We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caela Collins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caela below.

Caela, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

That’s such a funny question — haha! It’s like asking a bird when it knew it wanted to fly or a fish how it discovered it was good at swimming. For me, creativity isn’t something I chose; it’s the lens I experience the world through. Art and expression are so interwoven into how I see, interpret, and move through life that I never really stopped to consider it a “path” — it’s just who I’ve always been.

I’ll notice things like the way dried raindrops leave behind ghostly puddle splatters on the sidewalk — and to me, they’ll resemble The Scream by Edvard Munch. To someone else, they’re just blobs. That’s how my brain works. I don’t feel right in my body or spirit when I’m disconnected from art for too long. So it’s hard to point to a single moment of arrival — it feels more like something written in my DNA.

But if I had to pick a moment, it was when I felt the absence of creativity in my life. Any job that stifled my creative spirit drained me completely. I did a short stint in healthcare as an admin, and my first act of rebellion was ordering multicolored sticky notes. That might sound silly, but imagine being a creative soul in an office stocked only with manila — not even highlighter yellow — sticky notes. It broke my spirit. It was a colorless world, and I realized then that I couldn’t thrive in one like that.

Writing has always been with me. I didn’t find it — it’s something I was. As a kid, I’d go to my older brother’s basketball games and, with no other kids around, I’d pass the time writing stories. What felt like ten minutes of writing would suddenly become an hour — and boom, it’s the fourth quarter. I’ve always been in an unconscious dance with my creativity — even when I didn’t realize that’s what it was.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been a writer, but it didn’t fully blossom into a professional path until I interned at Taste the Style, a lifestyle blog exploring fashion, food, and culture. During that time, I witnessed the launch of Chillhouse, Cyndi Ramirez’s innovative new-age spa and wellness café, and saw Taste the Style evolve into The Chill Times, its official editorial platform. Contributing during that transformation was formative — and I’ll never forget Cyndi telling me, “Caela, you’re one hell of a writer.” That moment changed everything. Writing wasn’t just something I was good at — it was what I was meant to do.

Since then, I’ve built a creative business rooted in storytelling. Through my company, Caela Enterprises, (www.Caela.org) I write books, produce digital content, and help brands strengthen their messaging. Whether I’m guiding entrepreneurs through their voice or creating immersive story-driven experiences, everything I do centers on one core belief: storytelling is survival.

My children’s book Food Is Love is a reflection of that philosophy. It tells the story of a young girl and the unbreakable bond she shares with her grandmother — a relationship that transcends time. The book explores themes of grief, tradition, and the magic in everyday rituals, while also chronicling the cultural shift in food, from kitchen tables to TV trays, homemade to drive-thru. It’s personal, intergenerational, and universal — and readers often tell me they see their own families in its pages.

I’m currently producing a limited edition of Food Is Love in collaboration with artist Kimberly (Kim) Balacuit (@kim.bala). This special release features a new front and back cover and an expanded section called the Scrookbook™ — my trademarked fusion of a scrapbook and a cookbook. It’s packed with recipes, family stories, memory games, and prompts designed to make storytelling tactile and interactive.

While I’m African American, I also have Indigenous roots on my father’s side from the Muscogee (Creek) tribe in the Southeastern U.S. I grew up attending pow-wows — cultural gatherings full of food, music, and spiritual connection. I’ll never forget one where, during a funeral, the drums began to beat and an eagle appeared, circling the grounds. When the drums stopped, the eagle flew away. That moment still lives in me — as does the belief that magic is always present if you know how to look.

That belief now fuels Famous Storyteller — my multi-platform storytelling movement. Launching May 15, 2025, the blog offers weekly Firestarter Pack — creative prompts, discipline tools, and stories designed to help people break free from endless scrolling and reconnect with their voice. Posts disappear every two weeks — but if you join the community (by subscribing to the newsletter), you’ll unlock full access to the archive (aka “the vault”) and get a front-row seat to a growing creative collective that believes in starting fires, not waiting for sparks.

I also run Famous Storyteller TV on TikTok (@FamousStorytellerTV), my “anti-TV network” where I premiere a new mini show each month. It’s raw, real storytelling — no gatekeepers, no filters.

I don’t wait for permission — I build platforms. And I call myself the Famous Storyteller not because I seek fame in the traditional sense, but because I believe everyone deserves their moment to be seen, heard, and remembered.
That’s what I’m building — and you’re invited.

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

I have a song-inspired poetry series that I do every week (Thursday/Friday) on my Instagram @Caelacudi where I take a song and it inspires me to write a poem. I wrote a poem titled “What is a Requiem?” because there was so much hype around the idea of a “requiem” via pop-culture like Ameriican Requiem by Beyonce and Pookie’s Requiem by Sailorr. I came across the song Mag!c by Ariel J. and the opening lyric “They call me lost when I wander” struck me, so I decided to create my own requiem which answer’s the question of what I think non-creatives struggle to understand about my journey as a creative:

What is a Requiem?
By: Caela Collins

I write so much,
I forgot that I had talent:

Weaving a tapestry of beautiful words
became a simple throw cover I’d view as decoration.
But to others,
it warmed their emotional frostbite—
digitally thawing poetic appreciation.

This year:
Cracked my eyes open,
Ripped my heart broken,
And thanked God for it all.
Because the only way to grow
is if you fall low—
Underneath soil with budding blessings,
I realized I was chosen.

To the outside world:
They think I’m lost because I openly wander.
They see their chains as protection…

Who’s going to tell them?
Blow the whistle to clear away the smoke?
Fracture their fun house mirrors?

Expose that the rusted links of age-old tales
aren’t security from the unknown—
but imprisonment,
restricting them
from discovering taste for more,
I wonder.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes—my creative journey is fueled by the mission to ignite self-discovery, spark healing, and empower people through storytelling. Whether I’m writing poems on the spot, crafting a bestselling chapter book series, sharing raw behind-the-scenes content, or helping entrepreneurs clarify and elevate their brand story through creative consulting, everything I create is meant to reflect the truth that storytelling is a mirror—one that shows us who we are, who we’ve been, and who we’re becoming.

Through my platform Famous Storyteller, I’m building a multi-platform storytelling universe—anchored by a blog launching on May 15, 2025, an “anti-TV network” on TikTok featuring rotating mini-series, and a soon-to-launch YouTube channel—where creatives, dreamers, and disruptors don’t wait for permission. We start fires. We tell the truth. And we build legacy through words that last longer than trends.

The ultimate goal? To create a space where people feel seen, safe, understood, and accepted—so they know their story matters, and their unique magic is deeply necessary.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caela.org/
• Instagram: @Caelacudi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caelacollins/
• Youtube: Not Launched Yet: https://www.youtube.com/@FamousStoryteller
• Other: Book a Consultation Call: https://calendly.com/caela-enterprises
  TikTok: @FamousStorytellerTV
  Blog: The Famous Storyteller Blog (www.Caela.org)

Image Credits

Photo of me on the phone was taken by Elise Hatsuko (website: https://elisehatsuko.com/) at Canva Create 2025
Food is Love illustrations by Jen Yoon (@jenyoonart on instagram)
Recipe Card by artist Kim Balacuit (@kim.bala on instagram)