Meet Corein Carter of In Living Colored Productions in Downtown Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Corein Carter.

Corein, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Trenton, NJ. The very start of my love for writing began in fifth grade when I started writing poetry and was asked by my teacher to submit work in a competition to possibly be published. I won the competition and was the only young black female published in the book amongst adults. My love for writing continued to college where I attended Winston Salem State University.

I studied journalism and mass communications but found it extremely hard for me to secure an internship in the media field from senior year moving forward. I was discouraged at the lack of representation in the industry and how hard it was to break in so I basically quit writing. I went from writing mostly everyday of my life rather it was journaling, poetry, or self-care notes to not picking up my pen and pad for a little over six years. After a life-changing event in 2016, I sought out methods of copping and turned back to journaling. After taking a break I got back on social media around 2017 and I would share my thoughts and rants on instastory, people seemed to gravitate towards what I was saying and the message I wanted to send. I got told several times I should start a podcast and blog and thats exactly what I did. In 2018 I launched my podcast/blog Play on Words where I took a catchphrase /slogan and broke it down with tips to encourage people. The traffic became very popular on the blog site and the podcast. What once was a passion project gave me the courage to submit my work to a few magazine publications looking for freelance writers at the time. I got picked up as a contributor with The Werk Magazine out of Atlanta, Georgia and continued to put content out on my own blog site. I then went on to write for larger magazines and publications such as xoNecole, Blavity, Sheen Magazine, and Business Blurb. I’m currently a professional journalist associated with those brands and a member of For(bes) The Culture group.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s honestly been pretty smooth, knowing what your niche is and finding the right audience is the key! Anything that you do you’re selling to someone. If your audience isn’t convinced you’re an expert in whatever field or conversation you’re sparking, you can’t expect people to want to take your advice, listen too, or engage in anything you are doing.

I cater to young professional women and men of color by telling authentic, positive and sometimes controversial stories that are compelling and relatable to the culture.

The only real struggle for me was getting the courage to move out of Atlanta and make the leap to Los Angeles to further my career as a professional journalist. I moved to Atlanta after college in NC and I got quite comfortable with the lifestyle I was living and the cost of living itself. But deep in my heart, I always knew Atlanta would never be a place I called home, nor did I see myself building a family or a solid career there. I was there for 8.5 years but I didn’t have the full drive and focus I needed for myself until around 2016. I made the leap in January 2019 to move to Los Angeles and my life blossomed ever since.

Please tell us about In Living Colored Productions.
My company In Living Colored Productions owns and operates all of the creative endeavors I’m known for which include:

“Play on Words Podcast”

Available on all streaming apps – Season 3 will be dropping September 4th, the premises of this new season is based around a wellness mindset. With bi-weekly episodes, The first episode is called “Trust The Process” you can expect a short 15 min audio where I break down the catchphrase thoroughly and give some tips based around the topic. Each episode I have a short 2 min segment called “The Ugly Truth” about social injustices that aren’t spotlighted nationally and shoutout a different B.O.B (Black Owned Business). I end each episode off with a few short affirmations to help people keep themselves on track.

“Reflect & Release: Shadow Work Mediation/Journaling Series”

The technique of Shadow Work entails diving deep into the hidden parts of ourselves or the unconscious aspects of our personality that we may not like. Shadow Work is simply about asking the hard questions we may be afraid to face head-on. Thru a series of thought probing questions, we will analyze what has affected us in ways that aren’t conducive with our true desires and journal the answers. The intent is to reflect on the things that have impacted our lives, grasp a full understanding of it and then release what no longer serves us.

In Living Colored Docu-Series

Coming Winter 2020, similar to my podcast, I will be interviewing different people from around the world and getting their insights on various topics related to some the catchphrases I discuss on my podcast. The short episodes will be a compilation of the thoughts and opinions of POC’s based around the topic of discussion.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t start over, all the lessons I’ve experienced rather hard, unfavorable or a blessing were all meant to occur so that I could be the woman I am today. What I’ve learned thru my journey of self-healing, journaling and meditation is that one should never have regrets, they should only look forward to what can be changed in the present moment. The things that I once believed I missed out on in the past either no longer suit me can still be accomplished in this moment, or I have greater aspirations for myself.

I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to do. There’s really no need to look back, only a need to implement and move forward from here.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/inlivingcolored
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/inlvingcolored
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/inlivingcolored

Image Credit:
Corein Carter

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