We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sterling Freeman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sterling thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

In this vast and ever growing experience we call life, it is an unsaid mission of every individual to live to our fullest potential. No matter what your definition of that may be, getting the most out of life has a lot to do with your perspective of the world and yourself. A perspective that is built on the foundation of your childhood experiences

Throughout my journey as an artist, I experienced multiple mediums in visual and performing arts. This not only empowered me, with a creative skill set, but enlightened me with self knowledge and confidence in my capacity to achieve at an early age.

With the creation of Little Light Series, my mission has been to Energize, Enlighten and Empower kids through art education and literature. Using art to create positive experiences of success in their early education and foundational years that they can carry into our ages, and eventually adulthood. “Keeping their little lights shining!”

Sterling, 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?

In this vast and ever growing experience we call life, it is an unsaid mission of every individual to live to our fullest potential. No matter what your definition of that may be, getting the most out of life has a lot to do with your perspective of the world and yourself. A perspective that is built on the foundation of your childhood experiences

Throughout my journey as an artist, I experienced multiple mediums in visual and performing arts. This not only empowered me, with a creative skill set, but enlightened me with self knowledge and confidence in my capacity to achieve at an early age.

With the creation of Little Light Series, my mission has been to Energize, Enlighten and Empower kids through art education and literature. Using art to create positive experiences of success in their early education and foundational years that they can carry into our ages, and eventually adulthood. “Keeping their little lights shining!”

Born and raised in North Carolina, I am an author, illustrator and entrepreneur in the Greensboro area running my own business called “Little Light Series”, a brand meant to Energize Enlighten and empower KIDS with art education and literature.

Starting in January 2020 the birth of my business was the publishing of my first childrens book “Goodnight Little Dreamer”. A book that I authored/illustrated myself and then published through a family entity.

Of course, with the sudden changes the pandemic brought for everyone. The obstacles that hindered me from being able to promote and share my new book, brought about inspirations that would expand and evolve my book into a full brand. In September 2020, I created the online art platform “Little Dreamers Character Art” that would give students that had already been inspired by my book to also find inspiration in what I had to offer through illustration.

Little Dreamers Character Art is a live online class space where kids (ages 4-9) learn to draw using numbers letters and shapes. By combining art with these basic skills, this class is able to shorten learning curves in important areas of childhood learning, such as familiarity with numbers and alphabet, fine motor skills, public, speaking, and penmanship. Now approaching the class spaces’ three-year anniversary in September, I have taught over 3000 students, in over 3000 classes in over 25 different countries.

In addition, I have also launched a business website where I am able to sell Little Light Series products and apparel, share blog post on news in childhood education, and receive invites for public speaking or readings at schools, organizations etc.

The thing that I am most proud of as an artist and entrepreneur is how many lives my art has been able to inspire. Post Covid and in a time where art has been taken out of a lot of school curriculums, there is a whole generation of children out there that are wanting to connect, interact, and need a space to express themselves. Although things have found their way to some standard of normal, there was a gap in social interaction in everyone’s lives ,adults and children a like. I’m glad my online classes are a space where so many kids are able to come and interact while learning basic skills. Creating positive foundational experiences in their soon to be success stories.

I believe the thing that I set my brand apart is more than just cool drawings with numbers letters and shapes, but also an ecosysystem of inspiration, mentorship, and other tangible products. Kids are not just buying a book buying some author and illustrator, or taking an art class, or buying a shirt. They are doing all three and able to have real time interaction with the creative, who is also investing time towards their own imagination. Especially kids who have taken part in the online classes (some who have taken as many as 400 classes and counting) have started writing their own books, “ teaching their own art class” with their younger siblings, even starting their own businesses. If success is partially about who you surround yourself with then live interaction/mentorship with any professional opens up so many doors a possibility for any child in what they can achieve.

As an artist, I am excited about the fact that I’m able to share are in a way that inspires young minds. As a brand, my services are to help give them the bright futures they deserve.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In the years leading up to starting my business, my primary focus was music. As a songwriter/performer. I recorded songs inspired by multiple genres with the goal to energize, enlighten and empower people as well.

Since the start of my music journey during my senior year of high school, I had built a presence in the local music scene releasing songs as well as other music projects. I believe my vision of success was having songs that could be in movies as well as commercials, etc. instead of being a touring artist. Regardless of the result, music was the forefront of my mission to inspire.

However, (like many artists) there came a point where I felt the mission to succeed was detouring me from the initial passion/mission of what I was doing music in the first place. It was also keeping me from expressing other talents/ideas. (For instance my first book “Goodnight Little Dreamer” that had already been written at the time.)

I believe this was my pivoting point where I had to really decide to put one thing I loved and had put many years of work into, to start on building, something new. Some thing that was more aligned with my purpose to inspire.

Sometimes in life, we put so much effort and energy into something that it’s hard to envision your life moving in another direction. It can also be just as hard to get yourself to let go. It can be intimidating to say the least, but I think this was a huge lesson for my life. A lesson in trusting the process and letting life do it’s thing. You can’t be afraid to take the leap.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I believe like many creatives, I subconsciously think of everything as a art, which includes business and entrepreneurship. So my entrepreneurial approach and philosophies are inspired by other entrepreneurs that I look at almost like artist. I believe Gary Vaynerchuck was a big inspiration on how to approach the entrepreneurIal process. Reading his books as well as viewing his content help, inspire a new level of work ethic and patience for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: littlelightseries
• Linkedin: Sterling B. Freeman