Meet LaTanya Coleman-Carter | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with LaTanya Coleman-Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaTanya, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued this creative career as a form of liberation. Simply put, I want to be free and help others feel a sense of freedom. I have defined freedom this way: The ability to exist as my authentic self without resistance.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is much like me, beautifully chaotic. It does not fit any particular mold. It’s “absurd.” When I say I’m an artist, I say my existence is art. I like to think of life as my canvas.

My book is a collection of essays, poems, and prose. Each piece includes a picture of a hand-painted work of art that coincides. The book also includes songs from various artists to help elevate the reading experience. The idea was to give you (the reader) a complete experience. As you read the book, you can see what I meant in words and a visual and audio that connects it all so that it fully resonants.

I am most proud of and excited about all the opportunities to create a community around my lived experience by recognizing that others have similar experiences. I would like to speak at workshops and conferences, engaging with others and exchanging ideas about our experiences. But even more than that, I have been asked multiple times about book number two, and it’s pretty exciting to have so many people so heavily engaged and invested in the stories that they want to hear more. That’s encouraging because there are so many more stories to tell, and I create art regularly. I’m excited to continue to share these ideas and explore more opportunities for putting out book two and what that may look like. The audience has different opinions on what stories they would like to hear. There are more stories of the same (around my parenting style) that I do have. However, there has also been a request to learn more about the author (me) and how I made it to the space where I could be the parent I am.

What I want the world to know about me and my story is that it is still evolving. That said, I would say the brand is pretty much just me experiencing life as a black woman in America and trying my best to set an excellent example of how to UNSUBSCRIBE for my children and anyone else watching.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to town, I would pick them up from LAX and make that dreaded 405 journey to the valley because I live in Van Nuys. We would start the adventures in the Valley to highlight some of my favorite nearby spots. Here’s what the week would look like:

Monday
Japanese garden
Happy Hour at The Village
Dinner at Leona’s

Tuesday
Happy hour at Mamma Shelter
Dinner at Beauty and Essex
Bar Lis for Jazz

Wednesday
Huntington Library art museum
La Descarga Wednesday for Batcha class
Tacos at the best taco stand that is next door

Thursday
African American Museum
Dinner at Camphor

Friday
Santa Monica Beach
Find a show at a small venue like the Mint

Saturday
Cara for Brunch
Shopping on Fairfax
Dinner at 71 above
Drinks at Perch
Dance at Queensberry

Sunday
Black Girl Yoga at Maroon Arts and Culture with LJ Rising
Hang out in Leimert park

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my family and friends. My book would not exist if it weren’t for my kids. Being a parent has been the most enlightening thing I’ve done as a human. I’ve learned so much from my kids. They allowed me to use our life stories to bring awareness and open dialogue around different parenting styles.

My friends have watched me engage in some non-traditional parenting styles over the years and never judged me for that but instead encouraged me to share these stories.

Website: latanyacolemancarter.com

Instagram: @latanyacolemancarter

Linkedin: LaTanya Coleman Carter

Twitter: @HeyMrsCarter_

Facebook: latanyacolemancarter

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTE9rit4daSHm9ezj1uJgCg

Image Credits
Veleeta DaCosta