Rising Stars: Meet Sky Avakian of Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sky Avakian.

Hi Sky, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born under a New Moon in Hollywood, California. The bright eyed black sheep child of an Armenian family. It was clear to me, at an early age, that I was here to meet life head on, stand face to face with the extraordinary, and to live wholly and absolutely with every fibre of my being. And so I chose to follow my curiosity off the beaten path and towards my dream.

One day, I quite literally wished upon a star, in the name of freedom, truth, and love, and what came back to me was the gift of song- my muse, my compass, and my heart. Music has been my most fulfilling outlet of expression and a reflection of my personal evolution, beginning from a place of radical self-inquiry and changing over the years into a deep communion with the “Music of the Spheres”- the divine dance of harmony in the symphony of existence. I am endlessly captivated by the elements of Nature: The Sun, The Moon, the wind, the birds and the stars… But my deepest source of inspiration is the Ocean, a place where I truly come home to myself. It is where I am able to listen and receive the wisdom of the Universe in hopes of making the unseen, seen and to reveal glimpses of the magic and mystery of life through my words and my songs.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The path of the artist is an intensely beautiful one. We are such sensitive people, we feel and experience so much along with this inexplicable drive to express those feelings. It truly is a remarkable gift to be able to transmute that emotion and elevate it into form. I consider my voice to be my “home” and my most precious resource- It has asked me to take risk after risk, face my fears, and have the courage to forge and not follow. It has been a challenge to stay true to that voice, especially through life’s obstacles and periods of self-doubt- resisting the temptations to listen or conform to external voices of authority whether personal or systemic. For me, being an artist is not a choice, and I wouldn’t even call it a “calling-“ It is a way of living, breathing and being in the world- and despite the ups and downs of such an unconventional and unpredictable path, I really wouldn’t change it for the world.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a singer/songwriter, musician, and electronic producer. My music is scintillating and ethereal- all of it deeply personal- like a diary written in rhymes. I am inspired by the intersection of sweetness and sorrow, sweeping emotions and vast open spaces. I love that feeling of sudden light- like in movie scenes when the plane is fighting through the thunderclouds and then suddenly breaks free into the golden sunlight of a clear blue sky.

My creative practice is very intuitive and has evolved over the years to become a beautiful communion with the energies within and around me. I allow myself to sink deep into the silence of the empty space in order to connect to the sounds or songs that want to emerge. My projects are almost all DIY- writing and producing not only the music, but the media and visual stories. I create, perform and edit- guerrilla style- music videos for most of my songs, recruiting my husband to capture the imagery on our iPhones. Doing things yourself comes with logistical parameters- but they have helped me think outside of the box and just dig deeper into my creative well to come up with imaginative ways of bringing my visions to life. My ultimate aim as an artist is to express the truth of my essence into form and while doing so, I hope to bring more beauty and love into this world.

What sets any artist apart is when they are brave and patient enough to allow their own Unique spark to materialize- I think Martha Graham said it best:
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.”

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
To trust myself.
To remain true.
To have fun.
To never give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skyavakian.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyavakian/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB68h4_DDjpbZuQE9NJrZsw?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fMl6G17gRhta6XBx16CH6?si=BLjSpFVcRjae1wGPcdSIog&nd=1&dlsi=11d05463ed044405

Image Credits
Photos by Hagop Belian