Writing Black Joy

By Safiya RobinsonArts Books

Writing Black Joy episodes

February 02, 2025Erin Corine Johnson - Music and finding your own way
Today's guest is Erin Corine Johnson.

Erin is “The Identity & Belonging Coach” (b. Chicago, Illinois, USA) is an award-winning multidisciplinary creative, DEI educator, member of ForbesBLK and founder of Hola Magnolia Identityworks (Est. 2018). Since 2022, she has emerged as an influential thought leader among impact leaders, change makers and antiracism activists on LinkedIn while drawing from her diverse educational background from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Berklee College of Music, and Inner Glow Circle Coaching School. She is based in Barcelona, Spain, where she continues to coach, speak and build sustainable communities of impact-oriented individuals from all over the world.
The flute loving teenage version of myself who was dying every time she had to sit an exam would have loved this conversation.
Erin and I talk about
Generations! Millennial? GenX? We start by talking a bit about our influences through the generational lens, and a bit about our musical influences
Her foundation in the Black church
Discovering that she had perfect pitch
Her journey as a musician, particularly with classical music and finding her own music style that felt true to her identity
I talked about an idea called “the edge effect” which I heard about on the Hidden Brain podcast (I couldn’t remember during the conversation - but I want to give credit)
The value of music as a form of self-expression
Creativity and my desire to be good without taking the time to get good (I’ll admit it)
The importance of space in the creative process (and also to make good pickles!)
Finding new sources for creative inspiration

And so much more.
Hopefully Erin and I will have a part 2 of this conversation in a future season! In the meantime - I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did
And you can follow Erin over on linkedin!
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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1 hr 15 min
December 03, 2024Hanna Adu-Boateng - Directing and theatre making with joy
Today’s guest is Hanna Adu-Boateng.

Hannah is an innovative co-creator and dramaturg of Ghanaian descent, renowned for her transformative work in theatre with diverse communities in Bristol. With a deep commitment to exploring the intersections of race, power, and gender, Hanna’s work spans devised performances and contemporary texts, often challenging societal norms and sparking critical dialogue.

Throughout her career, Hanna has been a driving force in youth and community theatre, collaborating with esteemed organisations such as Kuumba Afrikan Caribbean Arts Ltd, Bristol Old Vic, The Egg (Theatre Royal, Bath), Calling the Shots Film Company, Acta Centre, and Travelling Light Theatre.

I met Hanna through Dionne Draper - a guest from earlier this season - as Hanna directed her one woman show - and you'll hear us discuss it today - along with
How her love for theater took her from being on stage to directing
Working with Writing Black Joy guest Dionne Draper on her one woman show (and you can check out her episodes if you haven’t already done so!)
How her dream of bringing more joy into the hard work of theatre was born during that experience
How her Ghanaian heritage and love of dance influences her
The songbody - a concept which I love and would happily have a whole episode about
The impact that fictional stories have on our world view
Being resourceful on a small budget
Her passion for the importance of creativity in our lives.

And so much more.

You can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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54 min
November 26, 2024Danielle Boone - Resilience and the legacy of your story
Today's guest is Danielle Boone.
Danielle believes that with resilience, anyone can rise above their circumstances-and that Everybody Has a Story worth sharing. Growing up, Danielle earned the nickname Hummingbird - for her small size and constant motion - qualities that helped her pivot through life’s unexpected challenges.
After enduring years of personal loss, she chose to grow stronger from her experiences, collecting lessons that now guide her work.
As a writer, creative producer, and restorative coach, her mission is to help her clients rediscover their inner strength and find the courage to tell their story. Through personalized coaching and storytelling, She empowers those who have experienced loss to view challenges with a fresh perspective and move forward with confidence.
Danielle and I discussed-
Her writing journey and evolving from journalism to more creative storytelling
How her view of her own story shifted as she came to appreciate the power of storytelling
How she realised that her own grief was blocking her creativity
How her book evolved as the story of moving through experiences in her life and the lessons she learned
What she learned in the absence of so much of what we strive for
Her coaching process called “The Boardroom”
Understanding how sharing her story helps people to see the value in their own story
How Shonda Rhymes inspired her to say yes
How she works with client to find lessons from their loss to create legacy

