Cinematic audibles, behind-the-scenes documentation, and inner monologues that capture the raw essence of the journey — artistic, spiritual, and deeply human. Ara's Archives is where rebuilding, artistry, motherhood, discipline, and becoming all meet in real time. It's time to take off the filter to embrace evolving. <br/><br/><a href="https://arasarchives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">arasarchives.substack.com</a>
Ara's Archives
Claim This Podcastby Reflections from life’s in-between moments: Exploring vulnerability, creativity, and becoming. A place to grow out loud, together.
5.0(1 reviews)
9 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
Podcast Overview
Cinematic audibles, behind-the-scenes documentation, and inner monologues that capture the raw essence of the journey — artistic, spiritual, and deeply human. Ara's Archives is where rebuilding, artistry, motherhood, discipline, and becoming all meet in real time. It's time to take off the filter to embrace evolving. <br/><br/><a href="https://arasarchives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">arasarchives.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/19/2026
1 verified contact email on file for Ara's Archives
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
April 6, 2026
VM 101: Rest, heal, and remember your "why".
<p>If you're struggling with the transitionary period, remember: It's okay to pause, take a step back, rest, then return. The foundation of your work becomes more whole and healthy when you do.</p><p>--</p><p>I’d rather you just listen this time. So, let’s act like we’re in a text thread — listen to my voice memo when you can.</p><p>Sending love, light, peace, and hugs your way. <3</p><p><strong>Don’t lose </strong><strong>hope</strong>,</p><p>ARA</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Ara's Archives at <a href="https://arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe</a>
March 8, 2026
Don’t settle: ‘Opportunities are looking for YOU’
<p>Entertainment industry, guidance from my manager, & life-lessons</p><p>--</p><p>The past week has been a masterclass in the art of pivoting. I’ve been learning how to</p><p>* maintain strength by shifting gears</p><p>* pour energy into what is life-giving while walking away from what isn’t</p><p>* set boundaries from a place of advocacy instead of anxiety.</p><p><strong>Self-trust</strong> and <strong>autonomy</strong> are foundational to my work and growth in womanhood.</p><p>A big part of evolving and taking ownership for your life as an adult is the practice of agency. Your ability to make assured decisions and act independently is significant. Dominion is revealed through governance. Self-control is key.</p><p>What does it look like for you to maintain your birthright authority?</p><p>For me: It’s not about what happens. It’s about how I choose to respond.</p><p>How do you handle disappointment? How do you stay committed despite motivation or support? How do you respond to change?</p><p>Perspective is a powerful tool, and in many ways, the gateway to your peace. You don’t have to understand everything in order to keep it.</p><p><strong>DON’T BE BITTER — GET BETTER</strong></p><p>I’m grateful for a recent experience confirming these lessons. I’m also grateful for the people who gently hold me with love while I real-time live and learn.</p><p>Sometimes transition hits us fast and hard. Other times, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back — less about the single situation causing defeat and more about the accumulation of weight.</p><p>The weight of loneliness. The weight of fear. The weight of frustration. The weight of confusion. The weight of being misunderstood. The weight of responsibility.The weight of resilience. The weight of waiting. Yes, it all adds up.</p><p>Yet, the pounding increase builds your faith muscle.</p><p>Here’s what I know:</p><p>Success (the accomplishment of an aim or purpose) is coming. That’s why I leave a paper trail of struggles. By the time people and opportunities catch up to the greatness I’ve held all along, there will be no question of who I am or how I landed where I am headed.</p><p><strong>IT’S WORKING FOR MY GOOD</strong></p><p>So, about the latest letdown aka setup:</p><p>Those who know me, or catch up through my posts, are aware I am rebuilding entirely. Literally, transforming my body through weight loss, healing habits, renewing my mind, navigating the entertainment industry after stepping away — all while evolving through motherhood and marriage.</p><p>I feel like I’m in a constant multi-tasking mode. Sometimes, I just want a chance to compartmentalize and hyperfocus but I also know wearing many hats is just a part of my nature. I actually enjoy the dance. The balancing act of coordination. The rhythm of life I am creating. The interconnected movement as I switch between versions of myself.</p><p>Lately, I find my growth moving at a visibly rapid pace. Time requires intentional management, and I am doing my best to steward what’s in front of me.</p><p>This standard is helping me filter out misalignments, identify my non-negotiables, and move closer to the ‘thing’ I sense is coming (as I mentioned in another <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/arasarchives/p/before-elevation-comes-separation?r=5lpkk7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web">post</a>). I have ideas and hopes, but I know God always supersedes my expectations. It’s one of those ‘more than you can ask, think, or imagine’ moments. My spirit knows it well.