Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Raishlyn Grant. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Raishlyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects that I have worked on recently has been the release of my latest single, “I Can’t Stop”, by Ra Lioness. Which happens to be one of the names that I use as an artist. I have been singing, writing, playing instruments, and performing since grade school, and as an adult, there has been some gaps in this artistry due to life in general and the cultivation of my career as an educator. But this has not stopped me!

However, during the year of 2020, I experienced a surge of creative passion that had to be released. So along with curating jam sessions at home, and hosting a spoken word set at Zinah Art Gallery in Atlanta; and collaborating with other artists, I decided to get back into the groove of recording.

The lyrics to the song “I Can’t Stop”, comes from a place of strength, wholeness, femininity, and joy. It is one song from a collection of others to come. I performed my first rendition of this song during the Juneteenth Atlanta Music Festival at Centennial Park, summer of 2021. After receiving warm and positive feedback intergenerational, I decided to keep it flowing. So, a very talented friend of mine, Dashill Smith decided to help me bring this creativity to life by producing the track and including live instrumentals. My son Jeremiah Grant played a key role in this project by creating advertisement videos and being a huge motivator overall. We combined creative ideas and endured the cold winter temperatures in nature, capturing footage for the videos.

This project is special to me because during this time in 2021, the world was still in the pandemic, and as an educator, it was very challenging overall. It was about survival on levels that only The Creator could have carried me through. During that time, I immersed myself back into writing, and singing. My creative juices were boiling, as I was evolving, and self- expression was my outlet.

Many of my students have been some of my biggest fans. They tend to burst out into song at any given time, singing the lyrics to the hook, “Take a little time, and free your beautiful mind, oh, take a little time, free your mind, free your mind”. These words have become engraved in their young minds already. My music can be found on all digital platform. My hope is to bring more positive energy into the world and inspire others to love.

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?

Everything that I do is an artform, from teaching, running a business, curating wellness products, growing plants/food, and creating music. I’m grateful for the many rewarding experiences over the years that has come from my work in serving others. I run a wellness business and my most popular product is Mama Raishlyn’s Bliss Herbal Teas. They come in a hibiscus flavor and a green tea flavor, while others are custom orders. I source many of my herbs from my own garden and from other local growers. In my experiences as an Agriculturalist/Horticulturist, I have been able to teach hundreds of children in public school and in my own organization, the skills and joys of growing food and plants. Over time, I have gained valuable skills in growing food that I often share with others. I’ve been fortunate to work with some talented people in Agriculture in Atlanta since 2008 and help grow the culture of urban agriculture.

As an educator for more than a decade in public, private and charter schools, I have been part of the process of positively shaping minds and hearts of young people. I’ve been blessed to teach students in Pre-Kindergarten to Eight grades. Additionally, in the community my volunteer services and grassroots projects that I have led have allowed me to work with high school students, and students from Clark Atlanta and Spelman.

In music, I aspire to continue to create great music to inspire hope and positive change, and continue to work with other artists who aim to do the same.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is to witness people enjoy my work in their own unique ways. People inspire me when they ask me to create new products, or music, or grow some food for them. The response people give me when they first try my teas, or products leaves me with a great sense of pride and purpose. Witnessing others be inspired by my work, only encourages and fuels me to keep going! Being an artist in various forms, allows me to stay in a creative space most times, and this brings me fulfillment and divine purpose in life. Creativity allows me to share some of my best attributes with others, and this is what life is about, in my opinion. Lastly, I thoroughly enjoy incorporating my creative talents when teaching in my Reading and Language classes, where I’m able to inspire my students to write poetry, songs, and short stories.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My drive as a creative is be a positive and beneficial life force in the world and inspire others to see the best within themselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Mama Raishlyns Bliss Herbal Teas
• Youtube: Ra Lioness Artistry