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

Alex, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

“So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

“People will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Naming of buildings, foundations, scholarships and trust funds are ways that legacy impact is quantified and valued at times. The sentiments expressed across centuries from William Shakespeare followed by Dr. Maya Angelou. speak to legacies that are not measured in external monuments but rather by internal motivations. Shakespeare’s offer of legacy of “this” was a poem shared in love. Dr. Angelou’s words deepen the sentiment by removal of even a written expression of love. In fact, she declares that the declaration of love is insufficient alone, and it is the recipient that determines the true legacy.

The questions for rumination and reflection:
What do you hope your legacy will be? What sort of legacy are you hoping to build? What do you think people will say about you after you are gone? What do you hope to be remembered for?

To those, I respond:
I hope my legacy to be found in the warmth inside a chest upon hearing my name, an unpredicted smile, a rising up of hope in a hard moment, an item held in a hand that brings a moment of peace, the turned page of a recommended book, the smell of good coffee reminding of a quality conversation, the remembrance of an encouraging word, a rich story shared and perhaps, if the recipient is so moved, a written story of remembrance.

It would be these feelings and moments of warmth that could produce the other visible tributes, such as scholarships. However, those are not the end goal of my life.

I have had those in my life who had both public stature and humble status. Their contributions to my life brought equal warmth. These models demonstrated that influence, and legacy building is in the quiet moments as much as the stage spotlight. In fact, the legacy of behavior behind the curtain can often loom larger than the remarks in front of it.

With that in my mind and spirit, I lean into moments of connection that may not, on the outside, move mountains and certainly don’t call for carving my face into them. These human and humane moments of focused listening, sincerely caring and deeply connecting are my essential work. All accomplishments build from these. Any legacy of mine will come from these.

Children are already showing signs of my legacy whether it be in their love of baked goods and books or temperament. They are relentless and honest documentarians of how I show up in the world. It motivates me to hold onto the light. I have deep gratitude to those who have loved me deeply. It is this love that I can draw upon to find the softness in hard times and the capacity to be present for others in times of distraction.

With legacy in mind, I close with “love & prayers” from my mother. with a remix from Beyonce.

Love & Prayers.

Love you deep, loved ones.

Acknowledging those pictured:
Sister Taraji – In Remembrance, Pacia Elanie Anderson, Shirley Bradley LeFlore – In Remembrance, Gillespie Nasir Stallings, Dr. Duana Russell-Thomas and Dr. Samantha March,

Related tribute:

St. Louis Poet Laureate emeritus Shirley Bradley LeFlore passes at 79

Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have enjoyed the letters of the alphabet and the words/worlds created by them since I was a child. This love grew up with me as I became a butterfly in the sky with Reading Rainbow and, embraced the idea that I would teach high school English. I did and found both that I loved students, but also that the world of education extends beyond the traditional classroom. Related to my love of rich storytelling is my desire to contribute to the lives of children. This drive took various professional forms. As such, I now have a varied resume of chapters ranging from community conversations to multimedia content involvement. This is what the path looks like in resume form:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrajs

What is feels like is a remarkable montage of meaningful moments, sparks of inspiration, drive to innovate, creative connections and a desire to continue to fly.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I learned early in the work of innovation that there is a predictable timetable for it. What helped build my reputation is the understanding and operating principle that innovation moves at the speed of trust. Opportunities do, in fact, arise that are ephemeral. You must seize the moment. However, your capacity to engage others and motivate them to join you in successfully bringing the idea to fruition is directly connected to their level of trust. I have, in fact, had large-scale opportunities arise with significant statewide funding that needed rapid response. Thankfully, I knew who I could text in those moments and would receive the response: “I’m in.”

The ability to maintain the relationships, connections and deliver on my word has been essential.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There may be a perception that engaging with creativity is taking unlimited risks and is best for times with low stakes. Creativity is critical. It is essential to explore the unexplored, imagine what is possible and reimagine what is. There is nothing about the environment of our world that is calling for outdated approaches. Evolution is in the innovation. It is, however, misapplied if steps are taken without a roadmap and rest stops. It is necessary to success for the creativity to be paired with a plan. Calculated risks. Planned innovation. Structured exploration. These are the helpful approaches. With those in mind, let the dreamers dream.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrajs

Image Credits

Ijeoma Photos