Hangin’ with Raven-Symonè

By NICOLE FORTUNA
We loved her on “The Cosbys.” We’ve seen her dance, sing, and act. But that’s not all for 22-year-old Raven-Symonè. She’s all grown up now and ready to take the world by storm.
Entering young adulthood, she has indeed become a well-rounded Hollywood icon—from the Disney channel’s “That’s so Raven!” to creating her fourth album that is self-titled, Raven-Symonè will appear on Saturday, July 26 at the Wildwood Convention Center for a concert.
The audience can expect question and answer sessions, songs from different soundtracks, and the opportunity to buy merchandise, according to Raven-Symonè whom I interviewed on July 15.
“Hopefully you will be able to enjoy yourself and have fun,” she said.
We may not need to hope, because providing fun for audiences has become second nature to this Jane-of-all-arts.
When she’s not singing and acting, Raven is working on her newest artistic endeavor, “Raven-Symonè Presents” a show about her hobbies like crafts, cooking and painting.
The Raven-Symonè Presents DVD was released on Tuesday, July 15 in addition to another on-screen film, “College Road Trip.”
Go to Ravensymonepresents.com to see all of her newest artistic endeavors. This Web site also provides video updates of Raven and access to download her new album.
It would be an understatement to say that Raven-Symonè multi-tasks. Her daily routine on tour, which began Saturday, July 12, is: wake up, make-up, hair, flight/departure, arrival at current venue, meet-and-greet, concert or show, departure, repeat. But she doesn’t do it for the fame.
“I enjoy the time and the people I’m spending [these moments] with,” she said.
You probably won’t see a nine-page spread of Raven’s love affairs or an in-depth article on her favorite Starbucks coffee because she keeps personal things to herself for the most part.
“I don’t tell anybody about my personal business,” she said. “The people I do tell I trust because they’re my family,” she says with a chuckle.
However, on screen, Raven-Symonè notes, she wants to illustrate how others can learn from her characters.
“Hopefully with each role I choose, I am able to help someone remember what they went through before, or help someone grow,” she said.
The theme of growth is not only reflected in her album, but also in her words and actions. Her life on the set and screen is best illustrated in one hit “In the pictures” where she reflects on how much she has grown.
“I think that it shows I’m growing up as a person,” she said. “I’m not 15 anymore. I’m not the character you see on TV.”
Raven-Symonè is indeed more than what she does to entertain. She lives her dreams every day.
“Every day I wake up and say, ‘Work hard, keep it going, be happy.’”
Her goal is simple and selfless: put smiles on people’s faces and make people laugh. But Raven recognizes the struggles of being in the limelight.
“It’s hard to grow up in an industry that wants to keep you at a certain age,” she said. “It’s hard to really solidify yourself as an adult without people trying to tell you (what to do).”
In all of her current pursuits, Raven-Symonè doesn’t want it to last forever, and knows it won’t. Instead she wants to step away from the limelight three to four years from now and come back later.
“I think it’s important for people to miss you,” she said. “I think if I back away, I hope to be something really special.”
From what Raven-Symonè has shown us so far, we can expect even more in the future.