You can head over to Danielle’s website to find links to her book "In the Absence of... Finding Confidence in the Quiet Spaces of Noise and links to follow her on LinkedIn.
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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49 min
November 19, 2024Monica Black - Reinvention and Writing Your Story
My guest today is Monica Black - and here is some more about her.
Monica is a writer who is enjoying a lifelong love affair with the power of words and the way we paint images with them. Her love of writing started when she began writing about the places she visited while she served in 2 branches of the military (Army and Air force). As a book coach, she has extended that love into teaching business people how they can author their own book to help them broaden their audience base. I aim to show them that their book can do much more than showcasing their vision/purpose in writing, it’s also one of the easiest ways to add bottom-line revenue to their business.

Monica and I talked about:
Her upcoming book for women over 50 who want to use what they already know to reinvent themselves
Her work and time in the military, and how she learned through this her own capacity for reinvention
How she channelled her knowledge of studying English into helping people write their books.
What stands in people’s way when they want to write a book
The power of sharing your stories - even if they feel “ordinary”
What makes a good story (and it’s not what you think)
The power of having an editor, and that external lens on your work
How writing can change you
Why legacy is important, and how our stories can be a legacy

And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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34 min
November 12, 2024Gregory Rutledge - From Waiter to Greater
My guest today is Gregory "G-Wiz" Rutledge - and here is some more about him.

Gregory is a high-performance coach, empowerment strategist, and the visionary behind the "Question Everything" brand. He’s not your typical speaker—he’s the one who digs deep, asking the hard questions that others avoid, and shattering the limitations that hold people back. With a dynamic blend of raw personal experiences, transformational insights, and unapologetic honesty, Gregory helps coaches, creators, and business professionals unlock the power they didn’t know they had. His journey spans from surviving life's toughest challenges to mastering UX design, entrepreneurship, and the art of storytelling.

I enjoyed my conversation with Gregory where we discussed:
his own transformation from waiter to greater (the name of his book) and how he leveraged his creative and service based background to transform his career
How he reframed his relationship with questioning and curiosity
How his spirituality guides his writing and his life
How his creative background has fed into the book he is writing
His proudest moments
The ABC of confidence (you don't want to miss this!)

We also talk about cold showers and he has almost convinced me to try it.
Early on Gregory mentioned his mentor Myron Golden - you can find him here on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@MyronGolden

You can find all things Gregory on https://linktr.ee/gregoryrutledge
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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31 min
November 04, 2024Nailah Blades - Joyful in Nature
Today's guest is Nailah Blades Wylie - here is some more about her.
Nailah Blades Wiley is a Life & Leadership Coach who helps leaders tap into their power and build lives that are whole, good, and full of possibility. Through high touch coaching that integrates the outdoors, she teaches her clients how to go from feeling invisible to imitable in every area of their lives.
She is also the author of Joyful By Nature - Embracing Outdoor Adventure as Women of Color. Created for the modern woman of color, Joyful by Nature is your guide to reconnecting with nature and reclaiming your place in the outdoor community.
Nailah and I discussed:
Connecting with nature as a way of connecting to ourselves
How she looked at a move from California to Utah for her family as an opportunity to get outdoors and embrace getting into nature
How she spends time outdoors during the year
The links between movement, nature and creativity
Her own creative process with writing the book - and how getting outdoors contributed to that
How her writing practice has looked over the years
The fears around repetition as a creative and different ways to think about it.
And she gives us many reasons to grab her book so that you too can build well-being into your life by getting outdoors!
You can find Nailah over at https://www.nailahblades.com/
And follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nailahblades

And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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39 min
October 29, 2024Karen Roswell - Photography and changing narratives
Today's guest is Karen Roswell.
I met Karen earlier this year in a call related to a class I took in the past, and we got along instantly. Since then I have seen her work in action as an amazing photographer and coach - in addition - she is the photographer behind my new cover art and we had an amazing photoshoot a few months ago.

