How does an independent artist go from finding her way in a new city, to performing with not one, but TWO of the biggest stars in the world? Singer, actor and songwriter Naärai Jacobs’ incredible story reveals the possibilities when you maintain your faith in God, prioritize your goals and work hard to pursue your dreams as a creative. Born into a musical family in Sarasota, FL, Naärai grew up surrounded by artists, and watched intently as her father ran a successful regional musical theater troupe. However, her musical path was not yet set in motion, and she felt called to other pursuits until her talents overtook her and guided her into a new path. After graduating magna cum laude from Howard University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. She quickly discovered the tough side of the entertainment industry as she struggled to establish herself as an independent artist in a new arena. Her tenacity paid off, and since that leap of faith she has had the incredible opportunity to perform behind superstar Beyonce at her iconic Coachella performance “Homecoming.” If that weren’t enough, she then found herself auditioning for, and receiving a position as one of singers in the Kanye West Sunday Service choir, better known as “The Samples.” Throughout her many accomplishments, Naärai maintains a keen sense of purpose that sees a higher goal than simply performing with A-list artists. Her goal remains to achieve great things for God and to reveal His character by creating exceptional art and music. Key Takeaways from our talk with Naärai How her background of musical theater and growing up in a family of artists helped her find her own creative path How she learned through tough times when she first moved to Los Angeles The importance of building relationships while beginning your creative journey What she learned from working with Beyonce as she performed for her iconic Coachella performance in 2018. How a chance call and audition resulted in her singing with Kanye West and the Sunday Service choir “The Samples” We’ve love to hear your thoughts about this episode… Tap HERE to send us a text! Support the show NEW DEVOTIONAL ON YOUVERSION! Would you like to understand God's creative process and apply it to your life? Check out our new YouVersion Bible reading plan here! NEW "DISCOVER YOUR CREATIVE PERSONALITY" QUIZ! We've developed this quiz to help you diagnose and discover where you currently stand in your journey as a faith-focused artist. You'll find out which of the 5 Christian Creative Personalities you're currently operating in and how to improve on your strengths and get help with your weaknesses. Take the 5- minute quiz HERE PODCAST MERCH Get God and Gigs themed gear, clothing and accessories HERE! GOT VALUE FROM THIS PODCAST? Exchange VALUE 4 VALUE! You can share: TIME: Send this episode to someone who you know would enjoy it TALENT: Email your art or music to add to our community to allen@godandgigs.com TREASURE: Tap HERE to pick an amount to support the podcast monthly, OR: Get a modern podcast app that allows you support us IN REAL TIME by sending us value digitally! Get a new podcast app that supports these new features HERE.