Meet Janessa Robinson | Multi-hyphenate artist & published journalist

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

Hi Janessa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

It’s my belief that art chooses a person to be its conduit, therefore the career of being a professional artist chose me. It is the type of thing that has a life of its own and I am happy art chose me as its home.

Being an artist is who I am. When I was in third grade, the eighth-grade teacher at my school came down to my classroom and pulled me up to hers. She put some pieces of paper in front of me and told me to read them aloud in front of her entire class. So, I did. It was Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. It’s the last public speech he gave before he was assassinated in 1968. She had me rehearse in her class every day until the Black History Month school assembly where I performed his speech in front of the entire community. I was nervous. I swear I stumbled all through the speech but by the end, people were crying and clapping. They hugged me and told me that they needed to hear that speech on that day. They needed to see me perform it. I knew I owed it to them to get better at performing, so I did.

This early on in life, I saw the impact of my work on people. Whether it was my writing, performing speeches, poems, dancing, acting in plays, or sharing drawings, I always noticed the way people told me that my art touched them. People often tell me that I remind them of their little sister, daughter, niece, cousin, mother, or best friend because they feel connected to me so I honor that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

The intention of my art is to increase enlightenment–my own and that of others. Pursuing higher consciousness and growth are central parts of my path. Art is the vehicle that I use to pursue this higher consciousness. So, I express myself through art in a lot of ways, that’s why I have the title “multi-hyphenate.” My artistic practices include writing and performing poetry or doing other short-form writing (e.g. editorials, blogs, essays), dance, modeling, acting, photography, graphic design, public speaking, and dabbling in music.

By the age of 7, I was writing my family poems and performing them as gifts at Christmas time. To share a poem with someone is to say “I love you” in my language. I spent my elementary school and high school years performing poetry at open mics and sharing rap lyrics I had written in notes on Facebook. When I wasn’t doing that, I was at theater camp doing acting classes, improv, tap, hip-hop, and West African dance. Or I was at basketball, tennis, or track practice. I performed in my first school play in third grade and by high school, I was performing with my classmates at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago. It was a play we had written and produced ourselves as part of our off-campus drama class. By college, I was walking the runway at Fashion Week NOLA while studying cinema and the fundamentals of acting at Tulane University in New Orleans.

I first began blogging on the world stage in 2014 when I received a Huffington Post blogger account which I used to write about law, public policy, and pop culture through 2016. My article “Open Letter to Kanye West: Ferguson is Happening. Where are you?” went viral. Offers to write for other publications (e.g. EBONY, The Guardian, Salon magazine) came pouring in on me. MTV even called me in to audition as the host of my own TV show.

Some may wonder why I include blogging as an artistic expression. It is the source that makes it art. I am an artist and my blogs aren’t only listicles or empty words thrown together for SEO clicks. My blogs are carefully curated experiences designed to deliver a lesson that includes resources and multi-media components to enhance the experience. The open letter to Kanye West was a rhetorical argument for social responsibility that I wrote because I am a fan of him. The message is nearly stated directly in the piece, though that bit has often gone overlooked. Today I have a totally different perspective on the open letter I wrote to him. For me, it’s like my “George Bush doesn’t like Black people” moment. I never intended to become a journalist who was sought out for “taking down” people but for a while, that’s how people saw me. Once I realized this, I pulled back on writing to become someone new. Someone whose writing is unifying.

By late 2018 I was selected to be included in Ava Duvernay’s 2019 TIME magazine Optimist Issue video project called “The Art of Optimism.” I wrote, performed, directed, and edited a short film called “Through the Fire”—a title inspired by the work of Chaka Khan and Kanye West’s sample of her song—which features a poem (of the same title). The piece also includes music produced by me.

In 2019 I started writing for Deepak Chopra’s blog because it opened up the door for me to pursue enlightenment on a path that is self-sustaining. It allows me to write about my own spiritual journey, wellness practices, and studying Ayurvedic healing from Deepak so that I may share this knowledge with others far and wide. It’s the same perspective I brought to BuzzFeed when I began freelance writing there at the end of 2021. BuzzFeed has a huge audience and here I am pulling from my life experiences to create art that provides growth. My work at BuzzFeed has produced pieces that celebrate and educate people on things such as hip-hop and the impact of Will “Uncle Will” Smith’s most purposeful work.

In 2020 I performed poetry and rap in a virtual fundraiser for Root & Rebound, a non-profit organization that supports people most impacted by mass incarceration. It’s a cause that I hold dear to my heart because there are men in my life whom I have watched suffer the ills of being criminalized or being forced into criminal behavior due to experiencing poverty. I performed a verse called “Infinite” that I wrote as an affirmation to bring good karma and good fortune to anyone who repeats it. I speak at universities and Silicon Valley tech companies about how art intersects with race, gender, sexuality, social movements, and DEI strategy. In fact, I am working on a presentation for a client as I write this.

Two years ago I began placing my designs on physical products when I opened a print-on-demand shop by my company Artistry Land. I am continuing to grow my artistic career through acting and modeling in Los Angeles. My goal is to be present where my art is needed and I am blessed to have so many avenues through which I live my purpose.

I am grateful to have my artistic abilities called upon by good people who need them such as connecting with students or uplifting crowds. At this point in my career, I am focused on developing strong friendships and business relationships with people who are spiritually aligned with my path. I am continuing to partner with people on the work of healing through art and the work of creating healthier futures. When I no longer walk this Earth, I hope my art and the enlightening messages behind it continue to carry forth in the hearts and minds of people.

Art is spiritual for me. I must be an artist in every life. It has not been an easy journey for me but it is a beautiful one nonetheless. I have learned to be more forgiving, to be open-hearted, and accepting of the full spectrum of human experiences because we are all imperfect beings. I have overcome doubt and real-world setbacks by pouring into and relying on a healthy support system of loved ones. We love and respect one another. I look out for people and they look out for me. We check in with each other. We send each other positive words, gifts, food. We talk face-to-face and hug. Community is everything.

I want the world to know this about my story: It is nothing short of a miracle that I sit here today writing this to you. Art is a constant miracle in my life. I have written myself out of holes and into new eyes. I have danced myself out of small rooms and into the arms of my loved one. I have performed myself out of pain and into joy. My story is a perpetual blessing. So, if you were wondering if miracles are real, I am here to assure you that they are.

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?
If my best friend comes to visit me for a week-long trip, I’m taking her to see the Hollywood sign and the science museum. Then we’re going on the most amazing hike in Malibu that is tough but so worth it. We’ll pop by Santa Monica Beach for some sun then grab dinner at AVRA in Beverly Hills. At night we’d enjoy the fire under the stars on my rooftop. One of those days, we’d pop into the tiny shops at Venice Beach and grab a movie in Long Beach. We’ll drive out to Palm Springs to get away from the city and then spend some time at national parks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is dedicated to my family–far and wide. It is dedicated to every branch and leaf of my family tree. Every day I am increasingly grateful for the wealth of love, wisdom, knowledge, good karma, and good fortune that I am gifted through the efforts of my ancestors who passed as well as my kin who is still kicking, and the new family members yet to come.

I often write in my journalistic articles about how my immediate family has poured into me from basketball to modeling, cosmetology to health, spirituality to business. I often write about this because it is my best attempt to express my deepest gratitude although words will never be enough.

This shoutout is also dedicated to my legacy. May they read this interview one day and find the guidance, motivation, inspiration they need.

Finally, this is for those who have become my family through bond.

Website: www.janessarobinson.com

Instagram: @janessaerobinson

Twitter: @janessaerobins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanessaERobinson

Other: www.artistryland.space

Image Credits
Artistry Land