Today we’d like to introduce you to Nas’tassia Simpson.
Nas’tassia, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I feel like my eyes just opened a year ago. Before then, it’s really all a blur. I’d like to say I always had an interest in fashion, but never really had the opportunity to express or discover that side of me in the past. I was raised attending private school most of my life, which was extremely limiting when it came to dressing daily. For my last year of high school though, I transferred to a public high school and finally got a taste of what fashion could be like for me. There, I met my best friend, who was a Japanese/Native American mix. The way she dressed really sparked my curiosity, especially since I was a big anime fan and her Japanese culture was very prominent in the way she dressed. I always found the fashion in animes to be very flamboyant and eccentric, and after meeting her, it definitely furthered my belief. It was the first time I got to encounter up close someones’ individual style and what it meant to them. It was around that time that I knew I wanted to study fashion. During this time, I had just begun modeling to a small degree, my biggest job at that time was with Journeys. However, my modeling career was also very limited due to my parents’ inexperience with the industry & their ability to bring me to castings and jobs consistently because of their own work.
Unfortunately/fortunately for me, at the same time, I was not confident in my abilities to pursue my dreams. I knew my Caribbean parents wouldn’t support my shaky decision on studying fashion, as I wasn’t sure about it myself. I never applied to any school that I truly wanted to go to because a) at the time, I knew my parents wouldn’t be able to afford it and b) I was afraid. I stayed home and tried to pursue a degree to eventually become a physical therapist, but I knew in my heart that it was something that I didn’t really want to do. Eventually, I stopped taking classes and paused on school for a bit, just to really clarify what I wanted to do. It was during that time that I discovered the most about who I really am, not who everyone else wanted me to be.
A year ago, my eyes finally opened, and I knew that no matter what, my passion was in the creative industry and I’d do whatever it takes to follow my true dreams. I began becoming actively involved with my community and other creatives that lived in my vicinity. I began to produce my ideas and bring them to life…and other people enjoyed my work. It came to a surprise to me, and it still does, to be honest. I feel that I’m still in a developmental stage, even at my ripe age of 25. It took a lot of hard truths to get my mind to finally be on the same page as my dreams, but now, the options are limitless. I’m currently pursuing my dream and goal to make modeling my full-time career, for now. I’ll be moving to New York to fully integrate myself in that atmosphere. That’s it for now; I’ll keep you guys updated on where that takes me!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
So besides modeling, I also have an interest in photography, creative directing, styling, and set design. I would say that these are all secondary to my modeling career currently, but I feel they all work together to play an essential role in my life. For me, having knowledge of every working piece of the final product is really important. As a model, it gives me insight on everyone’s’ jobs on set and what it takes to complete each one, which really gives me another level of appreciation for each person on the team.
All of my art forms, as I’ve said, are still in their developmental stages. I’m still curating the voice I want to have in this industry and what exactly I want to express. I know for sure that my art will be focused on beauty, and how it can be found anywhere. I find that once you give yourself a label on what kind of art you create, it can be very limiting. A good quote from Nina Simone set a tone for me about creating: “The role of the artist is, to tell the truth of our time.”
Heeding her words, I think most of my art will be centered around the uprising of the black community around the world, women & our ongoing battle about what beauty is, & nature intertwined. I want to document the change, and I want to be part of it. The past fascinates me, but so does the future. The present is here and now, and I want to create imagery of it all. Most of all, I want my work to make the viewer a little unsettled, and a little uncomfortable at times. I aim to stir something inside your heart, inside your mind.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Take some time to discover what truly matters to you. Find yourself and let your crowd find you. Innately, you know what you want to create, you know your voice, you just have to clear out all the other voices from your family and friends, from strangers, from your mentors or people you look up to telling you who they think you are. Discover yourself and the world simultaneously. The beauty about it all is that you don’t have to follow one path. We are meant to be dynamic, and the world is the one that says we aren’t supposed to be so. Make your own choices. You’re responsible for yourself and the path you choose to take. Always remember that.
Most of all, believe in yourself. When you become discouraged, find ways to replenish your belief in self. Some have it easier than others, trust me, as I’ve fought myself many times over. Just never give up on you. You’re all you got.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Right now, you can keep up with me on my website, nastassiasays.com. It’ll be the hub of my online consciousness, in a sense. I’m planning on starting a blog where you’ll be able to receive any tips I’ve collected over the years of working in this industry, as well as my own thoughts and opinions on random things. You can also follow me on Instagram/Twitter/Tumblr. My accounts are all under ‘nastassiasays.’ I have another Instagram handle ‘imnastassia’ for all my other work (photography, styling, creative direction projects/set design).
How can people support? If you like my work and if it resonates with you, share it with people you know who’ll care. I create to express myself. & I like to leave myself pretty vulnerable to show that we all go through similar things. I don’t want people to think I’m special, I just want to be human and for everyone to see that I’m not perfect, just like everyone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: nastassiasays.com
- Email: info@nastassiasays.com
- Instagram: nastassiasays & imnastassia
- Twitter: twitter.com/nastassiasays
- Other: tumblr.com/nastassiasays
Image Credit:
Photographed by Cj Hart
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