Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricci Danielle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ricci, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I come from an extremely gifted and creative mother so when it comes to my gifts, I’m 100% certain that my God-given talents don’t fall too far from the tree. How could I not be gifted, given the creative mind that my mom has. And when it comes to keeping my creativity alive, I fight hard to not allow them to be wasted. The parable of the talents is always enough to keep me focused and always evolving. I have several gifts and I am determined to use them, even if it’s in rotation. But to let them be wasted, never!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve been an entrepreneur for several years now and it’s been a very interesting process. I have two businesses, an essential oil jewelry line (Adorn’d by Ricci Danielle) and an apparel company (DLVRD Apparel). I have put these companies to the side just for a moment to get back to my first creative love which is poetry. I became a poet as a fifth grader. We had a poetry lesson for a few weeks that drew my attention. My teacher at the time, Mrs. Weaver, saw the connection and pushed me in my writing. And I have been writing ever since. It became a way for a shy girl like me to get my feelings out and also channel my anger and disappointment. It definitely helped me release a lot of emotions. And fast forward to now, I am excited to release my first poetry album on my birthday, February 1st called The Wilderness. My first single is already available and it’s called It Had To Happen. It’s available everywhere.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Individuality, confidence, and assertiveness have helped me on my journey. Individuality has kept my in my lane. I know what I’m good at, what I’m not good at, and what needs work. But, I refuse to be in anyone else’s lane and I enjoy being me. And to be yourself, you have to have confidence. That’s something I didn’t always have and I struggled for a long time to believe that I had a voice in this world… a purpose. So, being confident has propelled me in my creativeness and my entrepreneurship.
Also, the gift of assertiveness is a keeper! I fought long and hard to acquire it and wouldn’t give it up for anything. It has helped me to deal with nay sayers and also people who think that THEY know what’s best for me. But, as long as I keep my ear to God’s mouth, I will always know what’s best and be strong enough to verbalize that.
Having any of these qualities doesn’t always come easy. But, if you truly desire them, then they will come. Boundaries have to be set and followed through with. Learn to love AND stand up for yourself. It’s possible. And fight for yourself! You’re worth it!
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth in the past 12 months has been forgiveness. Forgiving those who have been hurtful but were supposed to love me.
I also had to work on forgiving myself for allowing people to stifle me. I had to wake up and remember that I am Delivered From People… well, their opinions, at least. And, once God crowned me with a dose of confidence, I was ready to fly.
I got back into writing after putting it down for a while, and released every emotion… and began to heal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lnk.bio/Riccidanielle
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riccidanielle_?igsh=eWw5aDlkdmQyMGdk&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riccidanielle7?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricci-danielle-b9085648?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@RicciDanielle?si=ExU1eff3g5voMlN5
Image Credits
Jontisha Graves with What Once Was Photography
