Meet Amirah Barrow | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amirah Barrow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amirah, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I have this saying,” just because I’ve learned to heal don’t mean I take that pain, f*ck the sad sh*t, release the habit.” I said it while I was free-styling in the shower over this type beat. And with wet hands I grabbed my phone and put it in my voice recordings because I thought I secretly unlocked the key to my success. I started thinking about all of the times I’ve given up in the name of prioritizing myself. Thinking about it now, it’s just something I needed to hear in order to release my own guilt. I mean the saying still holds some weight to me because I give my self permission to not submit myself to what I no longer want for myself, when I’ve put in the work to heal. Knowing this, when I do give up it’s like filtering out the b.s in my life. It means that I need to be self aware enough to make adjustments of what’s in my control.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I used to think that I needed to pump out art consistently. I find myself spiraling into Pinterest for inspiration wanting to know how to stay relevant. Not comparing, but trying to absorb imagination and creativity by flooding my subconscious with art. But honestly I’m bored. I don’t have paintings on paintings piling up in corners. Sometimes I hate painting and drawing. I can’t do the exhaustible hours of creating because it’s frustrating. I learned that in my dry spells, I explore other projects. I have been curating few events, and collaborating with other artists. I started making music, the best emotional outlet that I’ve found. I also created Seven Heads High, a website for black artists to support other black artists. In the midst of experimenting and finding new outlets, I pick up my paint brush disregarding the presets I tried to mentally download. I don’t care about none of that. My professional art career will be about the work that I create, not about my work defining my artistic abilities. And part of my frustration with art was losing myself to please the spectators. Soon as I released myself from monetizing my passions, I felt an urgency to create. No bounds no expectations. And that’s not to say that I don’t want a successful career as an artists. What is important to me is being able to pour my authenticity into a piece. Because my art is mine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a little bit of a homebody. I found spots that I’ve enjoyed my own company or creating intimate moments with friends. I hang out at Bruce’s beach when I want to get outside, and sometimes at the Sofi Stadium in Inglewood. As far as good eats my fave is Undergrind Cafe down the street from Hamilton high, and Fresh and Meaty got the best burgers in the city. When I want to be on top of the world, I drive up Baldwins hills. For the music lovers, Westchester has this cool record shop called Soundstation Records, and I been wanting to check out the bookstore Reparations Club. On Sundays, Leimert Park, Sexy Sunday Sessions, and Circle Park are the places to be.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First I want to shoutout my parents, they’ve been educators for years and strive for the betterment of our future in this community. But a big shoutout to my dad, Damiek Barrow. He’s inspired my creativity. He’s written numerous plays, two major ones, “Jumping the Broom” & ” The 12 Jewels.” He also just released his first book last year title ZIG ZAG ZIG. Also my team @4orbiddenfruit, @oldsoul7 and my partner in love and in life DJ @M2FLY, the coldest in LA who supports me and motivates me to continue to be creative and try everything. These three have been so significant in the moves and projects we are collaborating on to curate more spaces for the black renaissance to thrive.

Website: www.sevenheadshigh.com

Instagram: @amirraahhhh

Image Credits
@ashantecandids @skilosthismindagain @soufsidekathleen