Life & Work with Karma of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karma.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always had a deep passion for creation and music. My parents would always say that I never cried as a baby, I would sing. Day and night I loved to hear myself sing as loud as I could. My love for singing only grew when I had my first talent show in first grade where I sung “Girls just wanna have fun” with a few friends on stage and discovered my love for the spotlight and performance art. I spent most of my childhood trying to find my way back to the stage through plays or musicals like Alice in wonderland. Being on stage would heal something in me I didn’t know was broken until years later. I’ve dealt with many struggles in early childhood that disrupted my sense of self and safety. I struggled with finding a purpose for my existence for years which led to many instances of severe self harm and mental illnesses that led me to some of my lowest points, where I wound up in mental health facilities, Sometimes by choice, sometimes not. As I got older I started coping by putting my feelings into the music or poetry I’d create. I started learning to produce my own music despite only having an iPhone and, wired headphones to work with. I started experimenting with the genres I’d work with and my sound which was incredibly fun for me since I always want to try new things but my creation was put to an abrupt stop when my father unexpectedly passed away right next to me when we were thousands of miles away from home in an airport. My focus was diverted to taking care of my mom (who was completely shattered due to the loss of her highschool sweetheart and life partner) and figuring out what our new normal was without our biggest protector. My dad was one of my biggest fans and always did what he could to get me piano lessons or vocal lessons to nurture my craft and skill. Without such a influential staple in my life things started to fall apart at home and internally. My senior year of high school was ruined just 3 months shy of graduation. I was confused for a long time not knowing what I wanted to do because my grief overshadowed everything. Just when I thought I was starting to get back up on my feet 2 years later I had a house fire that destroyed almost all of my belongings and art that I developed over the course of my entire life. I was displaced and without any hope. Somewhere along the way of being at the complete mercy of the universe I remembered my ability to transmute my negative experience into art that healed me piece by piece and I started creating music again. I kept hope that all the bad I went through had to be worth something and over time that hope drove me to new experiences that i held passion for and an unwavering commitment to stay true to my childhood dream of being a performance artist. There has been ups and downs on this journey to self discovery and creative development because of course life is going to life at the end of the day but I strive to grow and learn from the challenging experiences I face and with the love of my family and friends, departed or still here I know I will be able to help others with my music and wisdom from my experience. I dedicate myself to helping people and animals whatever way I can that also allows me to be my most authentic self and I will continue to strive toward cultivating a more understanding, loving and safe world for everyone, the best that I can.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many things that have taken me off the path of creating music. My father’s passing was one of the most impactful experiences. But I’ve also struggled with self harm since 5th grade, a house fire, the unexpected death of school friends or close family (outside of my father) and Surviving rape. The hardest struggle for me was choosing to stay alive. I was inching closer and closer to suicide due to all the trauma I faced and some days I still struggle with negative thoughts but I am going to continue healing and finding reasons to stay.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently am an interpreter at the largest Aquarium in North America and the western hemisphere. I educate about the research and conversation our facility provides for many endangered species as well as teaching guests about how they can do their part to help protect our oceans and ecosystems all across the world. I adore doing tours of our top sides of galleries and behind the scenes where I get to go into depth about specific studies we have or continue to participate in to help struggling species like corals or whale sharks. I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to be my most authentic self while encouraging people from all across the world to appreciate and help the ecosystems and environment around them. I love adding my own personal flare to narrations or taking personal approaches when I’m talking with guests, so I can meet them where they are in their understanding of such complex or sometimes sensitive topics.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My self expression is a large part of me that I value. I’m constantly experimenting with new hair styles, outfits and makeup to my hearts content and my love for the LGBTQIA+ (as well as my place in the community) keeps me motivated to inspire other young queer people of color. I pride myself in my ability to be completely honest about my process of learning to produce my own music. It can be difficult looking up to major artists music and comparing it to your own. Many artists have teams of people to help with every step but when you’re just starting out it can be very helpful to see others go through the process of creating music while they’re still learning. That’s why no matter what I’ve always tried to post all of my songs! The good, bad and ugly all are out there to be perceived, so if someone feels nervous about starting out, they can find authentic sounds from other self taught artists and even find some confidence to put their own music out, good or “bad” it’s still art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecertifiedhotgirl?stkn=anp4OTIyNnJpNXRy&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@karmasnebula?si=3eS1bojeoZoZ-puS
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/rBnNVg5OUHWaDV61p2