Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalil Houston.
Khalil, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a native of Richmond, Virginia and my journey in the creative arts started at the age of ten. I was always interested in multiple aspects of art, but my main source of creativity was writing. As I matured through major difficulties, creative writing became essential to my life. From writing poems at the age of ten, I’ve now managed to become a great Spoken word artist. And poetry has lead me to explore the creative depths of photography and videography.
Also, I’ll be receiving my Bachelor’s in English in May 2021 from Virginia Common Wealth University.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it has not. At the age of eleven, I lost my three brothers to a triple homicide, and this has led to my struggle with depression. Even though this was devastating for my family and I, this is what gave the spark for me to express my thoughts through paper. Their tragedy encouraged me to not only write but to also seek out other forms as an expression such as football and organized fellowships.
I struggle in school as well, to the point where I graduated with a 1.3 grade point average. I gained my associates in science from a community college, and now I maintain a 3.2 grade point average at Virginia Common Wealth University.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a writer/poet/ speaker and photographer.
I’ve been performing poetry for almost four years now, and thus far I’ve managed to perform in North Carolina to D.C. My poetry and performances centers around the topics of trauma, vulnerability, love, and racism. I’ve even performed poetry on several occasions in the Juvenile detention centers here in Richmond, Va. I’ve been a keynote speaker and performer in workshops that revolved trauma and the difficulties dealing with vulnerability and expression.
I’ve been doing photography for threes now, and my work at the time revolves around landscapes, portraits, and businesses. Thus far, the biggest accomplishment I’ve achieved is doing photography for a Nissan dealership.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
No. Life has a way of bringing the best out of us.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 804-386-2210
- Email: houstonkhalil@gmail.com
- Instagram: @khalil_houston Khalil_houstonphotos
- Facebook: Khalil Houston
- Twitter: @houstonkhalil
Image Credit:
@lifted.dom, Sudan Aunu
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