Working with Karen before the photography session was incredible as her work is deep and transformational. Her practice both as a photographer and a coach is very rooted in values - both hers and her clients. She believes in the power of collaboration and as a result her work is highly collaborative, particularly as she considers the dynamic between a photographer and the person being photographed, and this also comes into her work as a coach and into her ideas - some of which we explore in this episode.

Karen and I have spoken a lot about the narratives that are portrayed about Black women in art and in photography, as well as the narratives that we tell ourselves, and she believes in rewriting those narratives - and that is what brought us to this conversation today as I knew I wanted to have her on the show.

Here are some of the things we talk about.
Attitudes she has seen in women and how they feel about having photos taken,
Her journey as a photographer,
The narratives she discovered being told by and about Black women in relation to photography and art - and how the photographer's narrative is often based on their own understanding as opposed to the subject of the photo,
How these narratives can shape what people think of us and what we think of ourselves,
How her own life experiences have shaped her photography in wanting the narratives to tell the full spectrum of human experience,
How images can impact the person looking at them,
How she works with values and her clients so that they can write and re-write their own narratives - as well as the stories their photos are telling
And so much more.
You can find the video "Flowers" that Karen and I discussed here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSgecA2nSvM&ab_channel=KarenRoswell
And you can learn more about Karen's work over on her website:
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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1 hr 5 min
October 22, 2024Dionne Draper - Finding joy on stage and in life
My guest today is Dionne Draper - and here is some more about her.
Dionne Draper is the executive producer and host of DAWTA The Podcast, founder of Sing With Soul, and a professional writer, actor and singer. Winner of the Women of The West Award, and the Lord Mayors Medal, Sing With Soul’s productions include DAWTA The Podcast, DAWTA a one woman musical, Bristol Take The Knee (Online Protest 2020) and Sing With Soul Choir. Dionne’s acting and recording credits include; ’The Cure’ (C4), ‘Trollied’ (Sky 1), Holby City (BBC 1), ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (Doran Productions), and ‘Rooty’ (Basement Jaxx). Guest appearances and features include, The Jeremy Vine Show, BBC Spotlight, London Live and The Stage online.

Combining academia, racial justice and music, to empower diverse voices, is central to Dionne’s creative work. And, in 2021 she studied diversity in the music industry in a Masters in Popular Music Practice. Following her masters Dionne was appointed as Head of Music and Singing at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, leaving after one year to pursue her passion to decolonise music spaces. Alongside her acting and music career, Dionne is collaborating in a multi-agency network with fellow creatives and professionals to study, promote and embed soulful African-based music practices across the music industry.

One thing that she and I talked about during this call was the idea of joy being something that can be and is present in the midst of so many other things going on in the world - including a pandemic lockdown, a civil uprising - and in a life that is composed of every possible emotion.

Dionne and I also talked about:
The song she wrote during the pandemic lockdown to build community and capture a moment of joy in a shared experience (share link) and you'll hear her singing on the podcast
Creating an online protest during the pandemic and the power of technology to bring communities together.
The synergy between the music of people of African descent and protests.
Bringing Black Joy into all parts of life including protests
Writing her one woman musical Dawta - what inspired her to tell hee story of being a transracial adoptee.
The value of being seen and telling your story
How a change in language and understanding around decolonisation and issues of supremacy can change the experiences of individuals being impacted by racism.
How writing and performing the play as fiction allowed her to build empathy for those in her life - even those she had never met.
Bringing an alter ego onto the stage
Switching characters during her performance as she played multiple characters
What she is thinking of for her next creative adventure
And she talked about her podcast Dawta and I’ve dropped the link below.

