Daily Inspiration: Meet Aryana Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aryana Williams.

Hi Aryana, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Even before I knew it, my life and journey had been a path to beautiful things. I had enhanced the beauty around me and created the beauty I wanted to see. Though I am a growing artist, my journey started very young with church programs and family celebrations! My faith was shaped by the beauty of praising God through music and performance. My mom was our family church’s pianist for 27 years, and with that, I was a part of the choir alongside siblings, cousins, and family members. From there, I found myself participating in several productions and performances. From my elementary school’s Black History Programs to Nordstrom’s Seasonal runway shows and even Pageants for little black girls, these would serve as the foundation for my love of the arts. This was my way of creating– the beautiful things. 

Still infantile in my craft, I craved the technical aptitude of my artistry. 

I attended Dodson Middle School, then home to a renowned drama arts program. The progress made in my journey was essential. Ms. Marcia Barryte, lead Drama teacher of Dodson’s Drama program, believed in me. Her support ignited my curiosity for Shakespearean and Musical Theatre. I participated in competitive acting festivals such as the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California (DTASC) and the Shakespearean Festival. Ms. Barryte sparked immeasurable creativity in me, but she would also instill a lasting gift that would not manifest until years later. Ms. Barryte highlighted the importance of me learning to do my makeup. In a lot of spaces, I was the only black girl. I didn’t understand the importance of what she was doing then, but today, I am so grateful for her guidance. My newfound love for makeup later developed into my career as a makeup artist. My way of enhancing… the beautiful things. 

Armed with inspiration and belief in myself, I moved on to continue my relationship with the arts at the performing-arts-centered Grand Arts High School #9. As an aspiring actor, my experience here helped to strengthen and truly understand my love for performative art. I participated in plays and competitions that allowed me to grow as an artist in more ways than one. The most notable of these was the “August Wilson Monologue Competition.” I won first place on the West Coast. My performative arts skillset strengthened along with my passion for art. In this season, I wanted to know more about myself and study the history of artists who looked like me. This led me to Howard University, one of the cradles of black American art. Howard was where all of my passions and skills began to harmonize. I studied theatre arts and modeling on campus and in community events like the DC Fashion Week. Even in academia, I explored stage makeup through my educational program. My way of finding… the beautiful things. 

I began to refine my path and passion. Art has always been my passion. Makeup, acting, and modeling are my paths. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My journey had its difficulties, but it wasn’t impossible. Nothing is ever impossible. My junior year at Howard University was cut short due to COVID-19. This felt like the beginning of a significant shift in normalcy for all of us. During this period, I experienced substantial changes and, truthfully, disappointments. For me, this meant my study abroad programs would be canceled, and overall, my plans for my future would be completely derailed. I am a planner, and I always have been. To have the structure of my future be swept away so quickly was devastating. 

My disappointment with this swift change was also met with a cloud of grief. Not long before the zenith of COVID-19, I lost my aunt. Immediately after the international emergence of COVID-19, I lost my grandmother to the virus. By this point, any passion I had left was replaced by grief, uncertainty, and darkness. The beauty of life was fading. Because of this, I had no time to think about my 5-year plan. I had no time to consider “what’s next” post-college. My goal was to finish on time and to the best of my ability. I remember waking up before the sunrise in Los Angeles. Taking classes in California for a school based on the East Coast meant waking up 3hrs earlier for my 9 am classes. I was determined to make it to the finish line. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Howard University, I was faced with the reality of what was next for myself. 

During this time, I experienced severe depression and anger. There was no clear vision of my next steps or even just getting a simple job. We were still amid social unrest as a Nation and as a society as a whole. I took to makeup and began posting my makeovers on social media. It felt like an escape. It was all I could do to find something beautiful in my new existence. I didn’t have to think about anything else but the artistry. After some time, people began to ask me if I ever offered my services for hire. I would always quickly respond no. After all these years of only doing my makeup, how could I even think about doing it on anyone but myself? Was I even good enough? 

I decided to take the jump, but I wanted to learn. After all, I was starting from scratch. I applied for MAC Cosmetics and was accepted to join their team! I didn’t begin confidently, and I had much to learn. I started from exactly where I was, but I started. I just had a hunger to learn. I learned by watching, studying, and practicing every single day. (Additionally, all those years of watching YouTube tutorials paid off.) At the beginning of my first year at Nordstrom, I had to move unexpectedly because of a terrible happening, but that’s another story. All in all, this made my learning process financially tricky, but it wasn’t impossible. 

Almost three years into my makeup journey, I’ve developed my craft and even started my own business, AryLuxe Beats. I travel and do makeup for events, red carpets, photoshoots, and films. I am learning to balance all facets of my career: makeup, acting, and modeling. Nothing will ever get in the way of my dreams and visions. Despite the mishaps, I have created a new foundation for my crafts. My perseverance has always been worth it. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a multi-faceted artist and entrepreneur. I am currently building my portfolio and skills for makeup and modeling, but I am most known as an actress. I have studied and performed acting for years, but I have since expanded my brand. I am proud of artists’ ability to mold and shape their journeys through artistry; that is where I am now. As an artist, I am always learning, refining, and collaborating—instead, if it’s on a set-in front or behind the camera. I have diversified my strengths, and that’s what sets me apart. I continue to blossom and reinvent while remaining consistent with my current goals. 

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
COVID-19 left me feeling overwhelmed and empty. I no longer had a plan for my future. A plan that took me until college to curate. I no longer experienced the beauty of learning and molding myself in a new environment. There was so much baggage that came with COVID. Between the figurative and literal occurrence of death, it was hard to keep up. 

Through COVID-19, I learned the secret to success on any scale, whether small or large, was consistency. Every day, I woke up 3hrs hours ahead of my typical schedule and applied whatever energy I could to school. I showed up consistently. I could’ve just given up. With every post or step I would take to legitimize my business, primarily on my own, but also with the help of loved ones. I was one step closer to my goal. As I expanded my business, education, and exposure, I reached new heights I had never encountered. One step closer is still a step. 

Ultimately, taking on obstacles with grace and learning to pivot are paramount traits I have developed over these recent years. As a woman in my early 20s, I have rapidly experienced change. When I freed myself from constantly controlling the narrative and “always getting it right,” I found the answers I sought. I changed my paths but never my goals. My passion for the arts has always remained, but the journey can unexpectedly change. I am molding my future and freeing myself from any pain of my past. I use my disappointments as fuel. The love by which I am surrounded and that I pour out ground me. I am the beautiful dream of my ancestors. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aryluxebeats.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aryluxe_?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Aryluxe_

Image Credits
@ebshotmeh
@henryrjonesii
@robertkazandijan