We recently connected with Christina Tatum and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina , thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I had been doing poetry for about a year before one of my close friends and another fellow poet asked me if I wanted to perform for Toyota for MLD day! I was so excited and taken aback cause because I’m like you have many other artists and friends you can ask but you asked me. The experience itself was absolutely amazing. Being able to walk into the Toyota Center and handed a badge and led all around their many facilities. By the way, this place is huge, everyone should try to visit or at least look! But anyway, Me and my fellow peers are looking at the stage just thinking about how the performances are going to go. I was nervous, as I always am! But I still did an amazing job! As did my fellow peers! I’m hoping we all get invited back for more shows with them. The compensation was a good amount and very well worth the experience which you can’t get anywhere! We got to basically open up for Raheem DeVaughn because after we performed, he came right on after us so that was a dope thing to be able to add to the Resumé!

Christina , 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?

I’ve always known that I wanted to do some form of motivational speaking, I just didn’t know how to use my voice. I majored in journalism and wanted to become a writer on Wall Street but my path led me to Poetry. I’ve had an insightful couple of years and that changed the trajectory of my whole life. Getting my 2nd DWI, really put things into perspective for me as far as being a black, lesbian woman & the impact I have and need to speak on. I feel like I need to share my poetry so people don’t feel alone and they know that some things that may seem like they’re hurting you, are really helping you. It’s all about perspective. Once I changed my perspective, things started to look up for me. It’s easier said than done but I did & I continue to do it & things just flow to me naturally. The thing I’m most proud of is that I stopped drinking. I’m 2 years sober as of March 8th, and I finally took a leap of faith and started performing my spoken word. The main thing I want people to know is that fear isn’t real. I didn’t do a lot of things due to fear. Which is just the subconscious talking you out of the unknown because it’s unknown and we are just so use to having the answers that not knowing seems like torture. But to that I say, stay present and do all of the things you feel called to. Like that feeling in the pit of your stomach, if you feel like your meant to do more in this world, then you are. Lots of people don’t have that feeling or calling. Which is okay as well. Do what works for you and what speaks to you and watch the results

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I get to share my experiences with people and they can interpret that in whichever way they want to that can help them. I’m all about saying stuff that people can resonate with cause that’s all I wanna hear. If you haven’t been through it, why would I listen to you? You can’t identify with my struggle or my successes once I overcome whatever is in my way

How did you build your audience on social media?

I myself didn’t have that many followers when I first started off. I had maybe 300 followers and those were people I knew from middle school and high school. A big thing I did was try to learn the algorithm through all the major apps. IG & TikTok. IG was a lot easier to learn because it’s all about timing. So I would make poetry skits or make reels involving poetry and drop them early in the morning before work which opened me up to a whole other world. I began to reach a lot of people. At least a few hundred, then it went to a thousand. Then I started engaging and networking through that. I also started to go to more creative events. I had to put myself out there because again, nobody knew who I was. I wasn’t born here so I don’t have thousands of people I’ve known since grade school. Every follower I’ve gained, I either know personally because I met them and gave them my information and we exchanged or it was through me posting on social media and those relationships, you can’t buy because they’re connecting with you through art!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ST1NNA
• Facebook: Stinna Tatum
• Twitter: ST1NNA
• Youtube: LivingStinna

Image Credits
Photos by : Cree8ion, Toyota Center, & DJ Duche$$