Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaswaina Powell.
Hi Kaswaina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi my name is Kaswaina Powell, I’m 41 years old. Born and raised in Flatbush Brooklyn, I am the owner of Pen To Paper Your Magic Inc. I’m the mother of three amazing humans My oldest Shawna-Ka is 24 years old, my Middle child Shawn is 20 years old, and my baby girl Mya’Reign is 6 years old she’s also the co-author of two children’s books A Scavenger Hunt To Barber Pete and Pumpkin Picking With Punkin.
I had my first Child at 16 years old, by the age of 22 I was a single mother of two with no sense of direction. I was just living because I was alive.
The pain was too much at times, so I would pick up my pen and take it out on some paper.
In 2014 I self-published my journal and titled it Raw Poerty Do Judge Me Society.
Raw Poetry Do Judge Me Society is about my life in a poetic form.
Something clicked when I had Mya’Reign I think being an adult played a major part in the way I viewed “motherhood” this time around. I wanted different for her, and it’s not that I didn’t want different for my older children, I just didn’t know better I was a child myself.
With Mya’Reign I would read to her, take her to different art and crafting classes, children’s plays, parks etc.
The problem with that’s was I had to take her outside of our Community, which was an inconvenience to me and the missing piece for the children in my community.
Hints to why I started Pen To Paper Your Magic, Inc.
Pen To Paper Your Magic, Inc is a children’s art collective designed to provide a safe space for urban children to discover their inner creativity and unpack. We foster positive self-confidence and child development through arts and creative expression.
Pen To Paper Your Magic, started in my basement with my nieces and nephews and a few other children from the neighborhood. Word got around about what I was doing and parents wanted their children to experience it. My basement was to small to accommodate the children. So I reached out to a friend of mine who had an event space at the time, she would rent it out to me once a month. Until Covid happened and the world shut down.
That didn’t stop me, my children and I took it to the streets, we started Painting In The Park… We would travel to different parks throughout the tri-state area, set up and wait for the children to come.
And Boy did they come.
“Life happened” once again and I relocated to Georgia back in August of 2022 within the first four months of being here I found MY FIRST SPACE and the rest is history.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I chuckle whenever I’m asked this question. Nothing about my process was “easy”.
I was a teen mom who dropped out of high school to take care of my children. My oldest childrens father was gunned down on my daughter’s birthday and died two days later… I lived in shelters, was in nothing but mental, physical, and emotional relationships for as long as I can remember.
Yet still, I raise (Mya Angelo voice)
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Oddly enough I’m a lab technician by trade. But my passion is writing, creating and seeing life through the lens of our future writers, doctors,teachers, lawyers, judges etc.
Pen To Paper Your Magic, gives children the space to explore their imagination. It gives them the space to make mistakes, we allowing them the time they need to take their time, and learn no matter how long it may take.
Our motto is: Whatever You Think, You Write, You Do, So Think Positive! Create Positivity! and Positive Things Will Follow YOU!
How do you think about luck?
This is a tricky question.
Looking back at my life, One would say it was full of “bad luck” with all the deaths and disappointments I’ve encountered.
But I think it was preparation for me to stand in my strength, I’m able to tell my story with Pride. Because of my “walk” my relationship with God is more profound. My LUCK helped and still is helping me to continue to walk in faith. And we all know
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I
just want to thank VoyageATL for giving me the platform to share my story.
Until next time be BLESSED!
Pricing:
- My children’s books are $10 each
- Raw Poetry Do Judge Me Society is $15
- Arts and Craft classes are $25 per child
- Activity boxes are $20
- Party packages range from $299- $500
Contact Info:
- Website: Pentopaperyourmagic.com
- Instagram: Pentopaperyourmagic_
