Some people are born in this world with a natural knack for storytelling, and Samata Allen (they/them) is one of them. In speaking with Samata, I felt as though I was taken on a journey: one that was profoundly inspiring, and leaves me excited for what they’ll do next.

A self-described “Southern Belle,” Samata’s artistic journey “officially” began when they were 22, finishing up college in North Carolina with a degree in Psychology. Although they excelled within their major, they always felt compelled towards the arts, which is what drove them to audition for an Applause Rising Talents showcase. When they got a callback, they flew all the way out to Burbank, where their performance was met with immediate, enthusiastic praise. 

In an ironic twist of fate, COVID hit soon after, yet quarantine ultimately gave Samata time to think about what they wanted to do next: take an internship within their field, or pursue their passions more seriously. Ultimately, they decided that this was the perfect time to take a chance on what they actually wanted to do, so they moved to Los Angeles to try their hand at acting and screenwriting. Initially staying in a hostel for artists, Samata immediately acquainted themself with the city, and the rest is history.

As an artist, Samata’s biggest values are centered around connecting with others and helping them be as authentic as possible, even if it’s frightening. As they put it, “Nothing is stronger in this world than vulnerability.” They want art, in whatever form, to provide a sense of community and acceptance for others; in turn, they want others’ projects to fully expose themselves, warts and all. However, when it comes to their own art, they struggle to write personal narratives, as their naturally empathetic outlook takes into account all sides in a story. Thankfully, they got a chance to challenge this process during their time working on Passion of X. 

Their section reflects on their experience coming out, largely influenced by their last major relationship, which ended due to their ex’s woefully misguided understanding of gender-nonconformity. Consisting of viewfinder-like shots they modeled for, juxtaposed with an ominous, layered voice recording, Samata’s section captures both the childlike wonder and intense terror they felt when coming out. All their life, they’ve made a point to hold space for others, but was terrified of holding that space for themself. In the poem they read, we’re told of this door that’s been staring them in the face their whole life, and how terrified they were of opening it. Yet once they do, they see a child version of themself, just as scared of being unaccepted by the adult Samata as Samata was scared of being seen for who they are. With a smile, they told me that the opening of this door symbolizes how they finally realized it’s been them the whole time–not someone worthy of being scared of, but someone worthy of all the love that’s come their way. 

Moving ahead, Samata has all kinds of ideas for the future: they want to continue modeling and writing when they can, but they’re also really excited about an upcoming music project! Inspired by their massive love for cartoons (She-Ra being their favorite), they want to produce an EP based off the songs of Adventure Time’s Marceline the Vampire Queen. They also have a business in mind that they want to start, but we’ll keep that on the DL until they can copyright the details. Regardless of what Samata does, we have no doubt that they’ll go forth and share their light and passion with the world!