We recently connected with Sabrina Powell and have shared our conversation below.

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

This book which is titled Letters To An Incarcerated Sista, I came up with this during the pandemic while I was looking at quotes on Pinterest and I just wrote one down and added my thoughts to it and I stopped for a while and got invited to the jail I was in, to speak on Mother’s Day weekend and I thought about when I was incarcerated how I would write ( I wrote before going to jail as well) but when your incarcerated you have to have an outlet and I just got the ladies some journals and put what I had wrote in them and they really loved it so I decided after being told by my counselor that you should write a book (and I was already thinking about it ) and when I went back for Christmas in 2021 the ladies asked did I bring them a journal just like the last ones, so while I did bring journals I hadn’t wrote anything in them so while they were putting on their show I just wrote different affirmations that came to me in each one and surprisingly it was just what each lady needed. I just want to add that my book is not about being in jail , and I’m saying this because when people that know what I have been through and read the title that’s the first thing that comes to mind, but the incarceration that I’m speaking on is this: there are three forms of incarceration mental, physical, and spiritual, meaning you can be in jail in your mind with mental health issues, depression, in the physical with body shaming yourself and having low self esteem, negative self talk, and in the spiritual with who or what you believe in and just the strong holds of how to deal with it all. The list goes on and I just want my words to encourage any woman that has been or is in any dark place in their lives to know that they can come out of it with positive thoughts and words that are inside of them and she has to know that her and her alone is her best cheerleader.

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 background and context?

I want potential clients and fans to know that I am a 41 year old woman that has turned her life around when the world spoke against her. I was incarcerated for 7 1/2 years and was determined to get my life back if I made it out, and by God’s will I did and even though this book is not about that chapter of my life (it’s what I want to do) help women change their lives and let them know “it’s never about how you start it’s always about how you finish with a smile on your face and dressed to kill”!! (the book about my situation is in the works) the products that I craft are; waist beads, designing jackets, cupcakes etc. which I started doing during the pandemic as well and it took off at different times but it works for me “if I can think it I can make it” that’s my motto. What do I think sets me apart from others ? I think it’s just the fact that I have a point to prove with myself not anyone else, and the reason I say this is because, every day you have a choice to wake up and be better than the day before or sit around saying all the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, and I don’t want to be that person. I want to be the person that has been through hell but came out fighting and even though I haven’t won everything I’m still standing and making a way when some may feel it’s not one. (Resilience ) is what it is, and it’s not easy trust me, I have to try and stay humble and grateful and willing everyday and still make time for my family and work and work on me and my craft at the same time it never ends but I’m doing my best to keep all things that involve me flowing so that when my family sees me even if they never say anything to me they say it to themselves “ she did that”!! I want to inspire my daughters and nieces to be strong women and be the voice that keeps my son and grandsons from doing the wrong things, and have a good word for the people I see and talk to in my day to day. As they say you may be the only God that some one sees and hears today, meaning you never know how your words and actions can impact someone’s life. I think I’m most proud of the fact that I have a second chance to do exactly what I’m doing now living life and trying to be the best I can and set an example for my children and grandchildren.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The one thing I think non creatives / people struggle to understand about my journey is I don’t do anything out of a place of guilt or endowment I do the things I do because I’m able to and my higher power has gifted me with a chance to do things I never thought I would get a chance to do. And when you have had the time to sit and think about life (and that’s all you could do) and you get the time and space to actually give into that you will do whatever you feel that is pleasing to His (GOD) sight. You never owe anyone anything but a thankyou and a hug and your Gratitude for things that they have done to help you along your way but you don’t owe them your life that’s yours to live and do what’s pleasing to you. You always have to think outside the box and go with your gut in anything you do and if you need a second opinion ask someone that’s going to be straight forward and not blow smoke up your butt cause it helps to make you better as a person and in your craft. But also know everyone is not meant to go with you on this journey called life some will fall to the wayside and that’s ok you can still love them and keep going the ones that are in the past are there for a reason their season with you has ended, people are with us for a reason a season or a life time and you have to know when their time is up.

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

There is a goal and a mission driving this creative journey and it’s passion to change the lives of as many people as I can through my words, my waistbeads, and even my food . I want to help the homeless and the men and women that make it out of jails and prisons of all kinds and help them regain their life as a person and not who they were or what they did. Everyone needs help at one time or another and I feel the ones that are able to help should and the best way they know how.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Incarceratedsistasclub.org
• Instagram: Letterstoanincarcerated/ Brina.s Creations
• Facebook: Sabrina Ann Powell

Image Credits
Carter& Carter productions for photos, and website design Imprint Productions inc for publishing Letters To An Incarcerated Sista