Meet Denise Crittendon

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Denise Crittendon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Denise, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

When I was in my teens and twenties, I was always the shiest person in every room I entered. Actually, withdrawn is a better word to describe me. I was naturally quiet and had a tendency to go within, soul search, think and write. This tendency was exacerbated by a few uncomfortable childhood misfortunes that made me doubt myself more than I probably should have. Then one day I discovered affirmations. This might sound like an exaggeration, but the power of thought was my salvation. I began reciting positive statements to myself, out loud in the shower and silently in the mirror. I also recorded a few of my favorites and listened to them while I slept. The transformation was so overwhelming that longtime friends were surprised by the new me. I felt like Dorothy must have felt in Oz when she suddenly realized the power was in her all along. I was thrilled. I also felt compelled to share this magic. I decided to volunteer at a local girls home, so I could talk to misguided or abandoned young ladies and let them in on my secret. I wanted them to know they weren’t stuck. I told them they could do anything and overcome any obstacle by tapping into their own mind and using it to change their world. The girls were so receptive I ended up writing “Girl in the Mirror, A Teen’s Guide to Self Awareness,” a book that focuses on youth empowerment through affirmations, forgiveness, gratitude, etc. As a result, speaking engagements began pouring in and I accepted the challenge. I wasn’t shy any longer. My self-esteem had skyrocketed, and I was ready to take on the world.

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?

I began my career as a journalist, starting as a reporter for a weekly African American newspaper then moving on to become reporter/staff writer at a major metropolitan daily, The Detroit News. After 15 years of writing news and feature stories, I was hired to edit the NAACP’s national magazine, The Crisis. It was 1994 and I was the first woman appointed to that position. Later, I wrote for the Kansas City Star before eventually taking a post as editor of a Detroit area magazine for Black families. I loved the job because it allowed me to assign and edit stories that focused on social issues, Black causes and unsung heroes in our community. Some of the many topics that stirred my passion include the plight of Black farmers, corporal punishment and the black child and the dilemma black parents face when deciding between a public school that’s substandard and a highly accredited private school that might subject their child to racism. All in all, it was very rewarding. However, it wasn’t enough. Although I enjoyed journalism, I have always had an overactive imagination. Possibly it began percolating during my years as a shy kid who liked to sit on the back porch and stare at shapes in the clouds. Who knows where it originated? All I can say is that it never faded. So, one day I made the leap. Right before I started working at The Crisis Magazine, I had dabbled with the idea for a novel based on one of my dreams. The dream was so vivid, I scribbled notes about it on a pad and stashed it away in a drawer of my nightstand. I knew the day would come when I could thoroughly explore it. In December of 2022, that dream manifested itself as my first sci-fi novel: WHERE IT RAINS IN COLOR. In a nutshell, the novel is set on the dazzling, tourist-resort planet of Swazembi, a high-tech world inhabited by descendants of the Dogon Tribe of Mali, West Africa.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The skills and qualities that have had the most impact on me are my writing ability, my imagination, my empathy and my desire to make a difference. I think they all work together to make me a more contemplative person and a strong voice for downtrodden people in general and Black people in particular. I see myself as an empath, someone who can really feel the soul of others. In that capacity, I can tap into painful life experiences and convey them in a way that sensitizes the public and helps promote a greater understanding of selective causes. When speaking to up-and-coming journalists, I always emphasize the need for them to approach their job as a mission and look for ways to uplift the less fortunate. Anyone who works in communication has been handed an enormous responsibility — the task to effectively share important messages. If the communicator doesn’t reach into his or her own heart and feel what’s happening, that message is lost. Treat every assignment with tenderness and be as sincere as possible. Anything you create from a place of truth is bound to be successful.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My mother, Nellie Crittendon, overcame a great deal in her life. She had a profound effect on me because I witnessed her resilience and found it so impressive. She was incredibly strong and wise — traits she passed on to me. What’s most important though was the size and depth of her heart. Despite a troubled past, she didn’t have a trace of bitterness. She valued love above all and taught me to do the same. She believed that no one made it through life without some struggle and therefore we should always consider their story, their path etc. before judging or jumping to conclusions. Whenever the idea of giving up creeps into my mind, I think of her and it’s no longer an option. I always tell myself I’m Nellie’s daughter. That’s all the motivation I need to persevere.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://denisecrittendon.blog
• Instagram: @denisecrittendon7
• Facebook: Denise Crittendon
• Linkedin: Denise Crittendon
• Twitter: @denicrittendon

Image Credits

The first photo of me wearing a red dress was taken by Jorge Lopez.