</p><p>Like I’ve said before, I’m rebuilding — not starting from scratch. And honestly, it’s humbling. I’ve already experienced so much, yet I have to approach certain things, specifically my acting path, like a newbie.</p><p>I’m filled with wisdom, but when I enter spaces, people assume I’m green. So I observe long enough to understand what’s worth revealing and what’s better left unsaid, allowing people to place me in whatever box their mind needs. That comes from discernment, not strategy.</p><p>There was a time when my artistry operated from ‘I just want the opportunity.’ So I gave teacher’s pet, overachiever, whatever was required. Listen, I’m so far from that now. Thank God!</p><p>Today, I’m making conscious choices.</p><p>I know my value. I know what I bring to the table. I’m not a means to an end. I’m a whole collaborator, a partner, an asset. Period.</p><p>I had to walk in this truth, head high, when negotiating a recent production agreement for a film I booked.</p><p>As artists, we can be so desperate for visibility that we avoid accountability. I stand by the wisdom statement my father taught me about relationships as a teen. “Be mindful of those who skip steps.” This applies personally and professionally.</p><p>I am at a point where I know in order to get to the fun stuff (the creative ‘play’, the craft), there needs to be a foundation laid including clear logistics and planning. I am not above certain kinds of work, but I’m done settling for disorganization and inconsistency. I deserve counterparts who are passionate, prepared, and purposeful. Whatever field you pursue, please remember you do too.</p><p>When you start raising the bar, you have to be okay with sitting in the discomfort of patiently seeking those most aligned. Sometimes, it begins with people falling away or opening a door that has to be closed until you come across the right one.</p><p>In this case, I was cast as the lead. I auditioned a few weeks ago and really liked the script. I was getting the opportunity to travel a few hours away and connect with some industry folks. What I love!</p><p>However, it became clear as time progressed pre-production planning could have been stronger. I say this from experience not judgement. If you know, you know.</p><p>I had already scheduled a photography session the day before I needed to arrive on set the next day. So, I was in the city. I was ready to get to work and do what I do.</p><p>Kid you not. The night right before call time, I get notification “We will have to move forward with production without Kiara.” The waterworks!</p><p>To briefly fill you in: Production kept snoozing contracts. By the time they submitted, (hell yeah) I reviewed thoroughly and included addendums. Read the fine print, my friend. It’s 2026.</p><p>My manager followed up with other negotiating terms and stood ground — not big asks, just protection clauses.</p><p>By the way: Keep it in writing, hun. Don’t fall for anything verbal. Guidelines are a sign of respect not ridiculous or overbearing demands. It’s okay to have them clearly laid out. Don’t let people convince you (in any form of relationship) that it’s ‘too much’ to value clarity.</p><p><strong>HOW DID I PROCESS</strong></p><p>First, I allowed myself to feel.</p><p>I swear, I am so blessed to have the manager I do. She understands the holistic approach to artistry. She doesn’t just coach me career-wise but character as well. She not only believes in me as a talent but also my whole personhood.</p><p>The way she was present to help me process emotionally was encouraging and enlightening.</p><p>For a quick second, I started to get in my head. For context, I experienced something like this about two years ago. I was cast in this dope, creative project and long story short, one of the producers tried to be sheisty last-minute when it came to business. Again, I had to walk away.</p><p>The test repeated itself. I passed.</p><p>I turned the energy into fire under my butt. I realized, I still have power just because the opportunity didn’t work out.</p><p>What did I do?</p><p>I used everything I was prepared to do on set and produced my own scene while bettering my filmmaking skillsets. I strategized and gained a lot more confidence for the vision. I kept momentum. I still watered other areas of my life like family and health to keep my vessel full. I ‘touched grass’ (literally). I enjoyed nature. I remained grateful and aware of how blessed I am (like seriously, this is considered a letdown in my world — there are way bigger issues going on). I still spoke life. I spent meaningful time with friends. By the way, so much love to the friend who initially supported me through this. Love you lots!</p><p>All that to say, what I did was . . . I MOVED ON.</p><p>I didn’t compromise. I didn’t lose heart. I kept going. And not long after, I got an offer for another project. One that didn’t take nearly as much stress. One that was more aligned with my worth.</p><p>Let this be your reminder today to not settle.</p><p>Stand strong,</p><p>ARA</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Ara's Archives at <a href="https://arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe</a>
February 27, 2026
Before ‘Elevation’ Comes Separation
