Art Soul. (Interview With Empress Renee Bowman)

A.  Who is Erica Chamlee?

Erica Chamlee is a woman within who has grew up with a rough life having alcoholics as parents growing up. I used to sit isolated in my bedroom alone growing up and write, draw and listen to music to find peace inside among their fighting and drunkenness . I love living inside my mind if indoors. I love summer the most and love to be one with nature a lot. I love to learn and study. I love being in control. I love teaching and growing. I love dreaming and fantasying. Pain has created the once loving , sensitive, trusting, giving little girl in me, into a bitter, fighting, rebellious, sad woman. I feel all my life I try to help people and have lost myself behind it as I get attached easy. I feel I have an obsessive side in these attachments now.. Not sure why.. I feel I learned to suppress these things into a dark place within me where I forget them and try not to think of them as I dream of an imaginary place for me to live inside now.. It hurts.. deep.. and talking about it makes me cry…

B. What does life mean to you? Traveling the world and seeing all of God’s creation and loving it and learning from it and growing with it as one in unity.. Being loyal and loving to those who are loyal and loving to me.. and even beyond that.. Duality and Unity… Love above all these things… This to me is life..

C. What is the most satisfying experience you've had thus far on Earth?  Birthing my children…

D. What is your favorite color and why?  Red, because it represents roses, royalty, power to me..its bold like me

E. As a mother what you would say is the most challenging experience and the most fulfilling?  The most challenging is teaching them how to balance life’s emotions in a corporate world of machines… The most fulfilling is listening to their points of view and seeing their smiles when we go camping or fishing and are one with nature..

G. What is your greatest inspiration? Why? My greatest inspiration is my children. They give me a reason to keep fighting for my life when I feel weary, worn down and ready to give up..

H. What does writing do for you? Writing has always allowed me to hear my mind and soul because I read me the most of all scripts written. It also allows me to release negative energy that consumes me as a loner who now is untrusting of close friends in reality.

I.  How do you maintain balance in your day to day lifestyle? I balance by taking time out to listen to meditational music, rain, various other genres of music, inspirational speakers, reading others testimonies. I have friends online who help me by encouraging me, loving me, supporting me in my art… It gives me inner strength. I sometimes again, sit for hours in silence.. Silence is my friend… I self examine my thoughts daily.. I love hard and strong which brings the same energy back to me that I send out.. If I rage in anger, hate, pain or negative energy, I hide it online after releasing it.. and reflecting… to not bring others down by it… but in that moment I must release it.. takes me a while sometimes to get balanced again but I do find the other half of the circle each time these emotions try to consume me.. I practice zoning into my own emotions using music to take me to inner places inside.. This practice helps me control my emotions rather than them controlling me.

J. If you were asked to change one thing about the world, what would it be? LIES I would destroy everything that is a LIE.

K. What is the most painful experience you have lived? Being Diagnosed with HIV at age 21. I gave up so many of my dreams as I wilted beneath it feeling like a black widow spider that all who I called family began to even fear to be around. I began isolating myself from the world. To not put my pain on them or be a burden to anyone.

L. How long have you been an artist?  From the day I was born.

M.  Do you have any advice/tips, for the upcoming young writers of today?  LOVE, AND ENJOY YOUR NOW… IT IS ALL WE HAVE!

N. Would you say you're spiritual or religious? I am very spiritual and in touch with many things unknown to man.. I have seen orbs, spirits, dark shadows of death… Grim reapers as some say or the Angel of Death.. I have witnessed miracles and know that we humans are not alone here. I have also heard voices speak for me to step out in front of moving transfer trucks as I laughed at them because they came during a time I was happy and content with life. I thought what a foolish entity to come to me when I am up to think I would listen to its persuasion. All things that lead me closer to what I consider my God, my life, my love, my protector, my creator, my healer..

O. What does LOVE mean to you?
EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!