Creative Teens Matter Teen Spotlight Series

by Jamila Jackson

Anastasia Serenity Ramos is a teen participant of our Creative Teens Matter Course. I got the chance to spend some time talking with Anastasia about her inspirations and goals.

Jamila: Will you tell me about what inspires you as a creative? 

Anastasia: One of my big inspirations as a creative is other people’s work. I think a lot of times getting inspiration from other’s work is accredited to copying. But being able to look at something and say “I like that aspect of it” and being able to make it into your own – I think that’s really cool. That’s what I do.

Jamila: What are some challenges that you come up against in your creative process? 

Anastasia: Wanting to improve faster. I feel like I expect to be already exceptionally good just because I’ve learned certain skills. I feel like I have to remind myself that fashion is still an art and as a traditional artist, learning how to do something versus actually executing takes time. 

Jamila: Who is one of the people that supports you in your creative journey?

Anastasia: My mom. My mom supports everything that I do. When I said I wanted to start sewing. She bought me everything. From a mannequin, to pins, to a rotary cutter, to a measuring tape. She did not mind that I was going to start doing fashion. A lot of people consider it a non-stable career. She just thinks that whatever I do I should be the best at it. And that I must go to college. That one’s a requirement. 

Jamila: What are some things that you have been working on lately? 

Anastasia: I went on my first official out of state trip with India Anderson. It was a fashion show for a basketball event at Howard University. I was also a part of India’s fashion show in Springfield Fashion week. It was great. Everyone was very nice and there were some people I met on the DC trip. Everyone was older than me. I did my own makeup. It was great. I helped India set up. 

Jamila: Do you have any goals for the future?

Anastasia: I want to start and finish up this dress for the Ethos event, an event that honors African Americans in Horsemanship which the teen fashion students are attending at the Saratoga Race Track.