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

Jakira , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Who knew that being 13,500 feet in the air would teach me the importance of not only valuing my life but also realizing that my life is not solely my own?

On Mental Health Awareness Day, October 10, 2022, I decided to skydive. Most would think jumping out the plane was the real risk, but what if I told you that surrendering control was the true challenge? I wanted to experience the security of falling into the hands of a man I couldn’t see. Something in my spirit called me to a higher place, literally. As a believer in Jesus Christ, He led me to a place that revealed everything I needed to not only see, but also feel.

However, when taking this risk I thought the scariest part would be jumping out of the plane. In fact, floating in the air was. Floating taught me what faith looks and feels like. For faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. I couldn’t see how I would land but I hoped and believed that I would.

What was I hoping for that was right in front of me? The answer was simple: life. I wanted to live for something much bigger than myself. At 27 years old, I craved to breathe without suffocating in the world around me. For most of my life, I conformed to the world because it was the “right” thing to do. However, entering this new chapter, I found myself asking more important questions like, “Who am I?”, “What am I called to do?”, and “Why am I here?”

So here we are, 13,500 feet later. Alive and breathing with ease as I learn to live a life of intention, purpose, and above all, being of service.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, my name is Jakira but I go by JAK for short. A fun fact about me is that the first three letters of my name are my initials.

I know myself to be a creative artist, and one of my foundational scriptures is “Don’t conform to the patterns of this world. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2. My goal as a creative is to turn one’s eye into an “I”. It’s to help people connect back to themselves even if it’s just for a moment. I’ve been writing for about five years now, but two years ago, I got to a place in my life where I wanted to do spoken word. I wanted to bring my story to life not only through my words but also by creating a poetry exhibit highlighting the most sacred parts of my life—my heart, my spirit, my relationship with God.

Almost two years later, I can say that I’ve made multiple decisions to honor myself and my walk with God. I had the opportunity to go to Hawaii for a writers’ retreat in January 2023, which led me to not only self-publish my first book titled “Pieces of yOUR heart: Where Poetry and Therapy Become One” seven months later but I also I held my first poetry exhibit, highlighting different chapters in the book and revealing a more vulnerable side of myself.

Between those seven months, I also had multiple speaking engagements, tutored preschoolers for my educational company Just Accommodating Kids (J.A.K.), and through it all, battled with mild depression, which often took the driver’s seat of my life. It was a time when I acknowledged aloud that I needed help. It was time to choose my well-being, to sacrifice a lot, and most importantly, to lean on my village more than ever. In this season, I had to trust God more than I trusted myself and learn to rely on my community. They were my training wheels when I lost my balance in life.

During this time, I was in therapy, took a leave of absence from my full-time job, started on antidepressants for about 3-4 months, and eventually transitioned out of my full-time job. This was a year where I learned to bet on myself and trust God with my outcome, just as I had trusted Him when jumping out of the plane.

Outside of poetry, I started an educational program called Just Accommodating Kids(as mentioned above), better known as J.A.K. J.A.K. was inspired by many families during the pandemic that didn’t have the proper tools/resources needed to educate their children. As an educator for seven-plus years with experience working with Pre-K and students with special needs, I wanted to create another supportive system for my community. For the past four years, I can say J.A.K. has been very successful, and I am grateful. Last year, for Christmas, I donated 66 J.A.K. Binders to Little Water Prep (LWP) that focuses on their Social Emotional Learning, penmanship, days of the month, months of the year, shapes, and numbers 1-100. For year four, I decided to honor J.A.K. by practicing rest as an entrepreneur.

Now, I am in a season where I am learning to slow down, focus on the systems that impact my mental health, and strive to become better. Thus far, I am proud of not only the impact I’ve been able to make but the overall journey of self-evolution and healing. Overall, my passion is to simply create, educate, and to help people connect back to themselves so they can become a healthier version of themselves.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Elizabeth Cady Stanton once said, “Truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.” As a creative, the most rewarding aspect of my journey is allowing myself to be gracefully broken at the hands of God. My walk with Him as a christian, has taught me the importance of honoring all sides of myself—the good, bad, ugly, and anything I deem unworthy. It requires me to operate from a place of true love. A love that is liberating and yet, holds me to a standard and keeps me accountable to live in truth. A love that doesn’t allow me to hide behind a facade of what should be, rather embrace what is.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My latest creative formula has been resting with intention. I’ve learned and believe that rest is the fuel for effective and impactful creation. Slowing down, enjoying the process, but most importantly, inviting God into all things I do that way I never feel led to depend on my own understanding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lifewithjak.com
• Instagram: l.i.f.e.withjak
• Linkedin: Jakira Kellogg
• Youtube: LIFEwithJAK
• Other: Amazon.com : Pieces of yOUR heart: Where Poetry & Therapy Become One.

Image Credits

Painting with quote – Painter – Quiana Lewis
All white picture with children- Photographer – Shotbyloe
Poetry photo with black belt- Christopher Santos and Adrian Medina