Meet Alyssa Khanga | Aviation Professional and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Khanga and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I would have to say my favorite affirmation/motto has become; “What Would Dolly Do?” (In reference to Dolly Parton.) After struggling with isolation and social anxiety during the pandemic, by my birthday in August of ’21 I knew I had to make some changes for my mental health, and daily life balance. When that saying hit me one day; I thought if nothing else, if each day I work on songwriting, or make some form of art, and I am helpful in some way, that’s enough to live a good life.

I had always used my day job commission to sponsor music festivals, host events, support local band patreons/ band camps, but when the world stopped and live music halted, while losing many family, friends and pets in a short amount of time, (9 in 14mos) I knew I wanted to do more to help. I decided to start a scholarship fund to help keep music, and maybe just one person, moving forward. For me, music and art have always been a much needed outlet to help work through hardships and keep a healthy work life balance.

Music for me, and lessons in particular, give me something to look forward to, while playing an instrument gives me that much needed mental break at the end of the day. My lessons and practice became an unexpected healing aide during so much loss, and I saw my daughter come out of her drum lessons a happier person as well.

I thought, music/art/sports lessons are often cut first from a family budget, but knew people needed those outlets more than ever now during/post pandemic. Therefore, I started the But…Music Scholarship Fund to provide free music lessons for one deserving individual each year, and promised myself to keep working on my own music. Two years later, I have finished writing 5 songs. I figured between, music, entrepreneurship, and being helpful, while still being as glam as she wants to be, Dolly Parton was the perfect person to emulate for the back half of my life. Between her personal style, songwriting achievements, and how she helps others, adopting the “WWDD” as a personal mantra, has been a great reminder for me to keep going each day, -and to try it all, as she has proven time and again, there is nothing Dolly can’t do!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In my professional career, I work remotely in my 24th year in the private aviation industry as a sales executive.

I started abstract painting regularly about 7yrs ago, as a form of relaxation at the end of the day. Once I amassed around 70 paintings, I wondered what to do with them all and started donating a few to charity auctions and then started selling at vendor spots or via my RawArtOriginals IG page. I went from doing acrylic pour painting on canvases, to up cycling pieces of wood, trays, ornaments, coasters, suitcases, boxes, using many different techniques etc into finished art pieces. I love learning new ways to express myself artistically and have tried several workshops on everything from pottery, to metal work, and even modeling, as well as write poetry and music. I never expected to try modeling in my 40’s, but saw a workshop listed where I could get my photo taken with a wolf, and knew I had to try it! Two magazine spreads and a cover shoot later, I have enjoyed the surprising empowerment, and artistic expression involved in coming up with my outfits and overall looks for the shoots, and especially enjoy the camaraderie of the other creatives involved in the photo shoot process. I had the idea to use the shoot photos and make a calendar, with the proceeds going to help pay for my scholarship for free music lessons. A portion of all of our Raw Art Originals art and calendar sales, go towards funding the But…Music Scholarship fund.

Everything new I try in art and music is to balance the rigors of life, while trying to incorporate ways to help as many other artists as possible. Or to just inspire anyone in general to try something creative to find balance in their own life. I hope to reflect that it’s never too late to try or learn something new, and that getting creative in any form, can be a powerful tool for relaxation and even healing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The town I fell in love with upon first visiting the state of Michigan, and then later moved to, is Port Huron, but do enjoy exploring the entire coast of Lake Huron. From rock hunting or camping on her shores at Forrester Park Beach, to snuggling up with some hot tea at the Raven Cafe, there are so many coastal small towns with charm that have an underbelly of unmatched artists in this area. From music to crafting to performance, there is always a show or event to be found in Port Huron, whether at one of the museums, or the Citadel theater, or the Ally Center, to name a few. I recently put together a local Singer Songwriter Showcase in the Listening Room at the Foundry Port Huron, while they had a splatter paint night and a glow in the dark pottery event on different floors, all at the same time! There is something creative for everyone here, and I look forward to hosting more events and workshops in the future featuring local musicians and artisans.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My love for music, and art in general, which has fueled all of my passion projects, I would have to say stems from my parents.

My dad has been in bands of some form since high school, always has instruments set up for a home jam session, and plays many instruments by ear. While my mom didn’t play any instruments herself, but was a huge fan of many bands, and had an extensive vinyl collection. We had a jukebox in our living room, and both fostered a love for supporting local music as well.

While neither encouraged music or art as a profession… they recognized the balance in life that music and art has provided me. I am grateful for the childhood piano lessons, and the many concerts we attended together over the years, that have helped to foster my love for music. And a passion for helping others achieve their own personal achievements in the arts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawartoriginals?igsh=dW45cmpkNzIzM29t&utm_source=qr

Other: Donate to the But…Music Scholarship Fund – https://venmo.com/u/But-Music Art commissions /event hosting- [email protected]

Image Credits
Wolf print IG: @rachellaurenphoto