Today we’d like to introduce you to Justen Okanemi.
Hi Justen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
From an early age, all I’ve known is art. My childhood consisted of a lot of time spent with my grandfather, where I ultimately discovered poetry at the age of 5. I often delved in my brother’s Brittanica Encyclopedias along with my grandfather’s typewriter, pouring my imagination onto the canvas of my reality.
As the years waned, poetry became the gateway to other forms of art — like story writing & photography. I used to sneak and take my mother’s Polaroid camera so I could tape photos in my composition notebooks of poetry. She was always forgiving.
Writing and photography introduced me to sketching, as I found inconvenience in not being able to photograph my imagination. I carried these 3 up until after high school, where I enlisted in the military, and with some of the psychological programming given in the military, I lost a bit of my connection to art. I still created, but there was a bridge within the love and passion.
Stationed in Germany from 2012 to 2016, I underwent spinal surgery my third year there, and while faced with the fear of limited walking and functioning, poetry made its way back to me. That’s when I began my first poetry blog, developing an interest in design.
A year later, I was out of the military, back stateside, and embarking on my journey of healing and self-actualization. I relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I found alignment in my purpose. A night of meditating led to a kundalini activation, which shed light to me that I needed to pursue my passions. I found my way back to photography and poetry, while also being introduced to writing music.
Ambitiously chasing this pursuit eventually resulted in my moving to Las Vegas to finish my degree — and while entering the next semester, the school shut down, and I had found myself frustrated, selling all of my belongings and booking a one-way flight back to Europe, where I eventually left to go backpacking in Thailand and Bali.
Just me, my camera, notebook, and a tote bag with clothes I’d find myself buying in the street markets. I had never felt so alive…
Upon coming back to the states after a long hiatus, I settled in South Carolina until moving back to Las Vegas. It was on my second move to the West that I began painting. My first two days, I painted 14 and 16 hours. Soon after, I unconsciously skipped meals, just diving deep into the creations I would make. Days, weeks, months of painting sun up to sun down, and the Hause Of Soulo was formed.
I realized art was everything and that everything is art. I explored more of my creative side during this pursuit, such as clothing, interior design, crafting my skills as a sketcher, making jewelry, and swimming deeper in energy work.
Art has not only saved my life, but it has opened my eyes to all the possibilities that exist within this realm. I’m forever thankful!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The battles of battling PTSD and depression were probably some of the most challenging obstacles I’ve had, along with the lingering mental and physical effects from being in the military. Having to rehabilitate yourself, expression and outlook is a lot more turbulent than many would expect.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in poetry, photography, painting, fashion design, sketching, and honestly anything that could entail artistic expression. I wouldn’t consider myself a jack of all trades but a master lover of artistic expression. My mantra is “you can’t spell heART or eARTh without art,” so I see any and every possibility in life as art.
Most of my days are spent painting, writing, designing fashion ideas, and working with photo, but I make it an effort to hone in on my other interests in the arts.
Honestly, I’m most proud of my relentless pursuit of the arts since I was a child and how much I’ve evolved over time. I truly put my soul into everything I create, and it makes me proud when I think of little me — to where I am now.
What sets me apart from others? I’ve never been a person to think of what others do or how I could be different. As a child, I taught myself the concept of creating my own utopia, and it’s carried with me til this day. When in the arts, I visit my utopia, and what’s cultivated there is expression of the soul and my heart. I hope that my experiences, my soul, and vision is felt by others who cross paths with either my expressions or self.
What matters most to you?
What matters to me most is my purpose. How I live this life, how I affect others of past generations, this generation, and generations after I am no longer here. Being intentional with any and everything I create, my pursuit of passions and healing have led me to where I am — along with my heart, conscience, and ancestors especially. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them and near-death experiences at an early age blessed me with a divine appreciation for life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hauseofsoulo.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/hauseofsoulo
- Other: www.Instagram.com/okanemi.co
Image Credits
Bryen Trawick
Justen Okanemi
