Today we’d like to introduce you to Nia Lee.
Nia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I often come back to the saying, “you can do anything that you put your mind to.” It’s everywhere! It’s followed me relentlessly, so much so that at this point when I encounter it, it rings hollow. Putting your mind to something is one thing but having the community to support you in seeing it through is another beast entirely. My parents, in particular, have functioned as that support for me throughout my life. I would not be where I am today without their selfless sacrifices which have allowed me the space to dream. That space to dream has given me the ability to live many lives and explore many different paths.
For example as a youth, I found the root of my true self in the competitive poetry slams and Black punk and indie music scenes of New York City, where I activated the power of my voice. I then jumped to a completely different path where I explored a future in public service, working for the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and United States Department. Growing up at the intersection of tech and social justice, I was also able to pursue a career in social media marketing. To be honest, I feel a little bit like Goldilocks and the Three Bears trying all of these different paths, trying to find the right one! Through it all though, I grounded these experiences in critical feminist theory work that manifested through an experimental art practice rooted in tech and food justice via youth activism.
“Nia” means intention or purpose and I think that with my brain defaulted to dreamer mode, I’ll always hop around and do what feels like I’m living with intention, purpose, and integrity. At the moment, I feel the most authentically me in my work as a marketer, artist, and founder of Stormé Supper Club and I’m so excited about what I’ll continue to dream up with these ventures.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Ha! Is anyone’s road smooth? I’d love to meet that person! Things have been pretty challenging for me throughout the years. I grew up queer in a deep internal battle fueled by the homophobic rhetoric spewed by my church pulpit. Severely bullied for most of my school years, my queerness also proved to make things extremely difficult for me at school, where it seemed like I could never really fit in. I was in such a dark place for so long that it became my baseline. Even though on the surface, I seemed to be thriving, that very surface felt like a walking shell, I was unable to find myself in.
Ultimately, things came to a head with an unsuccessful attempt to take my own life. With that second chance, I knew that I had to figure out how to make this life thing work and had to tap into my support systems to help me get there. When I think about my life today, what I’m most proud of is the deep internal work I’ve done and that I continue to do be okay with being authentically me. This took hundreds of hours of meditation, journals loaded with scribbles of affirmations, years of therapy, all to get me to a place where I’m excited and thankful about my time on this planet. Driven by my own experiences, I feel compelled to create the artwork and the beloved and intentional community that I wish that I had seen growing up.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I am an artist and the founder of Stormé Supper Club! Stormé Supper Club is the manifestation of that beloved community I dreamed about growing up. It’s Los Angeles’s only supper club centering queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and women of color (QTBIWOC) and our goal is to create a safe, nourishing, tender space rooted in amazing food, wine, and conversation.
The Club is named after queer trailblazer and patron saint, Stormé Delarverie. Stormé was one of the first iconic drag kings to emerge through the Harlem Renaissance and played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots. I’m proud to honor her legacy and lift up her name through this Club. I see food as an art practice and creative outlet, so I take as much time picking herbs from my garden and curating menus as I do creating my paintings!
Speaking of visual art, when it comes to my artistry, my mediums include painting, mixed media, sculpture, performance, installation, and community building as installation. I focus a lot on futurism and the relationship of the Black queer gendered body living amidst power and identity in America. My work is on display at the LGBTQ Center in West Hollywood from February 22 – March 20th. Stop by!
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I think luck is all about perspective. Things happen to and for us and we decide how to make sense of the chaos. I put more of my focus on magic. To me, luck feels passive but magic is an intentional and active practice. It’s the deep knowing that all is moving in the direction of my highest good and the practice of affirming that good through actions. Magic is all around us and in us, we just have to make the decision to tap into it. This understanding plays a critical role in all that I do and lives at the core of all my creative endeavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stormesupperclub.com
- Instagram: @StormeSupperClub AND
- Other: Www.NiaLee.Me
Image Credit:
Bri Akakpo @Brillant007
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