Life & Work with Lawrence Carroll

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawrence Carroll. 

Hi Lawrence, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved to Los Angeles eleven years ago with a goal of becoming a social worker and starting my own non-profit dedicated to helping children and young adults. During my undergrad years at Loyola University of Chicago, I discovered my passion of tutoring and mentoring young people through work-study programs and evolved that passion into volunteering for organizations like Big Brother Big Sister, Life Works at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and Free Arts where I received “Youth Mentor of the Year” Award in 2015. 

Free Arts transformed my passion and helped me define my goal for forming my own non-profit and career in art. I served four consecutive 8-week creative arts programs at school and transitional living homes, which allowed me to see how art can restore hope, resiliency, and self-esteem in children. 

In my eyes, in the world of art, there is nothing more genuine, pure, and raw than children’s creativity and expressiveness. 

In 2018, I self-published the first installment of my poetry series titled “My Dear Majesty” which is a collection of short poems written to uplift and inspire young people to see themselves as Queens and Kings in their world. 

My Dear Queen, the first title in the series, focuses on encouraging young girls of color to celebrate and love their hair. 

My Dear King, the second title in the series, focuses on creating new dialogue about how we define manhood and the importance of emotional intelligence. 

Over the course of the last several years, I’ve hosted various book drives donating over five hundred hard copies of My Dear Queen to schools and organizations throughout Los Angeles, hair journey panel discussions in partnerships with non-profits like Aviva Family and Children Services, been featured as an author on NBC LA’s California Live, and will soon launch my original goal – my very own non-profit children’s art gallery. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has my journey been a smooth road? Ha! Taking a line from one of my favorite movies (A League of Their Own), “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” 

I’ve definitely taken a few detours along the way, that’s for sure. 

Discovery and self-discovery happen when they’re supposed to, and while I came to Los Angeles eleven years ago with a dream and a goal, life knew there were other things I needed to learn and accomplish before I was able to make those dreams and goals actually happen. 

The biggest struggle was owning my passion. 

The stigma and myth of the “starving artist” and that “there’s no money in non-profit work” were huge deterrents and a struggle for me to overcome. 

I’ve always had a love for writing, but never owned being a poet. 

I’ve always had a passion for helping young people but didn’t want to struggle making a “teacher’s salary” in Los Angeles. 

So, I allowed myself to work in a couple of industries that provided a comfortable lifestyle financially and socially, while somehow still maintaining a connection to my roots through volunteering and being of service. 

Ultimately, I surrendered and accepted that you can’t keep running away from what you were destined to become – I mean you can, but that can get exhausting. 

The main challenge at this point is creating the ecosystem to help my poetry and my non-profit thrive. It’s a highly competitive world out here, completely over saturated with incredible talent, and very short attention spans. Mastering the business of being a self-published author and a start-up entrepreneur will always have its struggles, but the only thing that can truly get in the way of success at this point is myself. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a poet and founder of a non-profit children’s art gallery. 

My poetry is simple, intended for young readers ages 3-18; although adults have found value as readers as well. 

My Dear Queen is the first title of the My Dear Majesty poetry series I self-published on Amazon in 2018. Inspired by conversations with my sister, the historical origins of hairstyles in cultures of color and the nuanced relationships women of color have with their hair, My Dear Queen is penned as an open letter to uplift young girls as they navigate the world of their hair journey. The poem’s messaging and theme encourages young girls (and women) of color to celebrate, accept and embrace the beauty of their hair (used synonymously with crown) and proudly wear their hair in whichever styles they choose. 

Available in two artistic visual interpretations, My Dear King is the second title of the My Dear Majesty series. Inspired by the relationships and lineage of fathers in my own family and my own lived experiences, My Dear King is penned as an open letter to my son. The poetry is a reflection of lessons learned that frames another perspective of how manhood can be defined; engaging readers to consider mental health, emotional intelligence, intuition, work ethic and character when crafting their own definition of a man. My Dear King is meant for boys of all ages, races, ethnicities, faiths and sexual orientations – any young boy can grow into a King. 

I’d like to say that I’m most known for caring, my volunteer services and my community work. 

While I’ve had incredible success as an author, what sets me apart and what I am most proud of, is my ability to curate events and experiences that exhibit the talent and gifts of young people, simultaneously bringing awareness and support to a cause that benefit youth and their communities. 

Example, at the close of each 8-week program with Free Arts, I showcased their works of art into red carpet exhibits supported by business sponsors, friends and family of the youth artists, media and key stakeholders of the organization. The intention was to create an environment where young people could be celebrated and earn a sense of pride for their creativity – and fundraise. 

This method became a turnkey operation that I’ve since applied to community block parties, book drives for my poetry, arts and craft days for families, book readings and panel discussions centered on the topics of my poetry series. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
You can pick up a copy of My Dear Queen and My Dear King on Amazon or check out www.mydearmajesty.com. 

Stay tuned for formal press announcements of my children’s art gallery; follow @majestygallery on Instagram for now. 

Pricing:

• My Dear Queen (Vol.1) – $14.99
• My Dear King (Vol.1) – $16.99

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mydearmajesty.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/imlawrencecc
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/imlawrencechrls