We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angelica Taveras a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angelica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in a creative career or as an entrepreneur is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

As a research-based blogger, I include parts of my personal life onto my articles, it’s how I connect with my people. In 2023 I took a leap of faith, re-launched with a new name, same concept but decided to go deeper. I felt that I was experiencing a whirlwind of traumatic events and was unsure if anyone else was. I decided to not only promote on my personal Instagram but also on my twitter. One of the biggest issues that I still face till this day is that people feel as though I overshare and at times attempting to control how I share my truth. I decided to drop “WTF is a red flag” because domestic violence has risen in my community, I unfortunately experienced it, and red flags were trending. Although a lot of people close to me knew this, some did not understand the depth of the psychological trauma it can cause on a victim. I took the criticism as any creative does, I did not allow it to affect my art. I resolved it by remembering why I began writing in the first place. At 11 years old I felt that I was not heard, my voice was not loud enough and that is when I decided to pick up my pen.
My best advice is when you are in doubt due to issues that you face take a moment to center yourself.

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.

Well, I am a writer, most of my work is supported by research. I at times take 3-4 weeks working on my articles. I have done philanthropy work within the last two years which has motivated me to continue my work as a writer. I’ve had the blessing of working with magazines and collaborations with artist. As a child in the Bronx I was faced with adversities that I felt no one shared with me, as an adult I realized that many did go through the same issues but we were always taught to stay quiet. My purpose is providing a shoulder, tools and resources for teens/young adults experiencing life on the rougher end of things. A lot of the times I receive direct messages, emails with questions, asking for advice or even a thank you comment on my website, it always reminds me of why I should keep going.
I had a hard time understanding that being different was not an issue. People would often ask me why I did not do spoken word or poetry and the truth was, I just did not find a calling in it anymore. I looked around at my community and felt motivated to share my thoughts, give facts in a way we understand. My articles are not meant to be perfect, they touch the audience that they are supposed to.
I’m proud of thisbronxgirlwrites every day, I had the pleasure of working with two magazines last year and although we did have editorial comments, they accepted my work and did not change my messaging. When I speak with anyone and they mention how much they love my work, that is all I need. I am proud of the progress I have made within my work, understanding how to properly convey information and still remain relatable.
If you are going through grief, a break up, just need a fun read, having issues finding your community, need tips on how to spice life up I have an article that you can relate to.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Every creative has their own process, that cannot be rushed. I think the biggest issue is that for some creatives money is not the objective. There is no amount of money that can change my art. Aside from writing I also paint, I’ve only sold one of my paintings because they are so dear to my heart. My articles have received offers in which for me to even consider has to feel like the perfect home. Because my intention is to uplift a community that is forgotten I often feel that it is difficult for people to understand that there is no price on that. There is times that in my journey I write, draw and keep it to myself until I am able to fully release. My articles are personal to me because I can relate to many struggling to survive, the fact that I have been able to even create a platform to share without restrictions makes me hesitant to work with others who create the same.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I do have a short term goal at the moment which is to publish my first book, I have been working on it for 3 years. I believe that I am coming to the end of my procrastination as I grow closer to my art. I have goals of being able to share my voice with a larger audience of people who can benefit from my experience and perhaps I can help influence them onto a better path in life. One of my goals became a reality which was to speak on a small panel to young women and I aspire to be on more panels. My mission is to make sure that my people always have a platform, a lot of the times we do not have these conversations in my community, I saw that they were articles that were difficult for me to relate to and I automatically thought about the youth. I’ve had the honor of working alongside the Bronx Collab as a member and dived into philanthropy and community work. Overall my mission is to educate in a non traditional way, I’ve been through these walks in life and I know that there is a brighter side.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thisbronxgirlwrites.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisbronxgirlwrites/