Years ago, when I was at a different crossroads in my life, a colleague suggested I read a book by one of her former students. The book was Shay Youngblood’s A Black Girl in Paris. As the title suggests, it’s about a young American woman who packs her bags and moves to the City of Lights. I greatly enjoyed the book and even shared it with friends who then shared it with their friends. Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Youngblood. She spoke during an evening event about taking a break from writing, trying her hand at painting on large canvases, and creating small bookmarks. And, I was inspired and reminded that sometimes the only people pigeonholing us as “just a writer” or “just a painter” are ourselves.
Words + Images 