Brianna Lewis shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Brianna , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I have been dreaming of songs as of late. I wake up and write down the lyrics and feel excited about what I hear but the thought of being a beginner at something else brings anxiety and indifference. Though I have always written poetry since I was 17 years old, I never performed my own.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Heyyyyy! I am Brianna Lewis, a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur and therapist. Faith drives everything I create. I never run out of ideas! The more I walk with the Lord, the more inspiration and direction I have. As a lover of the arts, I have also invested in training and performing for my own happiness not realizing it could be a career. I have now been a professional artist for about 10 years now. I paint, I write, I dance, I design…I am now owning my gifts rather than seeing them only as hobbies. When I realized that I did not have to create like anyone else to be successful and fulfilled, the fear of being seen dissipated. It has been healing to share what I love without as much fear about how it will be perceived. When walking in obedience doors begin to open and you find yourself doing exactly what you are created to do! I am currently hosting a podcast called Whole and Empowered, where I discuss a lot of issues Christians face in relationships, mental health and purpose. I have my art brand, Studio Brianna Nechelle that represents my art but also provides therapeutic and psycho-educational art classes. I am writing a book as well as preparing to launch my t-shirt line. All the while, I still provide therapy! Many of what has launched, I’ve worked on for years and waited for God’s permission to release it to the public.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I have had to address my need to feel comfortable and be validated by the ones that I love. It was a survival mechanism to ask others for their approval to do what I felt called to do. I was raised to be considerate of others needs. I prided myself on doing that until I became too self-sacrificial. I put myself on the back burner emotionally and when it came to reaching my goals. It took a long time to access those emotions that I stuffed that was essential to becoming my true self. It took a long time to advocate for myself without feeling selfish. It was very uncommon for women to be as assertive as I naturally am so I became timid and somewhat codependent to operate in various relationships. I have had to let those parts of me go and cope with being seen and being uncomfortable. As a wife, mother and the other roles I carry, I cant forget to choose myself.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
There are many wounds in the area of marriage, family, sexual trauma and emotional abuse. With most of these things happening in my 20′- 30’s, it gave me a very negative. view on the world. I have always been a fighter but I was hardened. Going to grad school to become a therapist helped me understand a lot of my issues but it did not heal me. I did not begin to heal until I accepted Jesus Christ into my life. This was when I began to shed a lot of my pain and see myself the God does. This is why I feel so strongly to help others grow in their faith, heal and thrive! Once I found my identity in him, the anxiety, fear and shame fell off of me. Helping others and having healthy friendships has also healed me as well.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. Going from a private person to a public person has come with its fair share of anxieties. I have a messy past. I have bad hair days and my outfits aren’t always cute: However, I am liberated! I share parts of my testimony online when The Holy Spirit compels me too. There are tender pieces of myself reserved for my husband and kids but for the most part, what you see is what you get.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
There’s more to my voice than what I have been sharing. But I am working on that!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.briannanechelle.com/
- Instagram: @studiobriannanechelle
- Facebook: Studio Brianna Nechelle
Image Credits
Kaelon Luke Walker
