We were lucky to catch up with Maya Alisa recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Maya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I’m an odd person, i work in extremes haha. I like to challenge myself to do ridiculous things and so i made a deal with myself to finish a series of books in 10 days. 10 books in 10 days. It took a lot of focus and commitment. It started with a a video that I saw of someone complaining about there not being enough Princesses in film and television that are of color. So I created a world of 30 princesses all girls of color in a book series called Princess Charming. The first 10 are all available and i’m working on the next 10 for 2025. I chose that name because there is no prince charming in any of their stories. Their stories are inspired by more than love and romance. For example the story of Carolina was inspired by a song A Saia da Carolina. The version that inspired it was by Carolina Deslandes, it’s a Feminist
anthem. It made for a perfect story. Then there is Haniyah, her story is religious based. It’s about learning how to deal and cope with loss and grief. All of the stories are very different none of them are just alike . Some are more deep and relatable and some are more whimsical but all of them represent Woman of Color from every corner of the world.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I always knew as a kid i would work independently. I don’t really like being told what to do haha. I would tell my mom all the time that I was going to be a business owner. I had no idea what that even really meant for me or what kind of business I would own. I started writing stories in school like most people. I never thought it would become a passion or career because I saw it as a chore for many years. Anytime I wrote it was because I had to, not because I wanted to. I worked in beauty for many years but slowly it became unsatisfying for me. It’s hard to explain how I made the decision to transition into this field because there wasn’t a thought process. It was truly divine intervention. I went to sleep one night, woke up the next morning and said , I’m going to write a book. Just that simple. I didn’t even know what all that would entail and at the time I didn’t care ,which is not like me. I typically overthink every little thing. This is the first thing I have ever done where there was no long thought process. I just did it. I wrote my first book Keanna in about two weeks. I went through 17 different covers of it before i made the final one and then decided ok well now i have to get this thing in someone’s hands and so I set up meetings with publishing houses and I just wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t know what I was looking for them to do , but my heart just wasn’t into what was offered and that’s how i made the choice to Independently publish. The day that I got a physical copy of my book in my hands it was like a whole world of possibility opened up to me. I started thinking bigger and bigger beyond just books .My creative wheels started turning and I started creating this world that could be pulled off the pages of a book and own to a screen. From there I went back to school to study film. I didn’t like the idea of having to sell my characters and the rights to my stories away. So I wanted to learn as much about film as possible and I have fell in love with it. I only slept an hour a day for like a month. I would stay up all night writing and creating concepts. I started pairing merchandise to go with the books and eventually decided to just open an online store and that’s how my business Girl World was created.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My mission is to shatter the illusion of “representation” in books, film and media. I believe it is easy to get caught up in falling for certain terminologies that you don’t realize you’re being played. Sure alot of books. shows and movies technically have representation but they are giving people of color the same storylines, playing out the same tired stereotypes. Especially when it comes to women. My goal is not just representation , it is diversifying the representation. Im tired of seeing the awkward Asian nerd or the Black boy crazy best friend that is there for comedic relief. It is played out. It’s time for something new and my goal is to fill in the gaps.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me , the reactions from women of color when they see that my brand is fully dedicated to showcasing them…us, that’s the best part of it all. “She looks just like me!” is a comment that I have gotten a lot from little girls and that motivates me to keep pushing towards my goal. A big part of my inner child has been healed through my writing and my hope is that it does the same for others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Maya-Alisa/author/B0D88HHJWW?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlworldstudio1?igsh=andzYzgzaWtteWhr&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: Check out Maya Alisa’s profile on LinkedIn
- Other: Barnes and Noble : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keanna-alisa/1145737229?ean=9798331411855
