We’re looking forward to introducing you to Arianna Abram. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Arianna , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Connecting and reconnecting with people. I am coming out of a hermit mode. I have been cooped up in my apartment for the last 6 months really. I have had some shows but I haven’t been super social. Recently I have been getting back out into the world and connecting with people again. I really missed talking to people and being outside. I have really been enjoying just talking to people and hearing about other people’s lives. I also feel like I have been undergoing a personal transformation so it’s been really fun to reintroduce myself and be able to truly be in the moment with others. I truly crave human connection and it’s feel beautiful to connect with people just for the sake of connection.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Arianna Abram people may know me as Ari Thee Calf and I’m an open format DJ based here in Nashville! I am 27 years young. I’ve officially been DJing for 3 years now and I love it! I am definitely enjoying the this new phase I am in at the moment. The moment being right in the middle of a transition period, I feel like I am discovering new parts of myself while revisiting my childhood selves. I feel like I am beginning to rediscover the lost creative side of me. As a kid creating was my favorite thing to do, so I am trying to honor that and accept the fact that creating and expressing myself is my mission on Earth.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I would say my friend Javon. Javon and I met when I was 17. We worked at the same restaurant and at the time I was in high school and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. When I was getting to know Javon I really admired how funny they were and how they interacted with the world around them. They gave off the vibe that they knew understood themselves, at the time I wanted nothing more than to experience that myself. As we continued to work together we started bonding and we realized we had the same sense of humor and liked similar music. I started to trust her and I would tell her about things that were going on in my life. She would sometimes advice me on what I should do, as she was a few years older than me. If she didn’t have advice she would be a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. I’m not sure if she knows this but that time in my life was so important to me. I really was looking for my place in the world and she carved out a space for me. I remember there was one night after work, we would all go over to her place and hang out in this shed. I believe it was my birthday or my birthday was the next day or something. Anyway I was telling her about how I was going through it mentally and just felt lost. She pulls me aside and just starts speaking life over me. She told me that I have a greater purpose in life and that I do matter her and the people around me. She told me that I had so much going for me and that I need to be here. Her words really hit me. It felt like our souls were speaking to each other I don’t really know how to explain it. I just remember feeling so understood and feel like these are the exact words I needed to hear at the time. She is still one of the most important people in my life. I always say that I would not be the person I am today without Javon.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would say to her that she doesn’t have to look externally for anything. All that you need lies within you. You can’t ask other people who you are and what your purpose is. They don’t have the answers because they have a completely separate journey that they’re on. Everybody can’t come and that’s a part of it. Connecting with people is a beautiful thing but connecting with yourself is the most important and most beautiful thing you can do. Being able to stand still with yourself and feel whole is the goal. No relationship romantic or platonic is going to be able to fix your negative relationship with yourself. You have to get to know you first. Once you commit to putting you first and watering your own garden, relationships in your life will be better because of it
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would say no, the “public version” of me is a little more reserved. I would like to think at home and when I am around people I trust, I am pretty loud. I am alway joking and I’m trying to make people laugh. I haven’t been relaxed in a public setting to allow that part of myself to shine. I have been doing a lot of personal work to not allow my social anxiety get the best of me. I really do want people to see me as an out going person because that’s when I am the most comfortable. I want to feel comfortable with me and I think I am finally at that space where that’s happening. It’s baby steps but I feel like I am in a better headspace with myself.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Playing it small. I think I would take out a huge loan and just invest in all things that I wanted to do. I would produce my own show and trying and create a free musical third place for the community. I would try and DJ in every country. I don’t think I would take any time to doubt myself or talk myself out of it. Which thinking about it now I absolutely need to after all of those things. That’s the season I am entering, very you miss 100% of the chances you don’t take.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aritheecalf/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-yRz6rQPyg
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aritheecalf
Image Credits
Main Photo: Media by GC
@hajetheexplorer
