Artist Statement
Shanta Q
“You are your own best investment.”
Life has taught me an invaluable lesson that I am committed to imparting on as many women around the world as possible: “You are your own best investment.”
I never considered myself the consummate artist. However, finding intentionality in my artistic projects has been an organic process, and quite paramount to my success as an engagingly comedic social media influencer. For years, I wholeheartedly embraced my role as a corporate accountant and revenue officer for the Department of Treasury. At times, I felt as if the role defined me as I spent nearly 80 hours each week managing multi-million dollar accounts owned by the nation’s top conglomerates. While fully immersed in my thriving career, I was afflicted by a heart attack– followed by a stroke– which changed the course of my life and left me in recovery mode for years to come.
I was blessed with a second chance during the recuperation process, which is when I promised myself to lean on my faith in guiding me through a new way of living with a fresh vision. My new mission? Not only would I smile through the pain, but I would encourage others to laugh through their own tumultuous times.
My recovery journey has inspired me to seek moments of joy in everything I do. I’m steadfastly devoted to encouraging women to parlay their passion into purpose while allowing FAITH to lead the way. I decided to take control of the trajectory of my life after overcoming my personal tragedies that could have sent me into a tailspin of despair. However, I decided to embark on a transformational journey– which included a 40-day character makeover to allow my beauty to emanate from within, embrace self-love, and empower other women to look inward for their own pathways to happiness.
Inspiring women to believe in themselves
I founded @heyshantaQ to catalyze a viral movement inspiring women to believe in themselves while laughing through the frustrations of life. As an artist, the mediums I’ve used have included misdirected stories, public pranks, viral videos, reality television, and musings about my personal life. My aesthetic can be described as relatable, conversational, humorous, subversive, and at times, downright and endearingly inappropriate. Everyone endures a season of struggle and strife, so the unifying characteristic of my work relies on humor as a means of exploration into the darker side of life. In doing so, my intention is to overshadow difficult, taboo topics by amplifying my own marginalized experiences, utilizing first-person narration, dark comedy, and internal monologues. Much of the dark humor focuses on extemporaneous commentary of everyday occurrences. I tend to fashion my immersive comedy style after the likes of comedic writers such as Dick Gregory, David Allen Grier, Robert Townsend, George Carlin, Moms Mabley, Gertrude Stein, and Whoopi Goldberg.
My measure of success lies in knowing that I’m making a difference in the lives of women everywhere as I continue to allow my personal motto to serve as my guiding light: “The only opportunities unavailable to you are the ones you don’t pursue.” Witnessing women conquering their fears while standing confidently in their identities serves as my confirmation to proceed in producing comedic content that speaks to the collective. Through my art, I will continue to create a haven for my devoted sisterhood through my conversational coaching, relevant stories, and comedic endeavors.
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