We recently connected with Ciara Griffin and have shared our conversation below.

Ciara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Hello, my name is Ciara Celeste and I am a Creative Director in Kansas City. In December I created my brand titled Black Girls Create. I have my Bachelor’s in Journalism and Masters in Media Management. I lived in New York City for three years studying Media Management and graduated in 2022. In 2023 I returned back to Kansas City and released the lack of Content Creation opportunities. I couldn’t find a medium to connect creatives which is how I came up with the idea for my brand. I wanted to create a safe space for creatives to connect, collaborate and learn how to create content and market themselves.

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.

Ever since I was a young girl I’ve always been a Creative. When I was in Highschool I was the Editor of our Yearbook staff, from there I went to Lindenwood University and studied Journalism. While studying Journalism I gained on camera experience and behind the camera experience. I realized I wanted to do more than working News and was very interested in Marketing and PR. So I took a leap of faith and moved to New York City to study Media Management. There I was able to explore a whole new world of creativity. I gained so much knowledge and experiences. I received the opportunity to work with BET Plus, which was an amazing opportunity. Upon coming home is when I started my brand. I created a 5 Part Visual Arts Series titled “Healing Not Healed: The Evolution of a Baddie.” This series follows a young woman in her Post Relationship Healing Stage, so every photoshoot represents a different part of her Healing Journey. Through this process I was able to connect other Creatives all over Kansas City, work with them on branding, marketing and the importance of collaboration.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I first started my brand, I always created it with positive genuine intentions but was welcomed with a lot of hate on social media. Due to the project being something new and different. The amount of hate allowed our first project to go viral. A lot of people thought I was going to quit since we were getting that type of feedback, but since I lived in NYC for three years my skin is very thick and I’m very confident in myself. Its in me not on me.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I recently added my sister as the Asst. Director and it was the best decision I ever made. Directing a lot of people can be very overwhelming and I’m really big on organization. So my sister really helps the creators with Fashion Styling, posing and confidence. Content can be a little scary being in front of a camera with new people. So we really do our best to create a safe space.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @blackgirlscreate