We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Airreia Pierce. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Airreia below.
Alright, Airreia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I went to school to first become an interior designer, dreaming of making big money and living the life I always dreamed of. Second year into the design program, I realized that I was not happy. I packed all of my design supplies, sold them, and changed my major to early childhood education. Though I knew the pay was not as promising as an interior designer, being an educator for young children was desirable at the time. I graduated from both undergraduate and graduate school with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree fully funded by a scholarship and stipends in the field of Birth-Kindergarten Education. I thought that this was where I would retire one day. Almost 10 years as a Pre-K teacher, I realized my true passion was writing. I would write on the side when I could find the time and feel so free. Within my years as a teacher, that is when I took a risk by self-publishing my first book. However, I was still not confident about leaving a job and pursuing my true passion. It was not until my husband and I were pregnant with our first child and after we had our daughter, the maternity leave caused me to reconsider life. I knew that for our family, I wanted more flexibility, more fulfillment, and the ability to pursue writing. I took the biggest risk by quitting an almost an almost 4K/month salary job to come home. I figured that it was the best time to pursue the business ideas that my husband and I discussed of one day opening up a school and me pursuing writing. The important thing is to realize that we must trust the process. Even when we take the huge risks, it does not mean immediate success. You have to learn how to embrace failure to grow and learn from mistakes. Once I left, I opened a home daycare that also allowed me to further explore writing creatively. I published my second book and felt more encouraged that I was on the right path. Opening our home daycare was another huge risk, but we were willing to make it work as long as possible, until we had a traumatic experience. We became pregnant a year later, but miscarried. While being at my home daycare and experiencing this all alone, I knew that I needed to take care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I gave my clients a two month advance notice to inform that we would be closing our daycare. I felt like a failure. What did this mean? Did I need to return back to my Pre-K teaching job? Did I make a mistake? I used this time to explore other home and part-time income opportunities that would help support my writing passion in the meantime. Then I published my third book. I was ecstatic. All of the times that I spent behind the scenes writing, fueled me. I began journaling in my quiet time and praying about how could I do this full time one day? A few years later, the world encountered the first-ever pandemic. In the midst of this pandemic, I returned to school to earn my doctorate in–you guessed it, Reading, Literacy, and Assessment. Literacy is apart of my DNA. It is also connected to my creative passion of writing. Recently, I began working on a children’s book series that is set to be released this summer. While my story is still unfolding, I would encourage anyone to first seek God for guidance, be willing to take calculated risks, understand the lessons from failure, and learn to perservere no matter what happens in life.
Airreia, 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?
My name is Airreia Pierce, and I am a wife, mom, educator, and an author. As an author, I also offer writing coaching sessions for my clients who desire to write their own book. I individualized plans that best suite each customer and willing to ghostwrite as well. In addition, I also edit for my clients who have their manuscripts. I absolutely love to edit and feel that this is apart of my gift to pay attention to detail and support my client’s vision. My audience has mostly been women, teens, and children that I write and speak to and offer encouragement. I am most importantly a follower of Christ, and believe that my life is a testimony of faith to encourage others.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Pursuing my passion in writing has not always been easy or supported. While my husband and some family members and friends have supported me, some have not. During the times of drought, no one buying my books, completing reviews, sharing through word-of-mouth, brought discouragement. However, each time, I remembered that my validation does not depend on others. I know who I am and whose I am. I know that my calling is to write. This is what encouraged me to keep going forth no matter the distractions along the way.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Even in high school and college, the push is for career focus and earning money, while it is necessary to make a living, it is important that individuals pursue their creative passions and find ways that it can make money. Today I heard a story on the radio about a person who did not want to become a doctor, but enjoyed playing arcade games. He now has his own YouTube channel and has found creative ways to make money while doing his passion to teach others how to play arcade games. Society should stop detering others that creative passions will leave you in poverty.
Note: Illustrations contributed via Blueberry Illustrations
Contact Info:
- Website: www.airreiapierce.com
- Instagram: @AirreiaPierce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airreiapierce
- Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCGuMUXtspUWul1gMLogiWdA/videos/upload?filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D