Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chanda Austin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chanda , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As I reflect on creativity, I think about how boring the world would be if we only had one of anything. Living in Atlanta has afforded me the opportunity to see, experience, and live creativity. As you drive down any street in the city, there are examples of all kinds of creativity from newly opened businesses, to culinary opportunities, to music and fashion. When I think about my own creative journey, I am influenced by the energy that lives in Atlanta. Becoming an author has been a hobby of mine. I wanted to give Black children in particular literature that they would be able to connect too. So, my first project, Qiana’s Braids was about a little black girl getting her hair braided for the first. It’s not only about Qiana’s hair braiding experience. it’s also about the black beauty salon experience, that is a sub-culture in itself. My Sophomore project, is a HBCU coloring book. We Color the World is a coloring book highlighting 26 of the many HBCUs. Being a HBCU graduate myself, shout out to Alabama A&M University, I wanted to showcase some of our amazing higher education learning institutions. So, my creativity is driven by the spirit of God and the ability of seeing people happy when they pick up my books.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
By day, I am an educator, actually, I am always an educator! I love working in the field of education. I have been an educator for over 20 years serving in several capacities. I currently work in DeKalb County Schools as an ESOL Coordinator. Everyday is an opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Students start their journey in my building. As a creative, I just released We Color the World, An HBCU (Historically Black College/ University) Coloring Book. We Color the World was inspired by my personal love for my HBCU, Alabama A&M University, located in Normal, AL. In my Sophomore project, I wanted to share some information about each college and some form of pictorial representation from each college. This book is a celebration of black excellence, academic legacy, and gratitude to our ancestors.
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?
Being an educator has really impacted my love for children’s books especially, the lack of diversity in literature. If I can highlight some “soft” skills that have helped my journey, they would be the ability to communicate with people effectively and my personal belief in my product. If I gave advice, I would tell folk who want to write a children’s book to have a good illustrator and work with other creatives who can see your vision and who aren’t afraid of taking your work to the next level. For example. I work with an amazing graphic designer who has helped me finish both books. Her designs were not something that I could see. I gave her “creative permission” to design both books. They were far better than anything I could have imagined.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to collaborate with other BIPOC authors to create a diversity book fair for all children. I would love to see this extend past just selling books. It would be nice to hear about the journey of other authors, some of their challenges, and ways that we can collaborate to put more diverse literature in the hands of boys and girls. I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wecolortheworld.com / www.qianasbraids.com
- Instagram: wecolortheworld2023/QianaBraids
- Facebook: We Color the World/ Qiana’s Braids
- Linkedin: Chanda Austin
