Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Growing up with all boys, my highlight was staying under my father going to the library on a regular basis. It was nothing to go on a Saturday and on the way home we would share what we read. It was exciting and our time allowed us to bond, enabling me to see my father as a person and learn outside of our home and school. It provided an opportunity to dream and explore the possibilities of different experiences. Writing children’s books allows me to inspire other children and hopefully children of color to see themselves. Sea Lessons with Daddy pays homage to my father and shows families of color have strong family values. One goal is to inspire children of color to take the limits off by seeing themselves in various roles.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Melissa Fanning. I’ve been writing since I learned words and how to write from making up my own little songs, writing poetry, short stories, and now books for children. In an effort to pay homage to my father and also share people of color have strong core values my first book would accomplish that goal. Sea Lessons with Daddy supports values and principles that families encourage like kindness, persistence, education, and teamwork to name a few. In addition, Sea Lessons with Daddy Workbook: Making a Splash with Family Literacy allows parents and teachers to expand those lessons further with an emphasis on self-awareness, community, financial, social, and emotional intelligence, resilience, and purpose while having fun. The feedback from guardians and children is sheer excitement and gratitude. The book has translated into meaningful conversations and transparency with children in areas of improvement and applause from guardians when children are meeting expectations. Also, Sea Lessons with Daddy The Coloring Book allows younger children to connect with the lessons on their terms. The goal is to inspire and equip children to pursue their purpose and decrease obstacles.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Simply because you believe you have a quality product does not guarantee a book deal. And just because you don’t have a book deal doesn’t mean you don’t have a quality product. There is certainly work involved when deciding to self-publish which is my case. Marketing and advertising require a learning curve in participating in book fairs, emailing potential consumers, social media use, and other tools to assist with that endeavor. There are challenges in studying what works best for audience engagement. It can be a daunting task however can pay off in the long run. Don’t get weary in well doing, stick to the process. In addition, developing, collaborating, and maintaining relationships that encourage consistency is imperative to keeping motivation. There are times when there are great responses and times there are no responses, nonetheless, consistency is key when the mission is to inspire youth. The feedback has been positive once the product reaches the reader, so the journey will continue!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Alongside my writing, currently working in the field of criminal justice part of the mission is to influence and equip youth with tools to address obstacles. There are more children of color in the juvenile justice system than their counterparts. Children of color are often more often suspended from school, adultified, and bullied over “hair” among other things, and need ways to avoid, overcome, and respond in a way that maintains joy in their souls. In my years of experience, there are areas that can be addressed to provide a firm foundation from which youth can continue to soar in the face of adversity. The next project I’m working on is a girl’s curriculum coming in the Spring of 2023 addressing protective factors, life skills, and exercises in hopes of identifying their purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Birthingpurposes.com
- Instagram: Melissa Mimi Fanning
- Facebook: Melissa Mimi Fanning
- Linkedin: Melissa Fanning
- Twitter: MelissaFanning8