Meet Kristian Ayana, an Atlanta Artist, Empowerment Coach & Founder of Shvdes of Beauty

Please introduce yourself and walk us through your story.

My name is Kristian Ayana, I am an artist, empowerment coach and founder of the platform Shvdes Of Beauty.

 

I decided to start this platform due to my personal experiences with colorism. Colorism in the past has affected both my mental and emotional states and overall my self- confidence.

 

Thankfully, I have grown and learned how to overcome the trauma that colorism brings. With this platform, I am able to empower and encourage other individuals who have encountered and encountering similar battles as myself.

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Please define Colorism.

Colorism is defined as prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.

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What challenges have you faced along the way? How did you overcome these challenges?

I have been discriminated against starting from childhood to young adulthood. I am 23 years young. As a model in my community, I have been discriminated against within the local modeling industry. The individuals who have discriminated against me the most has been from my own ethnic group, within the school system and local Atlanta modeling industry.

 

The key to overcoming colorism is finding GOD ( if you're spiritual) and loving yourself. If you're spiritual, finding and talking to GOD about the conflicts in your life while also asking him to guide you to peace and resolution, helps you become overall stronger amongst other qualities, when overcoming these challenges.

 

When you love yourself, the words and actions of others can't affect you. Loving yourself involves having self- awareness ( knowing yourself). So the answer to your question is by finding and talking to GOD, learning to love myself and gaining self-awareness. I also perform daily activities which help keep me at peace, which is praying to God, meditating, modeling, listening to and writing music and poetry, drawing, exercising etc.

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How can others get involved with Shvdes of Beauty?

Get involved by contacting us directly at @shvdesofbeauty on Instagram or emailing us shvdesofbeauty@gmail.com.

 

What have you been focusing on lately?

Lately, I've been focusing on personal growth, obtaining my Masters, enhancing my Modeling career and launching upcoming businesses/ organizations which include Shvdes Of Beauty.

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Do you have any quotes or sayings that you live by? What are they?

I have many. Bible verse Romans 8:28 " And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are called accordingly to his purpose." " Tiny But Fierce"- Shakespeare. Most recently, inserts from " Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou has been touching me.

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