it’s been a series of mountains I’ve had to climb, often while carrying the weight of my past. One of the earliest and most defining hurdles was overcoming sexual abuse and identity issues, childhood troubles, and the struggles of growing up constantly made fun of and often considered a loner. My teenage years pushed me to want to experience something different, so that leap to Atlanta at 16 and conquering homelessness while chasing my dreams was liberating even through the hardships of it. That experience taught me a level of survival that most people never have to touch.

Professionally, the climb didn’t get easier. As a woman in technical fields within the music and television world, I’ve had to navigate an industry where our voices are often sidelined or overlooked. Similarly, on film sets, it can feel like a constant battle to be seen and appreciated for your expertise rather than just being treated as another number. There were many days when I felt the weight of paying on my $157,000 student loans and wondered if the three degrees and all the years of sacrifice were even worth it.

On a deeply personal level, I’ve had to do the heavy lifting of healing from childhood trauma, depression, and PTSD. That in itself is hard because no one provides a true manual for how to do the inner work. Healing isn’t linear. Facing the reality that I allowed certain things to shape my behaviors and mindset are the same behaviors that caused me to hurt loved ones. Though I’ve never moved with a heart of hate, I carried ego and pride with people who never deserved me being so guarded, and defensive to remain the same and not grow. Sitting with self and correcting yourself for the better you want to see in you and the better you want to give to your loved ones takes rigor and determination. This sometimes is a deep struggle and obstacle within itself but I remind myself that it’s human to feel pain, and cause pain unintentionally it takes character to intentionally want to correct yourself and be a better person.

There were moments during the rat race of America when I truly wanted to give up—times when it felt like no one saw the importance of the art curriculums and creative outlets I was fighting to provide for the youth. No one saw my music in the ways I had hoped with my early on free projects. Felt like nothing was panning out fully for me, things would go great and then seem to meet a dead end. I felt replaceable in the ‘American Matrix,’ like my mission and talent was falling on deaf ears.

But those moments of darkness are exactly what pushed me to seek light elsewhere. Whether it was finding my value again in Shanghai or spiritually starting my healing journey in Mexico, I’ve learned that my pain is actually the soil for my art not a guarded heart. Now being back in Atlanta I realize I’m not just building a career anymore; I’m building a legacy of healing, showing the kids I teach that even if you feel broken you still can create something beautiful because its the very essence of what you truly are. I’m doing the work to let students, artists, creatives and businesses know there are never alone and no matter what they can conquer what they put their minds to”.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a creative “jack of all trades” with a career built at the intersection of high-level media production and intentional mentorship. I specialize in Visual Direction, Audio Engineering, and Educational Curriculum Design. Through my company, Dream On Entertainment (dba KinetiClarity Media), I provide a full suite of freelance services—including photography, videography, image consulting, and audio mixing and mastering—to help businesses and artists find their unique brand and voice.

Parallel to my commercial work, I serve as the President of Dream World for The Arts, a non-profit dedicated to empowering youth by providing them with creative art outlets for self-expression. Whether I am working on the set of a major production like Creed III, capturing content, or building the Film program at the Atlanta International School, my focus is always on creative management and student-centered media.

What Sets Me Apart
What truly distinguishes my work is my global lens and my technical depth. Having spent six years as an expat in China, Japan, and Mexico, I have developed a diverse approach to creation that transcends cultural boundaries. I don’t just “make art”; I build curriculums from the ground up that allow people from different walks of life to connect. I don’t just capture clients, I help them create the vision the always had but never knew how to make happen.

Furthermore, my academic background—holding an MFA in Film Production, a BS in Entertainment Business, and an AS in Audio Engineering—allows me to speak the language of every department on a set. I’ve done everything from Grip and Best Boy work to 1st Assistant Directing and Sound Mixing. I understand the “hustle” because I’ve lived it, and I bring that tenacity to every project I touch or take part in.

What I Am Most Proud Of
I am most proud of my ability to turn pain into purpose. My journey hasn’t been easy; I’ve had to navigate the challenges of abuse, being a woman in the male-dominated creative work world, overcoming homelessness, and doing the work to heal from childhood trauma and PTSD.

Today, I am proud to be “picking up the pieces” and using those experiences to ensure that the youth I mentor feel seen, valued, and understood. I am currently working on an EP project, “Picking up the Pieces – The Journal,” which journeys through my own healing process and meeting the deepest portions of myself while loving more of myself. Being able to touch people through my creations while helping the next generation find their own “moving rhythm” is the greatest legacy I could leave

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
“For a long time, I thought success was measured by the ‘American Matrix’—the degrees, the credits on big-name film sets, my music doing numbers, or the next BIG paycheck. But after navigating homelessness, the challenges of being a woman in the creative media work world, and my time as an expat, my definition has shifted entirely.

To me, success is the ability to turn your pain into a platform for others to thrive. To not let the pain define you yet define what you aren’t. It is found in the moment a student in one of my programs realizes their voice actually matters, or when a dreamer I’m consulting finally sees their vision come to life. If I can help a young person use art as a healing outlet—the way I am doing now through my work and upcoming project ‘Picking up the Pieces – The Journal’—then I have succeeded. If I can take more time to spend with my loved ones, and provide more safe space for them I have more than succeeded.

Success is also sovereignty. It’s the freedom to be a ‘moving rhythm’ that doesn’t have to blend in or hide to be accepted. It’s being in control of my own creative and financial destiny rather than being a replaceable number in a corporate machine made by someone else.

Ultimately, I define success by legacy. It’s not about how many people know my name, but about the ‘paint strokes’ I leave behind in the world. If I have helped cultivate a world where the next generation of creatives feels seen, understood, loved, and empowered to tell their own stories, I’ve won.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kineticlarity.net
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/supastardefined
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/SupaStarDefined
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kierracolston/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SupaStarDefined
• soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/supastardefined
• Other: dreamworldforthearts.org

Image Credits
Sophie Harris – Photographer (Flower Jacket Picture) Hipolitt Photography – Black & White Profile Picture Jay – Photographer (Overalls with red beanie) Zizhu Bilingual School 3rd Grade Christmas Performance 2018 – (Photo with me holding music up for kids) Kilian Fischer – Photo with students circled around me in Dakar Senegal UrbanDan – Photo on Boat with Camera