'Stay Brave' with Minda Honey
‘Stay Brave’ is an interview series by woman-identifying creatives for woman-identifying creatives to inspire bravery in the creative life. [Created and curated by Leah Umansky]
* Enjoy our February feature for Black History Month ! *
How do you interpret the phrase, "Stay Brave?"
A warning to stay vigilant against fear and its smallness
As a woman-identifying writer, what are the ways that you “stay brave” in your life?
I'm forever making the choice between living the world as I wish it to be and the world as it is. This is the choice I must make when I travel solo, when I choose who to love, and when I insist my words matter.
Who is someone in your life who models “staying brave” for you?
My niece Elliot. She's 7. Everyday is a new adventure in bravery at that age and I love watching her rise to the occasion.
What writers, artists, and/or musicians do you look to to foster a sense of “bravery?”
Megan Thee Stallion has endured so many challenges in the public eye, from the loss of her mother to being shot by Tory Lanez and she's been strong and brave and stood on her truth, while also being honest about the hurt. Just immense amounts of vulnerability on display.
What’s a piece of advice you would pass on to your younger self about “staying brave?” What’s something you know now, that you didn’t know in the past?
The truth won't hurt any less by waiting to face it.
Can you remember a time in your life where you realized your own bravery? How did you use it to propel you forward?
I am in that time. I'm making some major life shifts. It's scary because my life is great, it's comfortable, but my spirit is restless. So it's taken a lot of bravery to proclaim I want more and then head off into the unknown to retrieve it.
What do you do when you aren’t feeling brave? What inspires you or motivates you?
Taking a nap is a great reset. Usually I'm calmer and have greater perspective afterward.
In what ways would you like to be more brave in your creative life?
There are definitely topics I'm not ready to write about, but I don't think it's an issue of bravery and it's okay to wait until I feel secure enough emotionally to do so.
What is your proudest moment of bravery?
I think you'll have to read the book to find out 🙂
What are you currently working on?
An essay collection about naming and reclaiming yourself in America.
Minda Honey is the author of the memoir, THE HEARTBREAK YEARS, about dating as a Black woman in Southern California during the Obama Years. She can be found at: @mindahoney on Twitter + IG
Leah Umansky is the author of three books of poems, most recently the forthcoming OF TYRANT, (The Word Works 2024.) She is currently working on a memoir Delicate Machine, an exploration of womanhood, hope, and heart in the face of grief and a global pandemic. She earned her MFA in Poetry at Sarah Lawrence College and has curated and hosted The COUPLET Reading Series in NYC since 2011. Her creative work can be found in such places as The New York Times, POETRY, The Bennington Review, Minyan Magazine, The Academy of American Poets' Poem-A-Day and others. She can be found at www.leahumansky.com or @leah.umansky on IG.