Today we’d like to introduce you to April M. Payne.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I moved to Houston for graduate school, I thought I would be a working woman for life. I even started my own business and married another entrepreneur. Shortly after we married, I got pregnant and got sick. I had to shut down my business and, with the birth of my daughter, found my life had changed more than I ever dreamed.
It’s only when I had my son two years later that I found myself needing a creative outlet for writing. I would start out trying to write high-brow literary things but always found myself writing what was in my heart: what I wish people knew about God’s vision for Women in the world.
We are currently in an unprecedented time of gender role and equality upheaval, and I think that people don’t give enough credit to God for this. When Jesus walked the Earth, he treated women with such respect and made provisions for them to be educated and treated with respect and dignity like no other politician, royalty, celebrity or dignitary ever has.
So today, I write and speak about God, women, and our powerful empowered place as his Daughters.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been smooth in the idea that I have always had a ready outlet from which to write. I had a blog for a while but found the appetite for this type of encouragement was best served on Instagram these days.
But it’s also really important to understand that this type of work, especially writing about faith, isn’t a one-way track to influencer status and followers galore. Promotion comes from practice and faithfulness. From daily showing up, writing what you know and what you’ve learned. Having something real to offer.
I would say that the single thing that matters most is showing up every day. Finding what sets your heart on fire and pursuing that with everything you’ve got. The only way to help others is to first fill yourself up and then that fire is translated into words for others. What I love about this transaction in today’s world of social media is that one person’s fire can be the spark to set a blaze in someone else. You never know the effect you can have by just showing up with what you’ve got to offer.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
Mostly, I write and speak about God’s design and place for women in the kingdom of God, but I also love writing and speaking about motherhood, being a woman in today’s culture, and encouraging women to join and grow together.
I am proud of the fact that the message I feel most on fire about is something that brings freedom to all people. Women aren’t better than men, we are both very important to the world in what we can offer. But what’s important is that women recognize and walk knowing what a privilege it is to be a woman. We have a special gift in our femininity, whatever that looks like for each woman, and it isn’t to be hidden or ashamed of. It’s to be celebrated. We’re powerful people!
My son benefits from what I write about just as much as my daughter because as important as it is for her to know how powerful and loved she is, it’s also important for him to see powerful women and recognize how to use his privilege as a man to respect and encourage them.
Important advice for someone starting out with creative work would be this: Be yourself. You are exactly who you are on purpose, for a purpose, with a purpose. There is nothing about you that is an accident. If you love fashion, love fashion. If you love motherhood, spread that love. If you love Star Wars, please show your people your favorite collection! Be who you are, as authentically as possible. That’s what people are drawn to.
In being yourself, you will meet others right where they are and encourage them in their lives. In walking out our calling and passions, we help call others up and out to do the same. And what an amazing world that will be!
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
I had the privilege of growing up in a home that encouraged my creativity. I always had my face in a book or music playing in my ears. I also married into a creative family, so my need for a creative outlet has always been encouraged.
I also grew up in a home with a strong female presence. My mother, aunts, and grandmothers are all incredibly strong, amazing women who always taught me that being a woman was never something to be looked down upon for and that it was to be celebrated in its own way. My father, uncles, and grandfathers reinforced this by treating me and the other women around them with respect, encouragement, and love.
It’s amazing what can happen when people lift up those around them and encourage natural tendencies for passion and creativity!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aprilmpayne.com
- Email: april@aprilmpayne.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/@april.m.payne
Image Credit:
Photos outside with baby and daughter in pink dress are by Andrea Charette
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