Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanelle Smith.
Hi Shanelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was about 6 years old. “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here”, by Deborah Cox. It became my signature solo performance as I sang my little heart out of every single lyric, at every single family gathering. At age 7, I journaled my way into writing my first rap song. I turned 8 and quickly realized, my body has the ability to flow just as fluently as the music encompassing it. And thus, my artistry took root. It’s funny because I come from a rapidly multiplying family of old fashioned, strongly engrained routine and tradition. Simple: go to school, get employed, start a family, pass it on. It is sort of the motto everyone tends to live by, comfortably and without question…and maybe even without knowing. In fact, most of my artistic seeds were watered by family DIY projects during the holidays and joining the praise team for Sunday morning worship. The idea of tradition was always one I could highly respect and appreciate in regards to how close-knit it has kept us all over the years, but never one the complexities of my bottomless mind could ever deem fulfilling to the point of containing my imaginatively “unrealistic” dreams. I remember having the most random yet vivid visions, standing before crowds of utter diversity. Never much audio or context. Always much passion and purpose. Though this is not a typical concept to grasp in one’s younger days, I barely knew a decade here on this earth before something finally clicked—before I was able to sense God’s plan. There had been some calling placed on my life from the inside. I began to acknowledge and ingest the true substance of “this is just as much greater THAN me, as it is FOR me”. The older I grew, the more His visions for me began to feel something like a ladder to safety for my dreams and—well…for life in general. I will explain why:
Growing up, it is important to note, not a lot of room was made for raw and honest emotional expression. This can be a problem for any young’n, of course. But when a child’s emotional awareness significantly surpasses her ability to identify and/or process her emotional experiences? Life can become really overwhelming, really fast. What do I mean by that? Simply put, I could gauge every bit of how intensely I would feel, but rarely ever what those feelings actually could be. I am a hardcore intellectual by nature. Trapped inside the body of an empathetic problem-solver. As a result, processing emotions felt like full-time mental labor, and I a slave to it. But fortunately for me, I have a mother who pays attention. Even when she did not possess all the verbal tools needed to communicate with me, she saw fit to provide me with a tool effective in aiding healthy communication (at least with self): a journal—my first journal at around 6 years old, to provoke one of my earliest and most life-changing shifts. It was as if my pencil began to translate messages my lips had learned to forbid. As if my emotions had formed this…unbreakable bond with my imagination, I figured out how to safeguard my heart’s stories with metaphoric truths. I was no longer allowing the intricacies of life to overcrowd this beautifully hyperactive brain of mine. This, was poetry. And poetry became the first step to a relinquishing I never knew my soul needed—to surrender unto its ordained purpose. So, there we have it; at an age earlier than many, I was gifted the pleasure of (unknowingly) discovering my voice.
Moving forward, activities such as reading and (especially) listening to music created something evolutionary within me. I truly felt my heart opening up to be filled by the expressions of all those well-established writers and lyricists out there. What began as a hobby had become a total infatuation, as I made a sport out of juggling literary devices with rhythmic tunes. I was sharpening my skills. I was cultivating my gifts. But it wasn’t until my 12th grade English teacher read my first poetry assignment to the entire class, prior to actually publishing it, that I believed my work held value outside of self. And it wasn’t until 2019, when transparency shoved me in front of the mic and I spontaneously joined a band with my best friend, that I believed my voice had reason to be heard. Suddenly God was sending me into new spaces, to connect with new people—people who lived lives immersed in the freedom of expanding upon their greatest gifts and deepest aspirations for the sake of (bingo!) intimacy. I have held on to these beautifully divine visions nearly all the years of my life, but for some reason I was just now beginning to understand their reality: that if EVERYone is always healing, NO one should ever have to journey it alone. Therefore, here I stand. I can proudly say I am releasing and performing music, planning and hosting community events, writing my first book, looking forward to starting my own podcast, just overall exercising my artistic potential. I entered the scene as Nelly B the Artist, vowing to collaborate with as I minister to my community at the fusing point of my intellectual and empathetic natures.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Looking back, though there is much room for growth and development, I am truly blessed to be where I am and still elevating. As a child finding art to be the ultimate reliever of an often undermined battle with anxiety and depression, it felt as if all was lost when coming home to find my poetry-stashing drawer “cleaned up”. I can honestly say I did not fully comprehend the phrase “you never know what you have until it’s gone” before the heartbreaking realization that, one could put so many years into her work just to one day have absolutely nothing to show for it. Highly discouraged, I questioned how there could possibly be any value produced by a gift so easily disposable. And since my parents always taught me “everything happens for a reason”, I figured this must be validation for Dad wanting me to pursue my academic strengths as a scientist while I also admired Mom’s ability to serve as a nurse. Surgical technology! It seemed to paint the perfect picture of harmony between the two. No matter how crazily I craved expression upon this portion of my journey, I could not bring myself to pick up another notepad. Meanwhile, identity crisis came crashing in like a tidal wave once I ended a toxic, 3-year relationship. That breakup was the trigger to revealing parts of self which lay dormant behind the mask of my people-pleasing, as my entire Truth would suffer in complete silence. Beyond overwhelmed, my mental health spiraled rather expeditiously. Before I knew it I was out of a degree, and a home. Those became the darkest days of my life. Nearly 4 years of pitch black. But it was within that darkness I was humbled to learn, even the slightest radiances of light are worth grasping onto. Finally. This, was the level of vulnerability my heart had been yearning to tell its stories amidst.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I simply do me, for the Love of others.
I use poetry to paint pictures of my raw, unfiltered life experiences and revelations. My music infuses creativity with authenticity and intellect to ensure listeners gain a sense of freedom, as well as humble insight. When I dance, I move with the intent and power of transparency flowing through and from my body. In front of every camera lies yet another opportunity for me to acknowledge ALL of the woman my soul has more come to unveil since the last. All prior considered, what am I known for? Well, I strongly believe one’s reality is a mere construct of his perception. So, I guess it depends on who you ask…how one has managed to connect with me…or what she may have been seeking before she did.
Understanding only so much connection can be made—can be FELT by way of engaging with others’ art forms, I reach to compensate for any remaining disconnect with genuine and intimate human interaction. Though I am only in the beginning stages, I am blessed with a vault full of visions and ideas capable of empowering my community on the grounds of intentional fellowship and healing. I am most proud to have the pleasure of saying I was given the privilege to host a retreat for girls and women, as a number of them also play a role in my current multidisciplinary project, “Generations of Her”; a project which displays my every avenue of artistic expression, from words to visuals. One may presume this to be a pretty complex concept of delivery. I would have to agree. And it is this exact attribute which sets me apart. My mind is immeasurably intricate, to the same degree it is structurally driven. I used to treat this as a deadly hindrance, in response to people’s preconceived notions of my identity. But now? I am aware God designed this to be my superpower, as an advancement to the way in which I was chosen to serve my people.
What does success mean to you?
I have come to view success in a new light throughout these 26 years. I was taught life to have its final destinations—where work becomes retirement, and accomplishment eternal happiness. Turns out, I was way off. Turns out, work is a constant and happiness is not. That said, not only understanding but ACCEPTING this daily Truth creates the perfect segue into living a joyous, successful lifestyle. Therefore, I define success as any act upon good faith; as one adopts the perspective that both failure and victory, are the equivalent of growth. Only, failing seemingly presents more reason to “have to” succeed again.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/nellybtheartist
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nellybtheartist?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanelle.smith.9?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nellybtheartist
Image Credits
Monika Edwards, Mariah Maddox, Tyson Hughes, Phillip Callahan, John Meyer, Conor Schall.
