Daily Inspiration: Meet Kaelani Amari

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaelani Amari.

Kaelani, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am 22 years old woman from Madison, Wisconsin. I moved here when I was 19 years old to pursue my dreams in modeling and music and boy has it been a journey starting all the way from my childhood to the place that I am in now. I was raised by my mom and grandma with my dad being incarcerated since I was two years old. My grandma stepped in to help my mom out and I am so grateful for having my grandma so close to me in my life she is the one who truly helped me express my creative intuitive funky side of myself growing up. I grew up in small predominantly white town… so as a tall awkward young little black girl, I NEVER fit in or felt accepted especially on top of that, I have these “larger then life“ dreams and aspirations for myself that were hugely looked down on by my peers. Luckily I found my place playing viola in orchestra throughout my school years and singing in choir. The support from my mom and my grandma is main reason as well too why I am who I am and where I am today. They have always supported me in being a creative at heart, finding my true passion in the arts vs what society deems acceptable. So it made it pretty easy to decide at 17 when I graduated that I wanted to take modeling seriously. I’ve always been tall my whole life so it’s just something that resonated with me as long as I can remember. I would tell people I wanted to be a star and wanted to model. Haha, boy the looks I’ve gotten. I was never interested in anything school-related so it was a hard option to choose as kids being kids and bullying made me feel like I was dumb for not being the best at school.

I really suppressed myself growing up and created a wall that I had to push through and step out of to find myself at a time when I had no “realistic” plans getting close to graduating. But I just listened to my gut and started modeling. I independently modeled for two years and fell in love after my first shoot. I was shooting my ass off and working a retail job for income! Then at 19, I decided to move out here to Long Beach and get signed as a model to start professionally working as I was tired of the small town not serious scene. The struggle has been real omg!!! Being alone across the country in this city has been challenging in many many many ways. But here I am three years later, signed and working on pushing my brand so I can say that I am proud of myself for not giving up and keeping consistent pushing my dreams when nobody else could see them. Nothing about this path has been easy but it has showed me the true strength in myself that I have. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I have received and the people in my life who have been here through me figuring out who I am as woman first and then transmuting that energy into a creation of myself that you guys see in my modeling now and soon to come music and more 🙂 I’m just working on being present and happy in the everyday as I let what’s meant for me, come, and release what no longer serves me.✨

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Of course, it has not been a smooth road! One of the biggest struggles I would say is dealing with my mental health. Adulting is rough and I am not for it at all haha everything about it is trash. So just trying to balance such a vulnerable career with it being me being the business, my body, my hair, my whole appearance it becomes so personal… it can just get hard balancing social media and reality that combo just brings out the anxietyyyyy. And then adulting on top of that? Did I say that before, oops😂

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So currently, I am signed to natural models LA. I really enjoy working as a model it’s pretty damn cool to be doing exactly what 16 year old me said I would do. If I went back in time and could talk to myself, I know I would not believe it! My favorite part of modeling which is what I first fell in love with before modeling for brands was working with a set of creatives hair, Mua, Photog, etc. (which in the very beginning, I wore all of those hats styling myself, doing my own hair and makeup before the shoot) and just shooting. I love the flow embodying a character or a mood and letting it shine through the way that I flow and pose my body. Having a vision and an idea and just bringing it to life is so satisfying. Yeah, my photoshoots that I just was allowed to go crazy with the posing and the whole team snapped on my look is the work that I am most proud of and enjoy doing. I am also proud of showing myself that I can book all of these dope brands in LA there are so many I honestly don’t have a favorite just grateful for every job big or small.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next two years, I would love to transition into music being my main thing. Just kind of a full circle life moment thing for me as it was the only thing that kept me going as a kid and is my first love. In the next 5-10 years, I want to be a certified businesswoman okayyyy Kae Amar the brand baby, there is so many facets to me I cannot simply be complacent choosing one thing for the rest of my life I want to do it all and I can.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelaniamari/