We recently connected with Bri Nicole and have shared our conversation below.
Bri, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
My creative journey has always consisted of utilizing my everyday life to find inspiration. Whenever I find myself having a creative block, I always go back to self reflection. I think about what experiences I’m currently having, what problems am I trying to solve and what can I do to improve myself and my circumstances. That’s how all of the ideas for my journals have been birthed. I like to say that I don’t give advice, but rather I share a journey. Each journal is my creative way of sharing that journey.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
The idea of my brand was birthed as a college student during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organization has always been like my superpower. So to stay organized while attending classes virtually, I started creating planner templates. With this, I found excitement in doing different themes. I began thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to help others be organized and feel empowered while working towards their goals. However, I struggled for a long time with finding my voice in products. Through trial and era, I started making journals that were relevant to things going on in my life. I found my voice by making covers that represented me not only as an African-American woman but also as the empowered woman I aspire to be. When it comes to titles for my journals, I love to take terminology that is typically associated with a superficial or trendy connotation and attach it to an empowering concept. For example, I’m just finishing up a therapy journal titled “Hot Girls Heal” and just released two others titled “Pretty Girls Praise God” and “Professional Princess” for the Christian girls and the working woman respectively. The foundation of everything I make is to add a little inspiration to a simple, everyday product. That’s why I call it ‘Little Inspo Things.’ Many of my journals include positive affirmations, quotes and offer space for self reflection. Something I’m really excited to publish in the next few weeks is a guided journal titled “Table For One.” It’s all about dating yourself based on psychology’s three stages of a relationship concept. For me, making journals is more than lines on a page. There’s a lot of thought put into the concepts. I want users to feel excited, empowered and like they have this unseen community through the pages. I’m definitely interested in venturing out beyond journals and building a brand that’s known as where to find a little inspiration.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Design skills: When I first started, I was creating generic templates on Microsoft word. As I became interested in expanding, I needed to progress in my design skills. So I watched a lot of tutorials, attended workshops & used online courses. It’s a continuous thing though. I’m still learning tips and trying out new things. 2. Research: No matter what the business is research is very important. I’ve done a lot of research for book content, identifying various publishing websites, and understanding different distribution options. It all helps me to make decisions for what I want for my brand.
3. Self Identity: While understanding the business aspect is important, so is understanding who you are and what you want your brand to say. Pouring a piece of yourself into your product or service is what makes it unique. Once I started doing this, my creativity flowed better and I became more proud of what I was creating.
My advice to those beginning their journey is to be patient with yourself. What you create in the beginning will more than likely be nothing like what it grows into. Remain proud of yourself and remember small steps still move forward.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I read this book by my favorite music artist Russ called ‘It’s all in your head.’ The book goes through his journey to his success, and he offers a lot of advice about having confidence even when you aren’t seeing the results you want yet. I’d say my biggest take away from the book that has helped push myself is to forget the when and remember your why. Remember why you’re doing something. There’s a part where he says “If you let your passion motivate you, the pursuit will become its own reward.” The best thing I did that makes a difference from when I first began to now is that I got out of my head to stop thinking about when and how. I just started and decided to enjoy the journey along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://little-inspo-things.my.canva.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeanxiousblackgirl?igsh=ZDlha2Fob2QyOXJq&utm_source=qr
