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In life, we often forget how essential it is to express our true uniqueness. When it comes to our creative pursuits one of the biggest roadblocks that get in the way of that is fear – it’s time to let that go.
Welcome to Lean In. A podcast that explores ordinary people’s extraordinary lives through honest storytelling. My guests share with me their journey of discovery, laughter, personal experiences and healing.
If you are going through a change or challenging period in life, Lean In is the space where we can surrender to the cycle together.
In this episode of Lean In, I dive into the fascinating life of Kamau Abayomi and the inner workings of his highly artistic mind. Kamau is the embodiment of the term “Artist”. From being surrounded by creatives in his celebrity-filled kitchen to a clairvoyant’s vision, kick-starting his successful career.
During his journey, Kamau Abayomi has been named ‘Best Poet’ in the Oakland, California poetry slam finals. He is the 2-time winner of the International Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Poetry Slam in Bali, Indonesia.
He has been a guest artist and workshop facilitator at the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India and has conducted poetry, art and activism workshops in Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, West Papua.
Kamau has been the featured poet on three chart-topping afro-house singles released by 2017’s #1 afro-house label, MoBlack Records:
- VNICVM ft. Kamau Abayomi ‘Know Thyself’
- MoBlack, M. Caporale & Kamau Abayomi, ‘Kiss We Pt. 1’
- MoBlack, Moon Rocket & Kamau Abayomi, ‘You & I Are God’
Present in all of Kamau’s work is a deep love, respect and honouring of the unique individual & the collective identity. Without separation, harmonizing the mind/body/spirit dynamics of allowing one to navigate the complexities of life from a centred and balanced perspective.
The art that flows through Kamau delves deep into dialogue on spiritual awareness, energy dynamics, nature, connection and soul purpose, in a manner that is grounded and relatable.
As with all good stories, Kamau starts at the very beginning of his creative journey. From his first stage performance at the age of five, to mentoring the Bali hip-hop dancer outfit, Aerial Crew. He explains that we should all open up into our own uniqueness and why persistence is crucial for learning new skills.
I could have talked to him for hours, and got so much from our conversation, and I know that you’ll love him as much as I do.
Other insights we talk about are:
- Kamau’s mother and why she was his original influence
- The Bboys – Kamau’s award-winning mentorships
- How Kamau gets into his multiple creative processes
- The importance of expressing through art and using space
- How you can begin ‘taking back your brush’ and open up to your uniqueness
- The necessity of persistence
- #Methree – Kamau’s revealing and intimate book
- How you can find your voice to share your story and heal
- Qigong – Moving your stagnant energy and encouraging flow
- Kamau’s daily mind practices – midnight meditations
Links:
Silent Warrior Spirit – Instagram
Theatre (Curation/Directing/Writing and Choreography)
Music:
