We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charles Jennings. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charles below.

Charles , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

First and foremost, without my Heavenly Father, none of this would even be possible. I give God all the praise and glory for opening the door for me and showing me that it’s never too late for dreams to come true.

What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, is a question that has many answers. All of us overtime, have had many people do kind acts for us. But what about the impact? When I ponder my personal life-markers, My mother and my wife Frances comes to mind. Their kindness isn’t just another feel good story. It’s a life changing testimony, my life changing testimony of how God used their kindness to change a lost soul born with a gift to share with the world.

My name is Charles L. Jennings Sr. I’m 55 years old and I’m from Toledo, Ohio. Growing up, I wrote my first poem when I was 12 years old and that’s when God’s gift came to life. However, the journey was anything but easy.
My father was murdered when I was only ten years old. Hallmark rejected me five times and my Greeting Card Business “Beyond The Soul” was a failure. I lost my confidence and along the way, I lost my identity as well. I tried to bounce back, but life mocked me like a scorned mistress seeking revenge.

Severe glaucoma left me legally blind and even prostate cancer tried to take me out. Despite being broken and depressed, the worst was still yet to come. The consequences of hurting my wife had finally caught up with me. After 24 years of being together, Frances asked for a divorce because of my infidelities. What my wife put up with, any other woman would have left a long time ago. Later that night alone in the basement, I fell on my knees drowning in an ocean of tears because God humbled me. That was the night He changed my life forever.

Fast forward to this “MOMENT” five years later…
The Canvas Rebel Magazine Interview

Here is my answer to your question: The kindest thing my mother ever did for me was teaching me God’s Word and raising me in the ways of the Lord. The kindest thing Frances ever did for me was love me unconditionally even though I screwed it up. When I think about the storms I went through, God reminds me of my personal life-markers who showed me kindness.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I’m writing, I strive to emote one’s feelings and emotions that are buried deep within and yearning to be heard. And when I take the time to listen as well as understanding the depths of my own soul, I’m reminded of God’s gift. My name is Charles L. Jennings Sr.

The main reason I starting writing poetry was to help me deal with the death of my father. Losing my dad was a huge loss that scarred me for a long time. During that tragic time in my life, poetry was the only friend I had. We shared countless hours and days together as my emotions spilled into poetry that I never knew existed. The more I wrote, the deeper my thoughts became. And before I knew it, we transformed into something that only God could’ve created… “Poetyk Conversations”

I know what you’re thinking. Charles spelled “Poetyk” wrong. But there’s a testimony behind the Y and K that keeps me humbled. Because my gift is a blessing from God, I wanted to show Him my gratitude. YK means
“Your King” and it’s a reminder that without God, I’m nothing. Now that you know the story behind “Poetyk Conversations,” take a walk with me into the depths of my soul. My cousin Casey was the first person who believed in me before I even believed in myself.

He told me that I was better than Hallmark and in the beginning, I laughed at his remarks. But other family members started telling me the same thing and it was then that I started taking them seriously. My pen and I honed our craft relentlessly and we grew in ways that we couldn’t fathom.
Since 1982, I have been writing for 43 years praying for God to open a door for me. Earlier, I told you about the struggles and disappointments I endured just to get to this moment.

Do you know what it feels like to be stuck, knowing that God created you for a greater purpose? However, God said “faith without works is dead.” This isn’t about me whatsoever. It’s about my work being read, listened to, my books being published and heard. As a Creative Writer, Author, and Poet, my sole purpose is to be a light where I live, work, and play. What separates Charles Jennings from the others? I’m your “conscious” who gives it to you straight when no one else will.

I pray that you would listen to the words that God has put in my heart to speak, but I will never ask you to get swept away by my words. Read the Bible for yourselves and please be honest with your actions. Another thing that separates me from everyone else is that I’m quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Anybody can scribble letters and words on paper, but how many people can turn those same letters and words into
Poetyk Conversations?

My relationship with my Heavenly Father is what I’m MOST proud of! Because without His grace, my life wouldn’t have meaning or purpose. Another important matter I wanted to address is this… whether you’re a fan, potential client, or follower, please take my words to heart. Jesus called us His friends and therefore, I call you my friends. Just because I’m brand new doesn’t mean I’m not an old soul. My dream is to have my own Talk Show and this platform begins that journey.

This final conversation is dedicated to my mother, Sandra S. Temple. She taught me to have self worth and to trust God with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding. More importantly, my mom instilled in me that if I believe in God, put Him first and trust the process, anything is possible. I never forgot her words of wisdom. I love you mom!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal that’s driving my creative journey is to show compassion to a world that’s filled with darkness. Society as well as social media ensnares us into believing that we have step on others to achieve success. But Jesus commands us to LOVE one another as He has loved us. We live in a world where all we do is complain, yet we don’t try to find solutions. All we do is put people down, insult one another, blame each other for our failures, etc. How many of us actually take the time to show compassion to family, friends, or even strangers?

The world is watching how we respond and our actions have betrayed us. So many people dare to dream, but at what cost? Why do I say that? I said it because when we dream, many of us are selfish and only think about ourselves. The goal is to get rich, buy fancy cars and live lavishly. I’m not suggesting nor saying that everyone does it. Can I ask you a question? What if our missions, our goals, and our dreams had the same purpose of showing compassion to others? Can you imagine the impact we would make in the world?

When I think about the mission of my creative journey, I realize that it’s BIGGER than me. Showing compassion is just a small part of who God created me to be and become. His gift to me was meant to show kindness and love as well. Bringing light to a world full of darkness where I live, work, and play is the passion that drives my creative journey. This is who Charles L. Jennings Sr. is as an Ambassador of God.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a Creative is that I get to share God’s gift with the world. There are so many people in the world who need a kind word or a chance to be heard. Honestly, I don’t think there will ever be enough words to describe the joy I feel when someone tells me how my Poetyk Conversations have impacted their life. As I’ve said before, it’s never been about me. If God never created me, there is no gift to share and this interview is obsolete.

When someone asks me to take their emotions and put them into a conversation they have a hard time expressing… all I can do is ponder how truly blessed and spoiled I am by my Heavenly Father. I know I don’t deserve His grace whatsoever, but I’m fortunate to be blessed by the Most Wonderful High! When I write, it’s not a hobby, a passion or even a side hustle. From the depths of my soul, I define it as JOY! I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself if I didn’t have this gift.

All I can continuously do is thank God and show Him my gratitude. I look forward to this incredible journey and opportunity that this interview will bring to my work. God bless and thank you.