We were lucky to catch up with Blossom Nicole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Blossom, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As I child, I had it rough. However, creative expression was my escape. I loved being on stage and amongst people who weren’t afraid of the spotlight. At the age of 9, I sat down with my neice and nephew (my bother is a lot older than me, so his kids and I were close in age) and we wrote songs and memorized them. Our mission was to be famous hip hop artists and performers. To this day, that motivates me to take my creativity seriously. Of course, I know I may never be famous, but I want to at least be happy in my element. I’m happiest when I’m creating or helping other creatives.

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

In 2012 I began writing a poetry book. This book would contain poems that spoke about experiences pertaining to the human condition. Those were love, hate, success, failure and suppression. I published “Roses from Stones” in 2013 and this sparked an even bigger fire in me. I wanted to build a foundation of poets. One of my favorite shows in early adulthood was Def Poetry, produced by Russell Simmons and I crushed heavy on this show. It made me feel alive. I had never felt a vibe like that anywhere in real life. So I thought, “I bet I could do that….” and I have. I plan, organize,fulfill and fund my own poetry open mics, slams and kickbacks. I also organize events that add positive insight to growth within our communities. I’ve met so many inspirational poets and creatives by doing this work. It has opened my eyes to so many great things. I’ve watched people grow and become stellar performers. That is a reward for me. To watch someone go from being shy and insecure to a blossoming flower…is a gift from God. That’s why I love my name so much (BLOSSOM) It’s a verb….a demand❤. I love planning events that focus on artists. This is why I started my business, Poetry and Me Event Planning and Things. From here, I created my network of poets and other artists called Poets of Steel. I admire this group to the moon and back. There are no words to describe how grateful I am to this group. We encourage love, support, healing and growth. Our mission is to rise inward and outwardly. I see very many great things happening individually and collectively, to the members and supporters of this movement.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

They can show up. A lot of times artists feel like they are laughed at. This is horrible for an artist trying to come out their shell, or advance to a higher level. Artists NEED support, otherwise, what’s the use in sharing right? Artists want to connect with people on some level. Artists want to know that they are understood in their expression. So it’s important to take time and listen or see what they are trying to communicate. Expression is who we are…and we need commonalities. One discouraging thing is Artists sometimes get the least support from family and friends, and this could very well cause an artist to stop their journey in creating. My idea for society to show up, is very simple. Like/love their posts, share their posts, go to their shows, make donations, pay them for their time, call and check on them, be a listening ear. I’m definitely not saying do ALL of these things…because everyone is busy and focused on something or another. But, what I’m saying is…be constant. Show the Artists that their voice means something.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish that I knew more about individual artists grants.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Poetically.writ.10
• Facebook: Blossom Nicole

Image Credits
Photographer: Lillie