We had the good fortune of connecting with Keisha Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keisha, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy is striving to follow my passions and live in my purpose every day. Writing is cathartic to me. It’s my release from the everyday struggles we all face. I appreciate art in many forms. It takes courage to be an artist. Being an artist is scary, but it’s one of the most rewarding things I could’ve done. When I get that review from one person who gets it, it just does something to me. It makes me want to continue.

What I’ve always known, but is becoming increasingly more predominant as I’m growing older and seeing friends and family transition from this life, is that we all have an expiration date. None of us is going to live forever. What I can do is make sure my legacy lives on through my work. That’s why I create. Besides inspiring and uplifting others, I write to leave something for a young woman or man to read years after I’m gone. I want to be able to speak when I don’t have breath in my body. Words never die.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I wrote as a child but lost my way in adulthood because of what I thought I should be doing. I also sang in a local band in my twenties but gave up because I was afraid to put myself in front of people. Lacking faith in myself led me to leave the artistic world and work random 9-5 jobs where I was miserable, and I found myself drowning in depression.

It wasn’t until the pandemic in 2020 that I finished my first book and created my publishing company, Kreative Kreations Publishing, LLC. My debut novel, Worth the Weight: A Love Like No Other, has been on the bestselling list on several platforms. My second book, The Love Enthusiast, will be released on October 15, 2023. Additionally, I wrote a chapter for an anthology titled Black Women Win: Stories to Celebrate, Honor, Salute, and Acknowledge Black Women across the Globe.
Honestly, I’m just at the tip of the iceberg on my creative journey. Writing has helped me step out of my comfort zone, but I also want to delve back into singing and can envision myself performing again in the future. I would love to learn how to play the guitar as well. Additionally, I’m working on several other projects and look forward to releasing them in the next few years.

One of the main challenges I’ve faced has been stepping out and doing something I’ve never done. Now, I do things while I’m afraid all the time. Sometimes I don’t think I’m good enough, and that doggone Imposter Syndrome creeps in, but the challenge is not to give in to it. I remind myself that I’m operating in my purpose, so it will work out if I do my part. I also take classes to better myself, but I’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the journey. I know that I’m going to make mistakes and everyone isn’t going to like what I’m doing, but it’s not my job to please everyone.

Lastly, a lesson I’ve learned is that many of the people you thought would support you don’t. That’s OK. You can’t worry about that, because your work isn’t for them. It’s for who it’s for. So don’t let that deter you.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been a multitude of people who have encouraged me on my writing/author journey, but I’ll start from the top.

My mother, Kaylin Allen, for her continuous love, support, and encouragement. My brother Eric and sister Marsha, my group of amazing friends who encouraged me to write and continue writing (I don’t want to name them because I’m afraid I might miss a few). They know who they are though.

Mentors: Monique Mensah, Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood, Henery X (long), and Delerice Clarke-Tehrani. Thank you for mentoring me along the way.

Website: keishawritenowallen.com

Instagram: keisha_writenow_allen

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/keishakallen

Facebook: Keisha WriteNow Allen

Image Credits
Author Photo – TR Medias 3rd photo – Hamed Mohamed 4th photo – Tomasz Ostrowski

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