Meet Najima Rainey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Najima Rainey.

Hi Najima, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I consider myself a writer of songs, fiction, and nonfiction. Unfortunately, I’m still waiting for the world to catch on. I’ve been writing since I first learned to read. Creating a world out of words and sound, trying to make a narrative out of life’s confusion. 

I’ve always had a nice singing voice and a deep love of music, but I was encouraged not to sing. Being a musician for a living is a sure way to die of poverty and a broken heart. A fate that had befallen many people on the musical side of my family. If you want to write, you can write in the summers between teaching semesters. Sing at karaoke. Singing is a hobby. 

I focused on academia but found it wasn’t a good fit. In fact, nothing was a good fit. None of the “practical” careers I chose led anywhere except for the unemployment office. 

Around the same time, I realized I’d gone as far as I could across the flat circle that is health insurance sales… I started to reevaluate. 

What if the reason I was such a bad fit at practical jobs was because I’m an artist and regular life isn’t for me? I spent my early life trying to force myself into boxes. I decided to do the thing I’d been told not to do. 

For the past six years I’ve been investing most of my time into artistic endeavors. I kicked off the shackle of Spanx. I wrote an album and spent a year promoting and advertising. I played a lot of gigs and threw a big release party in Tucson. Unfortunately, the album was released in January 2020. Two months later, Covid lockdown began. 

All the shows I’d lined up disappeared. I had to regroup and figure out what’s next. 

I’d always dreamed of being a published author. I decided I was finally going to finish a novel I’d begun years ago, back when I still had the energy to write after work. I spent lockdown writing and editing. However, I quickly learned, writing a book is only the beginning. Getting a book published by a traditional publisher is a long difficult process full of rejection and waiting. 

Which brings me to now. I’m still waiting for those artistic dreams to come true. I’m 

Not sure what comes next. Sometimes, I can’t tell if I’m wasting my time and my dwindling savings. I figure I’ve got another 18 months before I have to squeeze back into my Spanx and put art back into a box. When I get discouraged… I remember a Marilyn Monroe quote: 

I used to think as I looked out on the Hollywood night — there must be thousands of girls sitting alone like me, dreaming of becoming a movie star. But I’m not going to worry about them. I’m dreaming the hardest. 

There are a million people dreaming of building a life around art and music. I won’t worry about them because I’m dreaming the hardest. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a roller coaster. In the past six years, I’ve had so many highs like having one of my songs written about on Song Writer Magazine’s website. There have also been lows like watching the small, early evening gigs I relied on disappear after the Pandemic. I’ve accomplished tremendous things as an independent artist with no team and very little capital, but it’s definitely hard doing it alone. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m known for singing soul and blues music, but I hope to be known as an author sometime soon. 

I’m most proud of my lyrics and my ability to interpolate classic blues into current music. 

I think what sets me apart is that I’m trying to create Southwestern soul music. Soul music has come from so many places, why not the desert? 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
I mean, it’s super trite, but the world is burning, you better grab your joy where you can get it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Justnajima.com
• Instagram: @justnajima
• Facebook: @justnajima
• Youtube: Just Najima