Meet Charmaine Griffin of Sipping Sunshine in Westchester

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charmaine Griffin.

Charmaine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started freelance writing back in 2015. At the time, I was living in Busan, South Korea, where I was working as an elementary school English teacher. I always knew I had a passion for writing, but I wasn’t sure how to get started. By my second week in Korea I caught pneumonia and was in the hospital for eight days, with literally nothing to do but listen to everyone cough (all the pneumonia folk were housed in the same room together). One of my friends suggested I start blogging, as a cathartic release because my first two weeks in Korea was not only a culture shock but terrifying because I got sick. So I started a blog called Hello Charmaine.

I wrote about what it was like to be a Black women in Korea, dealing with mental health issues like anxiety/depression, and minimalism because moving forced me into the lifestyle. Fast forward four years, and now I’m a full-time writer who runs a wellness website for Millenials who’ve essentially had enough of life’s bullsh*t. It’s for folks of color, and people pitch personal stories about every day up’s and down’s that come along with being Black/Brown/Queer/Hetero and 30-ish with debt, drama, and a president who could care less.

I never imagined being in a position to write full-time, let alone run a wellness website where newbie writers and bloggers could share their stories. As the Editor-in-Chief, it’s my responsibility to hold space for their stories, while also doing my due diligence to groom new writers. When I first started in the blogosphere, I had no clue how to pitch or even write for niche audiences. I learned through research, trial, and lots of error. It took me two years before I made my first $50 as a freelancer, and four years before I ever saw my name in a magazine. So I wanted to pay it forward, while also honoring my passion for wellness.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I definitely wouldn’t call this journey easy. I’m a former teacher. I was an educator for six years and topped off my seventh year as a Dean before leaving my role to pursue writing. It was definitely hard at 30 going from one career since college, to “pursuing my dreams.” Just before quitting my job I remember sitting with my therapist and crying my eyes out. I told her there was no way I would become a full-time writer, I didn’t have a strong portfolio, and my pitches weren’t being picked up.

I also told her I thought the idea of leaving a steady income to freelance was ridiculous. She’s the one who told me that I could do it; she shared a story with me about one of her clients who wanted to own his own cafe. He left his six-figure corporate job to work at a local coffee shop. Years passed and eventually, he went from being an employee to opening his own cafe. When she told me that story, I knew I’d make the decision to move back home and grind for my own passion.

There was about a six month period where I only had one freelance job in rotation and I had to nanny to pay my bills. I was discouraged, extremely broke, and ready to give up. Then I got the opportunity to intern at Flaunt Magazine, shortly after became a news writer for Blavity, and then became a full-time copywriter for a pet product company (my day job). I never thought I’d be where I am right now because, at 30, transitioning careers felt impossible.

But I made it happen, I wrote for as many publications as I could, beefed up my resume, and now people reach out to me to write for their sites. Because of my struggle, I started Sipping Sunshine to give a voice to writers who literally just want a chance to get their writing out there. And it’s good stuff! These are people who are currently therapists, college students, teachers, artists… you name it.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Sipping Sunshine is not just a blog or another wellness website, its a community of like-minded individuals sharing their stories about navigating this sh*t show we call life. People get real about mental health, trauma, relationships, love, and we also touch upon beauty and travel. Soon we will be selling products on the site geared toward woke folk: jewelry, oils, etc.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I had a big personality. I wanted to shine. I thrived in environments where I could be on stage to sing or dance. I wrote poetry, loved writing in my journal, spent time with friends, and watched the travel channel like it was reality TV, and I was only ten (haha). I loved playing Nintendo 64 until I couldn’t hold my pee anymore. I also liked school a lot because it was another place I could escape – I guess that’s why I became a teacher.

I spent most of my time writing. I used writing as a kid to escape trauma: I needed a secret hiding place where I could express myself without anyone knowing my true feelings. My writing gave me air to breathe in dark times. I knew as a kid that I loved writing, but I had no clue how it was going to impact my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sippingsunshine.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearesippingsunshine/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/_hellocharmaine/

Image Credit:
Charmaine Griffin

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