As a child, I always wanted to be considered creative.
My life has been inspired by music, film, paintings, poetry and literature and I wished I had what it took to become an artist, too. I tried playing instruments, drawing, singing (what a nightmare) and continued to feel like I wasn’t worthy. Then I discovered writing. Writing became my first foray into the world of creativity (I detail my desire to become an artist in this episode of the Too Many Pots podcast).
In undergrad, I studied English; opting for Language, Rhetoric and Writing because it “looked better on paper.” If you asked me what I wanted to do with my degree, I’d say, “just write, I guess.” My last semester, I enrolled in a digital marketing course and finally had my lightbulb moment: Marketing Communications and PR was what I wanted to do. Following graduation I became a marketing intern for Union Station where I designed PR plans, giveaways and other promo plans for the cool events and exhibits hosted by the Station. Then I had to get a real job. 🤦🏽♀️
My first full-time job landed me at one of Kansas City’s oldest and largest law firms. As the Marketing Assistant, I spent my time writing press releases about new attorneys, drafting client alerts and editing proposals. I bounced to another law firm before settling in at Shook, Hardy & Bacon. By then, I’d become a Communications Coordinator, slowly but surely pushing myself towards more creative projects. By the time I started grad school, I convinced leadership to let me lead the charge to develop a social media strategy and that’s what kicked off my journey to pivot from corporate to creative. But how did I do it? I can tell you it wasn’t an overnight success story. It was a slow process that required three things: exploration, self-advocacy and a little fearlessness.
Explore
Like I said, this was not an overnight success story. I knew I wanted to work in a creative environment but I wasn’t sure what that would look like in a corporate setting. When I started grad school, I took as much as a variety in coursework that I could: Crisis Communications (in case I wanted to moonlight as Olivia Pop), Marketing Technology, Branding, Social Media Strategy. I fell in love with social all over again. As a digital native, I’ve had everything from a Xanga to a Myspace page to a Tumblr. I had to be invited to join Facebook in high school and have had a Twitter since 2009…you get the picture. But as I explored the business side of social, strangely enough it made me appreciate the creative side even more. I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and explore what lives beyond your comfort zone. Explore the unknown - it may just spark your imagination and your passion.
Advocate for Yourself
When I got into the thick of my career, I was a Communications Coordinator for one of the largest law firms in the country. I wrote press releases, updated attorney biographies, drafted award submissions on behalf of clients and while one may argue a little creativity was needed, it left me feeling unfulfilled. Fortunately for me, I had people in my corner who trusted and believed in me, which made advocating for myself easy. One day, I walked into my boss’ office and simply asked to take over social media. I researched and built out a solid strategy and was able to transition to managing our social full time. I worked hard to advocate for the career I wanted. I chatted up our designers and asked them to teach me graphic basics, I leaned into their expertise and suggested that I handled the social media graphics full-time, giving me another tool and further pushing me towards a career in creative. Without speaking up for myself, I’m convinced I’d be unhappy, writing press releases and still punching a clock.
Be Brave
Being brave doesn’t mean that you have to go balls-to-the-wall every single day. What bravery really looks like is trusting in yourself and your ability to create the life you want on your own terms. I am the first one to admit that I constantly fell victim to imposter syndrome and sometimes I had to fake it until I made it. Bravery was especially hard for me because as a Black woman, I was constantly fighting against stereotypes; fear of being seen as the angry Black woman prevented me from blossoming into my full potential.
It wasn’t until I listened to Angela Rye at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Women of Color conference that I really thought about how my lack of fearlessness was hindering me on every level.
She talked about how women of color are often referred to as “hysterical” for showing emotion, reminding us that “somebody is so intimidated by what you bring to the table that they need you to shrink so that they can feel powerful...But challenge yourself with -- ain’t I woman?” Her callback to the poem read by Sojourner Truth at 1851 Women's Rights Convention reminded me of all the women who blazed trails before me. Sojourner, Ida, Fannie, Maxine, Michelle, Kamala, my mama. These women did the work to make my bravery a breeze. What was I waiting for? These women paved the way for me to be unapologetic in my Blackness and in my womanhood. In honor of those who, as Angela put it, “persisted and resisted,” I stopped shrinking myself and channeled my inner warrior to stand up against my fears.
There’s no linear path that tells us where to go. In fact, I think we’re meant to experience many different lives -- that’s the joy of learning. You could start off as an artist and decide you’re really into law or you’re a corporate maven who decides to open a floral shop. At the end of the day, it’s all about you and what floats your boat. Just remember to explore, self-advocate and be brave!