We had the good fortune of connecting with Tandra Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tandra, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always been a creative, just ask my parents! I was constantly drawing on doors and walls, writing stories and poems for my friends and family and all sorts of other things when I was younger. Becoming a creative/creator was just the next step. I knew I always wanted to write in some capacity though.

My love of writing only continued to grow throughout middle school and high school, but I didn’t decide to start blogging until college. Now, I feel like I’ve managed to balance my love of news and love of fashion and lifestyle content successfully. The world can never have too many creatives, I say!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to think of myself as the art, but I suppose I truly started dabbling in the creative world when I started my blog in 2016. I wanted a bit of a reprieve from the news stories I was writing for classes and work, but only started making money from it when the pandemic hit in 2020. So, for four years, it was purely a passion project. I didn’t set out to make money, just to make my voice heard. At the same time, I worked on having a curated Instagram feed, with just the right amount of blogging content and normal content. I never believed in creating a separate account for that content because I am both a person and a blogger. Why separate the two?

Of course, at the same time, I was working on my journalism career as well. There was a particular point in time where I had to choose between the two paths, but I said screw that and chose a third path…my own path. If my parents never told me no, I definitely wasn’t going to let somebody else tell me no either. I honestly can’t think of a time where my friends, family or community weren’t supportive of both my journalism career and creator career. Not everybody is lucky like me, so I’m definitely grateful for it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I split time between Atlanta and Mobile, Alabama, so this is an easy one.

I tell everybody that has at least three days in the city to do this: spend one day as a tourist, one day inside the perimeter (ITP) and one day outside of the perimeter (OTP).

On the touristy day, do everything that makes Atlanta, Atlanta. Go to the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium and see the King Center. Go to the Varsity, the CNN Center and see a sports game if you’re lucky enough to travel when they’re in season.

On the ITP day, which means you’ll be going to places not necessarily downtown, but still in the Atlanta-area, you’ll be able to see the heart of Atlanta. If you like artsy, eclectic things, head to Little Five Points. Check out Ponce City Market, which is loved by tourists and locals alike. Make sure to also make a stop on the Beltline, which is always bustling with activity day and night.

Finally, on the OTP day, you’ll be leaving downtown and Midtown Atlanta (GASP), but you’ll survive. This is where you’ll find the best thrifting spots (the Goodwill in Jonesboro is a spot I’ll give away for free since I’m so nice) and food places (hello Duluth and Gwinnett County, where you can get every cuisine known to man).

I also highly recommend checking out a concert at either the Tabernacle (which used to be an old church), Center Stage (if you want a more intimate feel), or The Masquerade (for all my indie/rock lovers).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would definitely like to shoutout my parents. They never told me no when it came to wanting to try out different creative things, including trying chorus, the flute and more. They are definitely happy with my current career and things that I do on the side. They always told me that when you fail, you just have to find a different way to succeed. It’s advice that has definitely served me well throughout life.

Website: ablackgirlblogging.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tandratbh/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandra-smith-b95394126/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tandra.smith.7

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4lszb5WG2ok2wEeet-Npeg

Image Credits
Photos in the red dress: @aishalyle.photo Photo in black romper: @magicfashionevents

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