You can fid Dionne at:
Website: www.dionnedraper.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soullife05/
Email: [email protected]
DAWTA The Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YaTAbRX4mOW4u8DeFEWZP?si=350d0a6fb3dc4a8b
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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1 hr 2 min
October 15, 2024Shakirah Bourne - Embracing your evolving writing voice
My guest today is Shakirah Bourne - and here is a bit more about her.

Shakirah Bourne is a Bajan author and filmmaker. She once shot a movie scene in a cave with bats during an earthquake, but is too scared to watch horror movies. She is a recipient of the Governor General Award for Excellence in Literary Fiction for her short fiction collection, IN TIME OF NEED. Her first children's book, JOSEPHINE AGAINST THE SEA, received starred reviews in Kirkus and Booklist, was a SLJ Best Book of 2021, A Black Caucus of the ALA Best Book of 2021 and an Ignyte Award Finalist for Best Middle Grade Novel. The Caribbean edition, MY FISHY STEPMOM, published by Blue Banyan Books was a Finalist for the BURT/CODE Award for Caribbean YA Literature in 2018.

She was also the co-editor of YA non-fiction anthology, ALLIES: Real Talk About Growing Up, Screwing Up and Trying Again (DK/PRH, 2021), which was a World Book Day Selection. Her most middle grade horror, NIGHTMARE ISLAND, a tale based on Caribbean folklore, was published by Scholastic in June 2023, and she recently released BEWARE THE HEARTMAN - also based on Caribbean folklore.

I loved talking writing with Shakirah, and we dove into some topics including:
How she started writing at 9 years old when she ran out of books to read
Developing her writer voice
Her love for writing for the screen and her early projects
How she shifted to writing children's books, and fantasy - starting with my fishy stepmom
What she learned about Caribbean folklore
Writing for a global audience particularly using Bajan or Caribbean dialects
The tension a writer may feel writing in a particular dialect
The use of language in different places and how it changes
The importance of a supportive editor
She even gave some great tips about plotting, characterisation and dialogue that I'm planning to use verrrrrry soon!
You can follow Shakirah over on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakirahwrites/
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

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1 hr 2 min
October 08, 2024Karen Walrond - Rebelling through joy
My guest today is Karen Walrond - and here is a bit more about her.
Karen Walrond is the author of Radiant Rebellion and The Lightmakers Manifesto.
She is a public speaker, lawyer, leadership coach. and activist. Karen and her work have been featured on Brené Brown's Unlocking Us podcast. PBS, Huffington Post, CNN.com, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Science In civil engineering from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, remaining an active member of the State Bar of Texas. All of these skills, combined with her passion for empowering others toward self- determination and leadership helped her become one of 2016's 40 Over 40 Women to Watch, as well as one of YWCA-Houston's 2016 Outstanding Women of the Year.

She is also a sister from the Caribbean, fellow mango lover and sooooooo much more!

Karen and I focus in on the joy part of Writing Black Joy and we had so much fun discussing:
Why she chooses the lens of joy for her writing, and also what she thinks Joy is.
Understanding that while your anger can be a spark for change, you can still fuel this actual change through joy.
How growing up in the Caribbean and her heritage has shaped her view of the world - and the gift of being from a small island
Rituals and places of commonality and connection that we have found in the places we have lived and traveled
How she cultivates Joy through gratitude - and specifically daily gratitudes
What she does with her own anger and how she honors it - and on a whole balancing anger with the actions that we take - particularly in the realm of activism
Her spiritual practice and how it has changed over the years.

She even gave us a sneak peek about the book she is currently working on.
You can find Karen at https://www.chookooloonks.com/
You can follow her over on instagram https://www.instagram.com/heychookooloonks/
And she is over on substack as well! https://chookooloonks.substack.com
And you can follow the Writing Black Joy podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/
Substack: https://writingblackjoy.substack.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 6 min

About Writing Black Joy

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Writing Black Joy is a celebration of Black creatives whose joyful narratives are changing the world - one story at a time.

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Writing Black Joy episodes

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