Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Cunningham.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am from Atlanta, GA, born and raised. I grew up in a religious household where education was a top priority. I didn’t spend summers like most kids, able to hang out with friends. My summers consisted of either being at my grandmother’s or being dropped off at a library with an assignment. My dad was not only a pastor (yes, I was a PK KID) but also a civil rights activist in the community. He would have me read and do research papers on topics mainly focused on black history, African culture, or biblical narratives. I was then given the task to present my findings in report form in front of my family like I would have to do in a school setting.
As a child and especially a teenager who longed for friendships resented my parents for this. I felt like my childhood was being stolen from me. I felt sheltered by being denied access to form friendships and relationships outside of family and church. As an adult, I can now appreciate the knowledge that I absorbed in those summers spent in the library. Writing became nostalgic for me and a form of therapy or outlet to cope in tough times. Today due to the discipline, education, and focus in writing, I am able to use my gift to not only make residual income from being a self-published author, but I am able to curate stories for children that they can learn from and their parents can relate to and resonate with.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Once I decided to just go for it, to pursue my dream in writing, the road became easy for me. I’ve realized that the only person that can stop you from succeeding is yourself. Your business is a reflection of the work you put into it. I believe you reap the seeds you sew. This goes for all aspects of life, whether it’s your business, relationships, or even just hobby’s. What you put into something, the universe is bound to reciprocate your effort. One of the obstacles I’ve come across in releasing my book is the promotion part of it. I had plans to do a storytime tour around Atlanta, visiting libraries, schools, daycares, etc. and of course, Covid made that impossible for me to do last year. I could have let that damper my spirits, but instead, I just got more creative and did things such as having a virtual release party.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a writer, self-published author, and owner of Aster Starr Publishing. I am known for writing my first children’s book ‘Bo Monkey and his Stinky Situation’. I’m extremely proud of this book because I accomplished a huge dream of mine, which was to write a children’s book, which I have successfully have in stores such as Target and book stores such as Barnes&Noble. Though releasing this book was a surreal moment, it also became a grievous blow for me because my grandmother was part of the inspiration for this book and shortly passed after I published it. She never got the chance to see my work, but I know she would have appreciated it and be proud of me.
One thing I believe that sets me apart from others is my positive attitude, it’s one of my biggest assets. My world could be crumbling down but you can believe I’m going to find the positive in any situation. It took me a while to have this type of mindset but I’ve found that being positive asserts a lot less energy than being a negative Nancy. Being an entrepreneur, you don’t have time to sit in negativity because you’ll be surrounded by it especially starting out. There will be doubters, people who you thought would support you that don’t, and you’ll quickly find out who are in your circle. Remaining positive will help you persevere through it all. I have some projects in the works that I’m excited about, I’ll be releasing my second children’s book in September called ‘Big feelings little monster’, mirroring my first book which was teaching kids a life lesson in story form. I hope to continue with my children’s books but also aiming to publish other authors under my publishing company and have been blessed to get a couple of inquiries about doing so. A big project I hope to release next year is my first novel I’ve been working on for a couple of years. I hope those reading will keep up with my story and follow my journey, it’s only up from here.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is going to the beach. I remember the first time going, I just crashed into the waves and just floated away. I probably would have just kept floating had my dad not snatched me up out of my daydream to ask me was I trying to drown. I had no idea I had floated so far out. Since that day, the ocean has become my place of serenity.
Contact Info:
- Email: Asterstarrpublishing@gmail.com
- Website: www.asterstarr.com
- Instagram: Aster_starr
Image Credits:
Dwaylon Cunningham
