Maria Julia Gonsalves Crecencio, also known as Maju, is a 12-year-old Brazilian artist, content creator, and communicator. Born in Curitiba, in southern Brazil, Maju is a highly gifted child recognized by INODAP (Institute of Guidance and Diagnosis of High Abilities) and a member of MENSA Brazil, the international organization for people with high IQs. Black, sensitive, curious, and creative, she found in art, technology, and words a way to transform her lived experiences into expression, resistance, and inspiration.

From a very early age, Maju has shown remarkable talent for communication, critical thinking, and artistic performance. She gained national attention after participating in the Brazilian primetime show “Pequenos Gênios,” where she broke a national record by spelling words backward live on air. Her performance went viral, capturing the hearts of millions and being widely shared across educational and cultural platforms in Brazil. Soon after, she was honored by the Legislative Assembly of Paraná for her moving speech defending education, access, and representation.

Maju is also the creator of the YouTube channel “Maju Gamer,” which has over 30,000 subscribers, where she shares educational, gaming, and creative content for children and youth. On Instagram, she has more than 18,000 followers, many of them children and teens who see themselves in her intelligence, authenticity, and voice.

Her short film “The Girl Who Turned Pain Into Power” is a fully independent and deeply personal work — written, directed, narrated, and edited by Maju herself. Combining spoken word poetry, striking visuals, and movement, the film tells her story and reflects the reality of many other Black girls whose brilliance and creativity are often overlooked. The video was filmed in a home studio with the support of her family and has already begun circulating through festivals focused on youth, diversity, human rights, and female empowerment.

More than a promise for the future, Maju is a powerful and luminous voice of her generation. She represents a childhood that thinks, feels, creates, and dares to challenge the system — with sweetness and boldness. Through art, she inspires other children to believe in their value, take up space with dignity, and help shape a fairer world with sensitivity and intelligence.

As she declares in her short film:

“I do not wait for space to be given. I build my own.”

And that’s exactly what she is doing — with talent, truth, and her own powerful voice.