We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phoebe Eligon-Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phoebe below.

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

For years, as an educator, I had told my students to follow their dreams and the money will come. I’ve been writing since I was in high school and knew I wanted to be a writer, but was always told that “writers don’t make any money” from certain people in my own life. Finally, I decided in 2019, to not just give my students advice but to follow that same advice for myself. So at the tender age of 46, I decided to take a huge risk and go back to school to get my 4th degree, an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in poetry. I graduated during the pandemic and completed my very first manuscript of poetry. Since graduating, I have self-published 2 books, one journal and another book of poetry. I could no longer continue telling my students what to do to find fulfillment, I needed to be a literal example for them to follow.

Phoebe, 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?

One of my cousins says it best: “Which hat are you wearing today?” I am a educator by trade and have been teaching for over twenty years. In 2017, after dabbling with making homemade stickers for friends, I expanded my creative skills and opened my own business. I sell custom t-shirts, hoodies, and an array of bags. Having my business allows me to use my creativity in an empowering way. I make shirts and products that speak for the person who wears them. I always keep my children and my students in mind whenever I do anything, and one thing that is hugely important to me is feeling seen and heard, and my products allow people of all walks in life and ages to do exactly that. Then there’s Tiktok, the thing in my life that I am unexpectedly proud of. I started Tiktok literally 2 weeks before the world shutdown for Covid when the young ladies in my program asked if we could do Tiktok Thursdays (because they know how much I love to dance). My very first Tiktoks are of me dancing with my girls and then Covid hit. In an attempt to continue to motivate my students and offer a fun way to deal with being trapped by the pandemic, I kept the Tiktoks going. I was just having the time of my life and used Tiktok as a form a therapy to get through the tough times. Then people started coming for teachers who were afraid to go back into the building and when I spoke out it went viral. Then George Floyd happened and I spoke out and it went viral. I wouldn’t say it was a fast track to stardom, but my little page went from 100 followers to almost a 165K followers. I used my platform to connect all the areas of my life: teaching, poetry, my business and advocacy.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I stay true to who I am in everything that I do. When I first started on Tiktok it was to stay connected with family and friends during the Pandemic. I wasn’t really using my voice but was really just having fun. I danced, lip synced, and did many of the comedy skits to alleviate some of the tension and frustration we were all feeling. When I finally did speak up about the things going on in our society (the racism and disrespect to teachers primarily) that’s when my views and following grew. It wasn’t intentional to grow my platform, I wanted to be a voice that my students, friends, family, and young people who looked like me could relate to and learn from. That would be my advice: post on the things that matter to you. Your audience will follow because they buy into your authenticity.

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

The thing I find most rewarding are my followers. The people I have met both on the app and in-person. To have anyone tell me they learned something new when I sharing something about Black culture or when someone is excited for information that I share or when I find solace and support through other creators. For example, I was recently called “a nasty sad cotton picking mofo” by a racist troll. Rather than hide or feel shamed by this, I called out the racist, reported them, and blocked them. To be able to have a space to not only be creative and thoughtful, but to also speak to a higher purpose of doing my part to eradicate racism is huge. I constantly tell my students that they have the power of their voices, and I do my best to lead by example.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blupoetrescreations.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blupoetresspeaks/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/blupoetres
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blupoetres?lang=en Linktree: https://linktr.ee/blupoetres?fbclid=PAAaa2wDfNA7JohVfe9nY3NfrC9McTzwCCnrxsKiH0tMcE7KweM6lQwivf7IM