Name: Ocean
Hometown:
Work: Vocal Artist
Q: What brought you to Japan?
A: I’ve been in Japan for seven years and first came out as a student and then came back as a software engineer.
Q: How has living in a different country changed your life?
A: It was never too crazy of a concept since my family are immigrants to America, my moms from Jamaica and I grew up with her and we’d often go back once a year. But coming to a place like Japan is different from America. It almost focuses you to be fluid with who you are and to learn to adapt to situations, in the long run it’s important, it builds your skill set.
Q: What advice do you have for Black youth and creatives?
A: You need to expose yourself. There’s a fear of leaving where you come from. I know it’s a scary thing but when these situations seem scary as long as they don’t feel dangerous then the scariness is a good sign, it means there’s a lot to be learned and it’s an opportunity to be taken. It’s fear of the unknown but that can be really good because that’s where opportunity is. Try things and adapt, don’t scare yourself before you can even make a plan. When you have ideas, do it fast and try it out.