Daily Inspiration: Meet Kiana Nicole Washington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiana Nicole Washington.

Hi Kiana Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been performing for as long as I can remember, starting out as a singer when I was in elementary school. I grew up singing in church choir and I even wrote music on my own and with my sisters. I loved singing, but I always knew that I wanted to act. When I went to high school, I had my first opportunity to perform in a musical as Marta von Trapp in The Sound of Music. And that is where my love for the stage started to grow. I performed and competed in singing and acting competitions all through high school and started transitioning from the stage to the camera as I prepared for higher education. I did not have a lot of film opportunity in Watkinsville, GA, but I knew that was what I wanted to work towards. During college, I developed my skills and took classes both on campus at the University of Georgia and off campus at acting studios in Atlanta, GA. I was fortunate to act on a few projects while working on my degrees, but it wasn’t till after I graduated that I was fully available and ready to act full-time! Even though I graduated during the pandemic (through Youtube LOL), I jumped right into the film industry and moved to Los Angeles a year after graduation, which is where I have been since, living and loving my craft!

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?
It was a challenge knowing exactly what I wanted to do at such a young age but not having the resources, guidance, and opportunities easily accessible. As supportive as my parents have always been of my artistic dreams, they were not very familiar with the entertainment industry and didn’t know how to help me get started. We were also living in a small town in Georgia so classes and opportunities themselves were not very close. I ended up having to do a lot of learning and research on my own to find a way to make acting a more obtainable goal for myself.

A more recent struggle I have been facing is a failed surgery that I never recovered from. Throughout my childhood, I struggled with foot pain because I was extremely flat-footed and had an additional bone in my foot that always caused discomfort. So during the pandemic, when the pain was unbearable, I had a procedure done that was supposed to rid my pain but actually permanently disabled me which has been a huge hindrance on my acting. While it is an invisible disability and I am able to walk normal, I am in constant pain when standing, which is not easy as an actress and former dancer. However, I have not let this stop me! It is just something that is now a part of me and am still learning how to manage.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actress, a singer, and a creative at heart. Acting has always been my passion, but in college, I also studied film production so I love to produce, direct, and act in my own projects! Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to produce a few different projects from narrative short films to documentaries, and even a musical adaptation of the song “A Part of That” from one of my favorite musicals, The Last Five Years. I find so much joy in the entire filmmaking process and creating works that inspire others!

I have loved a lot of the stories and characters that I have created, but I don’t think that I could narrow down the project I am most proud of. I am mostly just proud of my journey, how far I have come in this short amount of time, and my determination to never give up on what I love the most. One of my favorite projects I worked on this year was my first series regular role in a limited series called Linked by Love. This project was so fun to work on and I learned so much from the talented ensemble of actors that were part of my family!

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people who know me are aware that I sing, but what they don’t know is that years ago my younger and older sister and I had a musical girl group led by my dad. This is how we all initially got into the arts. Since all of our names start with a K, our group was called K Cubed and we often had jam sessions and worked on our music throughout our childhood. From there, we all found our own creative paths: my older sister is now a music teacher, my little sister is a writer, and I continued exploring my passion as a performer. Now, my little sister, Kalani Washington and I collaborate a lot as she writes everything I direct/produce. While we used to focus on music, the last few years we have been writing our first limited series that we are so excited to eventually share with the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kiananicolewashington.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiananicolewashington/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiana.washington.908/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiananicolew
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/RSpTnmOA35k
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kiananicole30?_t=8XdvxqcXpsp&_r=1

Image Credits
Juliana Nguyen, Tracy Page, Eric Keitel, Ruben Ortiz, Paul Cannon