<p>My love, the threshold you’re about to cross requires a steadfast, secure, confident mindset. <strong>OLD AND NEW EYES WILL BE ON YOU.</strong></p><p>--</p><p><strong>STAY READY SO YOU DON’T GOT TO GET READY</strong></p><p>The phases of moving from what one might call wilderness to promise, isolation to the crowd, rehearsal to showtime, hibernation to spring . . . ‘Behold, a new thing!’ You get it.</p><p>I am aware that I’m currently walking on a bridge — the middle ground connecting two parallels. I’ve been through seasons like this before, so I can recognize the patterns. Right before <strong>elevation</strong> comes <strong>separation</strong>, and within the process, <strong>revelation</strong>. What you do with the in-between is completely up to you.</p><p>In many phases of development, my spirit has sensed that the part of the cycle I’m in is <strong>preparation</strong>. I know the power of waiting.</p><p>I used to be a visionary when it came to tangible goals and physical blessings. But as I mature, the vision I carry now is less about what I want to obtain and more about who I am becoming as I reach the breakthrough.</p><p>For example, right before I met my husband, I entered a season of singleness that tested my faith in companionship and expanded my capacity for love. Prior to us meeting and becoming friends, I left a friend group. I spent a great deal of time alone. It was a ‘just me and God’ space. I lived by myself in a one-bedroom apartment, and some days those walls felt like they were closing in.</p><p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: This is not a message suggesting that wholeness only comes from being in a relationship because that isn’t true. But in that season of my life, I had a clear vision: “The next place I live, I don’t want a roommate. I want it to be with my partner. I’m ready to share my life with someone — the day-to-day, the mundane. I want to build and create my own family.”</p><p>I deeply desired marriage, and I refused to let anyone discourage me from it. I also refused to feel ashamed because I was ready and others were not. “You’re too young.” “You talk about this a lot.” Yes, I did. That’s what you do when you believe in something.</p><p>I wrote about it. I spoke life into it through music. I kept my expectations high, even through disappointment. And without realizing it, I was already in the vicinity of what I was hoping for.</p><p>It was never about if. It was about when.</p><p>Another example goes back to a fourteen-year-old girl having faith she would move to Georgia to pursue performance art because she had outgrown her Elyria roots. The physical manifestation began with auditioning for a new school. Even when that dream was delayed, she never saw it as denial. She trusted what she heard from that still, small voice. She could see before she could see.</p><p>What that voice is whispering to me today is this: “Share this with someone who is in this same place, because the word I’m speaking over you is for them too.”</p><p></p><p>Ara's Archives is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p><p></p><p><strong>TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN</strong></p><p>Hey, Siri! Cue Jill Scott.</p><p>♪ I’ma go head and be great, why not?</p><p>My love, the threshold you’re about to cross requires a steadfast, secure, confident mindset. <strong>OLD AND NEW EYES WILL BE ON YOU.</strong> It is not the time to be unsure of yourself. That’s why the development has been this extensive. When the light hits your corner, oh trust . . . you are going to shine. Do you hear me? <strong>SHINE.</strong></p><p>The truths you’ve gathered will expel lies. You are a representation of healing and the joy of humanity.</p><p><strong>BE OKAY WITH TAKING UP SPACE.</strong> You are not too much. You are enough.</p><p><strong>YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.</strong></p><p>See what I’m about to do is I’ma walk in this room and I’m gonna let them see, God, Jehovah’s will, all over me. ᯓ𝄞</p><p><strong>WHILE YOU WAIT</strong></p><p>Here are some actionable steps to take this week.</p><p>* <strong>Spend intentional</strong> <strong>time in prayer and meditation</strong> for 30 minutes to an hour. No distractions. Whatever helps you land on the inner destination of Love & Peace so that you hear clearly and that your divine download is streaming from the right place.</p><p>* During that time, <strong>be a scribe</strong>. Write down the vision even if you’ve done it before. Document the exchange.</p><p>* Intentionally <strong>place 5 words of encouragement around your environment</strong> (i.e., phone lock screen, bathroom mirror, car dashboard, a bedroom wall, refrigerator, etc). Think of it like love notes to yourself or kisses from God. Be reminded of the ‘substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen’ throughout your day.</p><p>* <strong>Keep applying and seeking after rejection</strong>. You are seed sowing. Eventually, something will blossom. ‘Bloom where you’re planted.’</p><p>* <strong>Embrace change</strong> and whatever you feel called to <strong>let go</strong>.</p><p>* <strong>Give grace</strong> to yourself and then extend it to someone else.</p><p>* <strong>Abide</strong>. Remain steadfast in discipline.</p><p><strong>SOMETHING GREAT IS ON THE WAY.</strong></p><p>Enjoy the process of becoming the person who is ready to receive it.</p><p>There is more in store,</p><p>ARA</p><p>Recent episodes below. Listen now!</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Ara's Archives at <a href="https://arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4">arasarchives.substack.com/subscribe</a>
9 total episodes available
Deep-dive analytics for Ara's Archives
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Ara's Archives?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.