Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Wells.
Hi Christina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
In 2017, my oldest son graduated from High School and that summer I went through a very painful and difficult divorce. It made me realize that soon my children would be grown up and I would be by myself. And the thought of being alone didn’t make me sad it was the thought of my children no longer being the center of my life, the reason for my drive and energy. So I really sat with that thought, I started going to therapy and I started looking at my life and I posed a question to myself. What does Life want from me and what do I want from Life?
And the answer was for me to revisit my dream of being a singer. I had dabbled with performing and doing community shows but I really started looking at how to be a full time singer and how to make a living as a singer. And so I began to step out on faith and put myself out there. I wrote a song in tribute to the the city of Houston called Come Hell or High Water, centered around the story of Hurricane Harvey. I formed a band and called it The Christina Wells Band. And we began performing and doors started opening up and then I got the fateful email from America’s Got Talent. They had seen one of my videos online and they wanted me to audition. And the rest is history. I became a semifinalist on the show and that exposure opened up so many doors. I spent the rest of 2018, all of 2019 as a full time singer making a living and paying all my bills from my music. It was hard but I proved to myself that I could do it. Then in 2020 with a full calendar of booked events I, like the rest of the world, was devastated when COVID hit and all my events were wiped away in a matter of days.
2020 was a test, what would I do as a singer to stay relevant, when would the pandemic end, how would I make ends meet. I really started brainstorming on how to make money. But first I needed a few weeks of crying and mourning the loss of my events. I needed to grieve and I kept asking God why He had led me to my singing career at the age of 45 to just take it all away so abruptly. I was heartbroken and I felt like it was too short of an opportunity. I wasn’t ready to just let it go. It was hard to see the silver lining in the middle of the storm.
But my bills kept knocking at my door so I came up with a plan. I would start making videos for people. No one could celebrate birthdays or anniversaries in the traditional way because of social distancing so I started helping people celebrate. I would be hired to attend family Zoom meetings, or I would call and sing Happy Birthday to that someone special. Mother’s Day 2020 was huge for me and I made tons of videos. And this is how I paid the rent for a number of months. I felt like I was using my gift and making people happy. But then the summer hit and the video opportunities slowed down and I realized the pandemic wasn’t going anywhere and I had to face the reality of going back to work.
So I decided to return to my career as a Registered Nurse. After 14 years of nursing, I had quit in November of 2018 to pursue singing full time.
It felt like I was admitting that I had failed at singing when I started looking for jobs. I had been working in utilization review (desk nursing) before I quit and it was so hard to think of returning to an office environment after the past 2 years of travel, music and excitement. But I felt God’s hand at my back pushing me in that direction and though I struggled with the change I would not let my pride or my ego get in the way.
So after a few weeks of looking, I found a wonderful job at a hospital in Webster. They do surgery predominately so they do not have Covid patients. I was able to begin working in a place where I felt safe. They hired me and something really amazing happened. My hospital was able to see my nursing knowledge and my abilities but more importantly, they also saw the woman and singer that I am and they let both sides shine through. I have health insurance again and a regular steady paycheck, I have an environment where I am challenged and my input is valuable but after 5pm when I clock out I can put on a sequin gown, grab a microphone and share my music with the world.
Nurse by Day and Diva by night.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been such a hard journey but the lesson I have learned is that what life wants from me may change, and what I want from life may change and that is ok. I don’t have to be one thing or stay in one place, I can react to the world around me and not lose sight of my goals, my dreams and my purpose here on this earth.
The hardest struggle for me is always my mind lol! I have all these preconceived ideas of what is SUPPOSED to happen versus letting life occur and being flexible enough to breathe through those moments. I get very rigid and goal-oriented and I want to make things to do lists and I get very intense about what I want to happen so much so that I miss out on what wonderful things may be opening up for me.
The pandemic was horrible for all of us, but I learned so much about my video editing skills and my ability to adapt the marketing of myself and my talents. I was proud of those hard earned video dollars and I wouldn’t have learned that without being forced to by Covid.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am first and foremost a singer/performer. Most people know that I also motivationally speak and that I love to share stories and testimony of my life.
I am a clothing designer and I create all my gowns for my shows. During Covid, I also began sewing for others. I make custom gowns, wedding gowns, costumes and countless other items.
I am a songwriter and music producer. I have released 3 original songs, 2 albums and 9 singles (covers).
I also own my own production company. She is called Purple Diva Productions and I have owned her for 3 years. I self-produce all my own events and that is something that I am incredibly proud to share. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am relentless in my drive to accomplish what I have envisioned in my mind. I work like a hound to see something realized.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
That I am able to lay my head down every night knowing that I lived my life in a way that I can be proud of. I want to be honest in my dealings, kind in my interactions and creative in all ways possible. I want people to come away from working with me feeling energized about life and ready to take down hurdles. I want to make people feel better about their lives simply by singing to them or telling them a story. I want to improve my corner of the world, where ever that may be, every chance I get.
Contact Info:
- Email: christina@christinawells.com
- Website: www.christinawells.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/singchristina_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/singchristina/
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/singchristina
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP3EfrdHbwLnRR4PvcoZKxw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1trZUoL3agsL3yqrtbasn4
Image Credits
Tasha Gorel
Natasha Nivan Photography
Bryant Photography
