Asya's Big Dreams

Asya Proctor is a 19 year old self-proclaimed daydreamer. She’s beautiful, vibrant, and a creative as well as interesting person.

Asya grew up in PG County, MD. She belonged to very supportive family, one of the most supportive members was her father. Her father laid the stepping stones for her to become the free spirit she is today by introducing her to wide range of music, stretching from The Rolling Stones to Three6Mafia, as well as one of her favorite songs to this day - “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix. The song inspires her fashion choice and sparked her love of the 70s, “I have countless crop tops and high wasted jeans. The 70s was a lovely era.” she says. Yet, her closet is more than just a time warp to the disco age, she sat in front of me outfitted with converse, leggings, and a modern black sweater. When it comes to collecting clothes, she draws inspiration from all time periods, developing a transcendent and beautifully grungy urban style.

Her father also influenced her by being a huge supportive figure and pushing her to follow and succeed at every dream she has had. As a child, Asya’s big dream was to become a chef. In fact, in 2008, a ten year old Asya Proctor was quoted on the website www.deliciouslynutritious.co saying flat out “I want to be a chef”. She also accounts that cooking star Rachel Ray was a hero of hers, and that she enjoyed the challenges of cooking.

Today Asya’s dream is photography. Her interest was sparked by a photography class she took during her sophomore year of high school, and began to take it seriously the following year. Her favorite subjects are scenic landscapes and areas, and her second favorite would be shots where she can photograph someone in their “natural state”, both of which fits her free-spirited personality. Near her house is a trail in the forest, and that area has been one of her favorite subjects to shoot, although she often captures pictures of her brothers and friends for practice.

I asked her if she could photograph anything in the world, what it would be; she replied that she would capture the culture and community of Africa, and of course the scenic landscapes attributed to the motherland. Although, if a career in photography doesn’t work out, Asya says she would love to do a cooking show as a plan B.

On a personal note, Asya Proctor isn’t much of a social person. She doesn’t like big crowds, parties, or even speaking in front of a large class. She’s more of a interactive person, enjoying one-on-one conversations, small open mic events, and engaging in a small group of her friends. She’s known her two best friends for 8 years and counting and the rest of her friends are cited as big influences on her as well. Her group of friends is just as creative as her, which inspires her third talent aside from cooking and camera work - writing.

Asya writes poetry and short stories, and has since she was young. One story that she wrote was centered on a young black woman who possessed the ability to read minds. That girl relates to Asya herself, who believes she has the ability to read people. When I challenged her myself, she delivered a quite accurate reading almost immediately. One of the challenges she is taking up is becoming more vocal and more open to public speaking in order to perform her work at more open mic events. Asya says she loves the close and intimate atmosphere of open mics and would love to contribute herself.

By Marcus Williams in ENGL 336