ARTIST & WRITER TO KNOW: KAMRI COLE
KAMRI COLE
Kamri Cole is an actress, author, and graduate of Howard University. Kamri published her first book, Moments to Myself: Living in the Now, to help awaken others to live fully in every moment and connect with their own unique journey and purpose. Through healing work and storytelling, Kamri believes in elevating the consciousness of people by empowering them and bringing them to a more spiritual and loving place.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
KAMRI COLE: Houston, TX raised me, Los Angeles pays me! I’m just another African American girl from the South with dreams and awarenesses that exceed my southern roots because they speak to who I am in a much more eternal sense.
SHEER: How did your cultural and family upbringing influence your creative journey?
KC: My mom’s family in Houston and my dad’s in Detroit have always had to do what they could to survive. For most, that meant going to college and/or getting a good-paying job. As a result, they didn’t fully step into their creative gifts because they either weren’t awarded the privilege to do so or chose a more secure route. However, I was constantly surrounded by the arts of music and film and that birthed in me a desire to fully immerse myself in creative pursuits.
These past factors have heavily influenced me to utilize my art to speak to those who are filled with creative gifts and encourage them to use them! Through music and film, which embody the essence of storytelling, I’m inspired to fully embrace my true nature and use all the creativity embedded in my authentic self for a greater purpose.
SHEER: What led you to pursue acting and how did that path shift over time to include writing?
KC: Acting was something that I was always passionate about doing from a young age before I could fully express it as so. However, writing is my natural-born gift. Prior to taking my first acting class, I remember being a kindergartener writing short stories to my mom made out of colored construction paper. My imagination needed constant feeding and releasing as I absolutely loved books and would read every single day! (Shout out to mom for planting a book in every car and room for my pleasure + reading comprehension.) Inspired by Junie B. Jones, I then began journaling at the age of six, which allowed me to learn to fully express myself through writing.
These experiences combined allowed me to understand that my passion has actually always been storytelling. The means by which I accomplish that may reside in a different art form, but the mission is still the same: to make a statement through story that will push the spirits of society to a more loving place.
“Through music and film, which embody the essence of storytelling, I’m inspired to fully embrace my true nature and use all the creativity embedded in my authentic self for a greater purpose.”
SHEER: How did you overcome feeling like you were too young to write a book? In what ways do you affirm your journey and voice in Moments to Myself: Living in the Now?
KC: I realized it wasn’t about me! Haha. No, but really I just had to accept within myself that my journey wasn’t going to look like everyone else’s. I hadn’t seen too many people my age publish a book about self-development and had to be okay with stepping outside of the box I was preemptively trying to put myself in. Also, simply validate my own life experiences!!! I didn’t need to be 40+ or at the peak of my career to share many gems I’d learned in life thus far. My ego thought people wouldn’t be receptive because of my age, but you can literally learn the most astounding life lessons from 1 yr olds… so who am I to invalidate myself or project what someone may or may not be thinking. In my book, I have a whole chapter dedicated to getting over your ego, which definitely helped me in the process!
SHEER: What did you learn about yourself as you were writing your book? When did you know it was ready to publish?
KC: I realized I had been given something more special than I made it out to be–the knowledge in my book bestowed unto me and the ability to be fully creative in my expression. I didn’t realize I could feel so free while being so vulnerable and authentically myself. 10/10 recommend. I knew my book was ready to be published almost nine months before it was, but just like the birth of a newborn baby, there is a pre-development process.
SHEER: After surviving a toxic and abusive relationship, how have you been navigating your journey to healing and coming back to yourself? How has your creative expression played a part in this healing process?
KC: In Moments to Myself, I walk you through my healing journey and highlight that while we can’t blame ourselves for what has happened to us, we are responsible for how we move forward. It was very important for me to seek counseling and return to the person I was prior to my pain. Having the courage to exude love and trust others, despite what I’ve been through has helped a great deal. My experience with love is not something I want to forever be diluted because of one guy. Acting and writing have also given me the platform to express and heal parts of myself that I may not have ever tapped into, and I’m forever grateful!
“Gain a deeper relationship within yourself. Whatever that looks like for you, getting closer to God, trusting yourself, meditating, etc. DO THAT! That allows you to tap into your creative energy and move in flow with where your journey wants to take you.”
SHEER: What advice would you give creatives on how to stay present and true to themselves and their unique journeys?
KC: Gain a deeper relationship within yourself. Whatever that looks like for you, getting closer to God, trusting yourself, meditating, etc. DO THAT! That allows you to tap into your creative energy and move in flow with where your journey wants to take you. By doing so, you become more comfortable with the things that make you unique (which is what makes your art valuable) and aware of the signs that take place in the present moment. As a result, you allow life to present new opportunities that are in alignment with your authentic self and purpose.
“I didn’t realize I could feel so free while being so vulnerable and authentically myself. 10/10 recommend. ”
SHEER: How do you envision your acting and writing careers merging in the future?
KC: Definitely writing a screenplay that I will feature in. When? Stay tuned.
SHEER: What do you look forward to next in your creative journey?
KC: Allowing the understanding of what it means to live in the moment to mature and influence my artistry on an even deeper level. I’m also really excited about merging my love for dance, film, and music into one project.
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By Tiara Starks
Zhané Aliya is a content creator based in the Nashville bringing her own flair to the fashion, lifestyle, and DIY beauty content niches while speaking in-depth about her experiences as a Black creator navigating the platform’s ever-changing algorithm.