Life and Work with Brianna Ramsey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Ramsey.

Brianna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was originally born in Columbus, Ohio, to a young, single, black mother. She relocated me and my younger brother to Atlanta in 2007, with the intent to present her children with options. Shortly after our arrival, I dove head first into the culture of the city. I began playing the violin- my mother then enrolled me into Spelman’s dance & drama program, where I took West African and tap dance lessons. About a year or two afterwards, my mom gave birth to my brother, Dexter, who went on to pass away months afterwards. I fell into a deep depressive and suicidal state. At 12, I gave up on everything I loved; expressing myself felt just as pointless as me living. In the midst of that, my uncle introduced me to photography, painting, and politics. Through the highs + lows of life, the older I got, I found myself being drawn to multiple forms of artistic expression. I come from a long line of beauticians, I was always around makeup and hair. Makeup quickly became my new form of artistic expression. Makeup allows me to take time with myself, for me to think and be as free as I need to be.

I came to the conclusion a few years ago, that there would forever be an unbreakable bond between me and art. I knew that it wouldn’t matter if I were playing my instrument, dancing, painting, etc., creating would help me cope. Creating and leaving my art behind will help me channel my emotions into something beautiful, something people could feel + essentially relates to.

Great, 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?
My journey has been the furthest thing from easy. After my brother passed away, everything pretty much fell apart. We moved back and forth from Ohio for about two years, I was sexually assaulted, we lived hotel to hotel in between living with family friends for a couple more years. I soaked everything in from my environment and didn’t know how to handle it. I was angry, I fought almost every day at school. Between being suspended and moving from school to school, I honestly barely graduated. My advice to other women, especially my young black women who’re transitioning?
Pray.

Whether it be to the “Universe”, God or your ancestors, please strengthen your faith in something because you will only make it so far by yourself. I wanted to end my life on many different occasions because I felt so weak, I couldn’t visualize myself making it through, but I had faith in God. I wasn’t the most confident in myself nor in the passing of those situations. However, something in me wanted to keep going, not even for myself, for my brother. I wanted to show him that you can make something great out of your situation by channeling that pain and even fear, into something fruitful.

Please tell us about your work.
I am the Content Strategist of Ourselves Black Magazine, and the Curator of a segment within the magazine called “Field Notes”, which serves as a supportive space for our readers to share + borrow new creative approaches to achieve and/or maintain their overall mental wellness. I am also a freelance model/makeup artist/photographer.

What I am the proudest of, is the rawness and the authenticity of Ourselves Black. These are narratives and images coming from REAL people, within our communities. I appreciate the fact that we’ve not only created a magazine but a safe haven for our people to be as open and expressive as they need to be. I connect with our organization on so many levels. The artistic element was captivating the second I opened the print copy. It’s not always easy for everyone to pull themselves out of dark holes, to express themselves, or to even pray. I feel like we’ve created a space for people to do so, and to know that they’re not alone in this. That’s what I’m proud of.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
The “Calm” app is my life saver. The guided breathing widget allows me to gather my thoughts and assists me in my meditation sessions. My favorite book as of now would have to be Mastery (written by the author of The 48 Laws of Power).

Contact Info:

• Website: briannaramsey7.wixsite.com/briannaranee
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/briannaranee
• Twitter: twitter.com/briarams
• Other: ourselvesblack.com

              Image Credit:
Mike Love Hall, Chris Wynn (Shots by BC)

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