As you already know, or at least you should, I have been working for the last year and a half on a project that is a collection of fantasy stories with characters inspired by TikTok creators. One of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done was approaching these creators and asking if they would allow me to share their names as inspiration for the characters I’ve created.
I wanted to do this because I wanted to support those creators by helping to spread the word about them. As I scrolled the FYP (for you page) I found so much inspiration from videos, both from people who were wildly creative with makeup and costume, and people who were just being themselves.
Luckily, quite a few of them agreed to allow me to share them as the inspiration behind these characters and that is what I want to do here. I will post videos and photos of the creators who have agreed to stand as the physical inspiration for the fantasy creatures I’ve created.
Introducing..... Keyloa
Type: Siren
Backstory:
Keyloa helps one of our main characters unlock a hidden part of herself with a song that only she can sing, but doing so could mean dire consequences for the siren. An outcast of her people, she plays an important role in saving the world of Novia.
Rosalee was inspired by: Kesho Kage
Why Kesho?
Imagination, creativity, mind-blowing artistry. I could go on and on. Every time I come across Kesho I'm taken to a new world. I have so many notes about stories inspired by Kesho's looks. But when I saw the TikTok of the siren... I was knocked sideways. For years I've wanted to return to the sea with a new tale of mermaids and this gave me the inspiration to do so. Keyloa plays a small role in vol 1 of Tales of Novia, but will return with a bang in vol 2!
Interview
Kesho agreed to do a quick interview and you can see their answers below. Make sure that you check out this creator’s social media, follow them, and show them some love and support. And don’t forget to grab your copy of Tales of Novia!
What inspires you to create your content?
Music is a heavy influence on my inspiration and also my relationship with God.
Where do you draw inspiration for your content?
I draw my inspiration from worlds of fantasy, I think of creatures I’ve learned about through mythology and alien species and biblical creatures as well.
What do you hope to convey to your audience? Is there a special message behind your work?
I hope to convey that creativity is the greatest gift we have as humanity and the fact that we can pull something out of a world we can’t see and create it in our world and it becomes a reality is amazing. My special message behind my work is that all my creativity comes from through a relationship I have with an amazing God that isn’t this stick in the mud most people paint him as.
Do you have any specific goals for content creation?
My specific goal is to unlock some creativity and freedom through art in others and create a makeup kingdom of my own.
Is there anything you would like to say to the readers?
Don’t be ashamed to create your own world and to dive into the gift of creativity and if no one likes something you’ve created just remember they’re only extras in your world anyways!
Check out this amazing look Kesho did! If I could paint a picture of how Keyloa would look when fully transformed, this would be it! So inspiring.
