We recently connected with Yecheilyah Ysrayl and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Yecheilyah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
The only way I know to become better at writing is to write, so that’s the first part of my evolution as a poet and author. In my youth, I always kept a journal/diary and wrote about the day’s events. I became a writer because I was always writing.
Knowing what I know now, I probably could have studied my craft more on the academic level to speed up the learning process. I regret nothing, though.
I think the ability to learn from critical feedback is a skill that is essential to being an author. It is not to say that if someone doesn’t like what we write, we do not write. It is more so to understand our writing weaknesses and how to correct them.
And even the word “correct” might sound funny to the ears of the artist because writing (especially poetry) is very personal. So, let’s just say the more we know about a thing, the better we are at executing it, using it, shaping and molding it into something that is ours.
It’s like that statement attributed to Picasso: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
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?
In the early 90s, Robert Taylor was considered one of the poorest urban communities in the US, so I’ve seen everything from drugs, gangs, violence, and all the things that can develop in that kind of environment. By that kind of environment, I mean poor people living on top of each other.
Robert Taylor was made up mostly of children since most of the adults around us had fallen victim to the crack epidemic of the 80s and were by now strung out. Thus, many of us spent a lot of time taking on responsibilities that were not ours to carry. When other children were enjoying being kids, we were trying to figure out what we would eat or, as I used to do, rock back and forth on the couch and call my mama’s name until she came home.
I say all of this to say I found solace in reading and writing and in that order. I fell in love with books and was awakened by the fact that I could not only read words, but I could write them too. I started carrying around a diary, notebook, journal, and anything I could get my hands on so I could write about the day’s events or just how I was feeling at the moment.
In a world where I was surrounded by people but still felt alone, I knew I could confide in the page without judgment. I started at twelve years old and haven’t stopped writing since.
One day in 2010, I decided I could no longer limit my writing to notebooks and journals. I needed to share them. That’s when I published my first poetry collection.
Today, I am the author of fourteen books (two in progress), spanning several genres, including poetry and historical fiction.
Having experienced first-hand the struggles of poor black people, I decided to dedicate my writing to the restoration of black historical truth.
I fell in love with telling these stories when I fell in love with the history of my people. Although I’ve been publishing my own books for twelve years, I was not always clear on what I should do with this gift. Okay, so you write books. Fine, but what makes your books important? Needed? Relevant? I did not always have the answer to this question.
It took me a while to find my voice. To identify that thing that makes me unique and set apart. To find it, I had to find myself and be open to accepting the truth about myself, and that truth is I am absolutely in love with Black people, Black history, Black experiences, and how we have shaped and continue to shape this country.
And so, what I’d like people to walk away from having not only read but experienced my work is a renewed understanding and appreciation of the African American people.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When I started out, I didn’t know anything, so I wish I knew about all the resources available to writers looking to both Self-Publish and sharpen their writing skills.
We live in a world where college is cool but no longer mandatory to launch a business or make money. With the explosion of the internet and social media, everyday people can easily connect with experts in their field. In short, we live in a world where being self-taught can sometimes provide much more value than sitting in a classroom.
Authors can find editors, graphic artists, digital formatters, book marketers, relevant books, and so much more to help them in their journey.
I wish I had known this in the beginning.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Funny enough, I feel as though I am pivoting now. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of writing and publishing. It fills me up, and I’d probably do it whether people wanted to read me or not.
However, I have reached the point in my career where I’ve just about written every book I’ve wanted to write, except a memoir which is one of my book life goals.
I am at a point in my life where I feel myself transitioning, not out of writing books but into making a more significant impact by helping others write and publish their books. I guess you can say I am in my life’s “pass the baton” stage. Here is what I’ve done and how I’ve done it. Now you go and do it too.
I don’t want this fire to die when I do. Someone’s got to keep it going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yecheilyahysrayl.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yecheilyah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yecheilyahbooks
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yecheilyahysrayl
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/yecheilyah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdquShfqCN6lIX8IDK9MnSg
Image Credits
Yecheilyah Ysrayl