Opportunities Galore
Good evening folks!
It's been a while since I last posted, and I do apologize for the delay, but this journey has made sure to keep me up and on my toes. The month of January was VERY eventful, full of opportunities to learn and grow.
Firstly...I was on the radio! I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Trenton 365's wonderful radio personality Jacque Howard. Thanks to the efforts of my friend and mentor Eric, I was able to connect with Jacque and secure a spot on his show. The Trenton 365 show focuses on themes of civic engagement and social justice (perfect, I know), so my book was a great fit for his show. I was admittedly VERY nervous, but Jacque is a wonderful host, interviewer, and person in general. The interview went by much faster than I could have imagined, because I was so engaged. We discussed my book, my art, my upbringing, my spirituality, anything we could get our hands on. It was exciting, to say the least!
You can check out a recording of the interview here!
I also landed a scholarship to a wonderful children's picture book writing program/online course called "The Children's Book Academy" run by Mira Reisberg! Mira Reisberg herself is a several award winning children's book author and illustrator who has an incredible resume of accomplishments. Beyond that, she's just a very humble and sweet/giving woman. I found her course through a Facebook group on a whim, and I decided to apply for the class at the VERY last minute. Lo' and behold, a few days later I get a call from Mira herself! She said that she thought I'd be an excellent addition to the class and offered me a scholarship to take her classes right there on the spot. I was (and still am) honored by the invitation and the opportunity. The class is rigorous, but it is SO worth it. It offers basically a whole college semester's worth of information condensed into 4 weeks. If interested, you should definitely check it out! It's well worth the investment.
Things with my first children's picture book "Carefree, Like Me! ~Chapter 1: Root the Brave~" are also moving rapidly. It's finally due out early this month and the final cover is finally here!
The date was unfortunately pushed back from the month of January to February, but everything happens for a reason. This time in between has allowed me to build up hype for the book and expand on my network of contacts who would be interested!
Out of the blue and totally unexpectedly, I was also contacted by my art teacher from High School. She asked if I would be interested in speaking at my High School, St. Peter's Prep, about my journey and path following my joy and dreams. I immediately responded yes, though of course I was intimidated by the prospect of speaking to a huge crowd about my personal life. I then remembered how rare it was to see someone who looked like me talk about their road to success that was a little off the beaten path. I realized how important that was, and I knew that I had to go. The actual process of talking was exhilirating and surprisingly comfortable after a few minutes. The crowd was receptive and interested in my work and in me, and for that I am forever grateful. A few of the guys even came up to me after the fact and talked to me about how much my words moved and inspired them. That was honestly the best bit.
As February steamrolls its way through, I will be back to share more. With the release of my book, I'm sure I will have A LOT to share.
Thanks again for following along, and I'll catch up with you all soon!
Lots o' love,
Rashad
