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

Alright, Bri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

In theory, I do wish I started my creative career sooner because perhaps I would be further established. In reality though, I truly believe starting later was better for me personally, and business wise. On a personal level, starting later allowed me to have growth and healing experiences that would ultimately pour into where my creative career has gone. It also gave me time to develop my capacity which I think is essential to success. In a professional/business aspect, starting later allowed me to meet people that would become a support system and my role models. I think if I had started sooner I would’ve gotten consumed by trends and wouldn’t have as much to offer as I do now. As well as the confidence to do so.

Bri, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In a nutshell, what I do creatively is create guided journals and templates. They typically include inspirational quotes, QR codes to videos, breathing exercises and/or resources.
I think what sets me apart is the passion that fuels my creations. When I first started my journey, making journals through self publishing was becoming increasingly popular. I started creating lined journals with cute covers but I knew I wanted more depth. I wanted them to foster inspiration. The topics for the books are birthed from my personal experience of low self esteem, anxiety, therapy and more. My most recent work is a self discovery/ solo dating book titled “Table for One.” I decided to include letters from myself to the reader in hopes to create a personal touch. I ended up having a book release party which really solidified my work for me and became a moment I could really be proud of and remember. Aside from that, I’m most proud of the suicide safety planning templates I created called “P.s You’re Loved.” (Please stay, you are loved.) Suicide awareness and prevention is very dear to me as I am a survivor myself. I plan to contribute to the cause in greater depth and I recently received certification in safety planning for youth.
Behind the scenes, I am a 20 something year old woman navigating life, building myself and finding my voice. That’s what I hope shines through in whatever I create. I make mistakes, I try new things, I cry, laugh, learn and still have things I’m healing from. Most importantly though, I never give up on myself or the life that I want to live.

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

At first, I just had the goal to make organizing cute and fun. Now I feel I have more of a mission which is to empower people on their journey of personal development. I also believe that a part of my mission is creating a platform that dismantles the idea that you have to be perfect and have it all figured out instead of being a person that’s continuously learning and building themselves. I’ve grown up with social media and it’s had so much impact on me in positive and negative ways. I think it’s the easiest place for comparisons. We often see the triumph of others but not the trials. So when I make videos, I don’t mind being open about my flaws, learning experiences and down times. This can be a scary thing to do but there have been many times someone has messaged me saying how they can relate or how the authenticity of a post has inspired them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes, a book that I credit a lot for giving me the motivation to start my journey and has been vital in shaping my entrepreneurial thinking is called “It’s All In Your Head” by Russ. He is my favorite music artist and I really admire his philosophy of betting on yourself. His book speaks to believing in yourself and not letting doubt or delayed gratification stop or slow you down. It gives a perspective that success is based on how you measure it. So I stopped looking at my creative path through the lens of comparison. It became less stressful and I was able to find my voice in my work. That’s what I see as my success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://little-inspo-things.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeanxiousblackgirl?igsh=ZDlha2Fob2QyOXJq&utm_source=qr
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theeanxiousblackgirl?_t=8pdxW1JvJ4U&_r=1