We were lucky to catch up with Savanna Hulbert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Savanna, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge I believe we writers and poets, or artists in general have is finding your crowd and your active readers. Many in the generations before me and after me will say common things like ” I don’t read unless it’s a topic that’s interesting to me.” or ” I don’t like to read because it’s either boring or takes too long.” We also face challenges of competition when placed in a setting with other artists and begin questioning our abilities and success. Initially, I go into this headspace where I’m questioning why our ancestors had to lose limbs just for some of us to not pick up a book unless required to do so. Then I think about all the people that are out there that actually do read, write, and support. Lastly, we have to remember that we all will have a different success story and our time may not be now, but it is coming!.

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

Savanna Maree Gates Hulbert was born in Joliet, Illinois, and moved to Memphis, TN at a young age. I had always been good at telling stories or knowing something I shouldn’t have. Some would call that nosy, Old folks would say it’s God talking to you, and I would say it’s just my precognitive dreams, but who knows right? Once I started seeing that my stories were related to the real world, not what my parents had sheltered me from, and once I knew my aunt Krista and my older sister Yolanda actually had been writing; I took it upon myself to expand my knowledge of what was actually going on inside and outside my household. I read every book I could get my hands on, by middle school I was sneaking my sister’s books into my room, to school, or even outside. Some definitely had no business reading at that age like Midnight by Sister Souljah, but it was teaching me all those stories I could come up with, and the dreams I was having weren’t just dreams and stories; they were occurrences that every day, mostly BIPOC families and individuals go through. So by high school, I had written my first book on an app called Wattpad. My first thoughts were that it’s relatable, I did my research, checked to see if I had an audience and for the most part, I did. I saw the results and I did not like them. So, come the summer of my sophomore year in college I had completed my second book One Mind To Another and it sold out. I presented myself to so many crowds on campus, online, to family, and networked outside the city of St. Louis where I attended Webster University for Criminology and I got the results I was looking for. From there I wrote two more books named Silky Secrets and On Second Thought. In the last three books, I struggled to write the poems because I have this fear of not being understood or someone not liking my work. Therefore I always second-guessed my work. I’m sure I wrote some amazing poems throughout the years, but I made the mistake of either throwing them away or deleting them. I sat with myself multiple times during class, counseling, in group settings, or simply sitting in my room thinking about all these experiences and situations I’ve been through and had, which gave me a lot to say, that others may be able to relate to. I had to believe in myself, and in my work before anyone else could. In that period of disbelief, I couldn’t market my work like I was really hungry or excited to have completed such gems. Looking back I realized I was doing what every person does before, looking for validation.

My work focuses on mental health, trauma, and being comfortable with your body and sexuality. My work is art, non-fiction, and fiction. My work is loud and can sometimes focus on one topic with multiple scenarios for every type of person. My work reflects me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Writing and creating a body of work for me is therapy, it shows where I am at one point in life and where and what I am growing into. My work explains my thoughts, behaviors, and experiences in the few places I’ve been and the people I’ve met. My work serves as a relationship with no judgment or conditional love. So, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is having someone purchase a book and come back to me reciting a line, phrase, or even the whole poem because not only did it relate to them, they felt it on a spiritual level. It’s not just words on a paper or something to speak on, they actually understood and embody all that’s in that line, phrase, or poem. What’s also rewarding is when I get to work with other artists, dancers, singers, and painters on stage because they have a choreographed piece or art that relates to my work.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At the age of nine, I had already been through two of the most difficult things for a child to go through which not only affected my happiness but my child-like imagination I would say. Although difficult and barely processing what it meant for me, I could only do what I was seeing those on television do, move on and find an outlet. Parents divorcing and dealing with the trauma of molestation can alter a child’s dream. Luckily I had the support that helped me move forward. It wasn’t until I got to college that I got professional help from a licensed therapist. Yet, between that time those someone’s taught me to write how I feel whenever I felt it. So I journaled, I wrote the stories of Savanna’s life and those who gave me permission to write about their stories as well. My resilience showed through my work again. At times I wished on those fairytales, but that’s not what saved me. My work did. Nightmares and experiences turned into a sold-out work of art. My pain healed with a performance curated/choreographed by a dancer/artist by the name of Ashley Johnson using the song Muse by Nicolas Jaar and my poem Sleep As An Art Gallery. My tribute to my ancestors because I understand the reoccurring struggles of black individuals came with my poems Voices Of My Ancestors and One Day; all show the resilience of a black woman and young adult.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/savannahulbert
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfxKE6au9N3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• Facebook: Savanna Hulbert
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savanna-hulbert-79b9aaa9/

Image Credits
Nicole Gates – The SheEo Mindset Yolanda Gates – Poet/Activist Jeremiah Williams Brooklyn & Bheanna Hulbert Jesse & De’Angelo Hulbert David Hulbert Naomi Gates Melissa Collins SIRENTY Entertainment