Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciera Daniel.
Hi Ciera, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was overwhelmed like many other people~especially as a “working mom.” Not only did my 2-year-old daughter’s school abruptly stop in-person care, but I was also welcoming a new baby, and was trying to continue to run the non-profit that I co-founded, (Young Kings’ Leadership Academy) offering timely and relevant crisis response to those who needed it most.
This time was also very challenging for my young daughter. Not only would my daughter no longer be the only child and would have to sleep in her own room, she now had to juggle her attention with my work at the home as well. I became so busy during the day that it became extremely difficult to spend quality 1:1 time with my daughter. The inability to spend quality time with her left me with so many different feelings of guilt and frustration but I was determined to find a solution.
In a desperate attempt to prioritize time with her with the new set of circumstances of Covid-19, bedtime stories became “our” time. Considering that my daughter was also not fully adjusted to sleeping in her room, she would ask me to read story after story, in an attempt to keep me in her room for a prolonged time. One night, I ran out of stories and was inspired to write “God Is Here” for her.
She was still very scared and uncertain about sleeping in her room and this book was meant to help her visualize God as someone who loved and protected her in unknown and uncomfortable circumstances. My husband and I both attempted to help her grasp the concept of God as her omnipresent protector, and “God is Here” was able to do that in a developmentally appropriate way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Creating “God is Here” has been so therapeutic for me. I have had the ability to express a creative aspect of myself that I have not had the opportunity to express in years. My daughter tells me on a weekly basis how much she loves the book and reads it to herself daily.
What is equally fulfilling is hearing personal stories from other parents and grandparents about how the book has impacted their child’s life in ways that I didn’t originally foresee~ children who have suffered loss & grief, children who have moved to a new environment, children overcoming a distinct fear, & children who are facing adverse circumstances.
The hardest part was simply taking the initiative to actually print and publish my book to the public. I am so grateful that I fought the urge of procrastination and actually offered “God is Here” to other children and families.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about God in Here Media?
I do a plethora of things~all of which center around creating a better world and environment for children and families to develop in a healthy and holistic manner. My professional life reflects this vision and purpose through different forms of expression.
I am the Co-founder of Young Kings Leadership Academy, a non-profit which serves Black male middle school students and illuminates their full potential by providing unique learning opportunities beyond the classroom. In addition, I assist in research, training, and academic writing on adolescent development.
Currently, I assist in reaching youth & families through transformational programming and grant-making through the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which has a longstanding track record of unprecedented impact. God is Here Media, LLC is focused on providing a world where children encounter inclusive media that allows them to deepen their relationship with God and recognize the power in their divinity.
Of course, you can expect more books from God is Here Media and thematic promotional products. My book has empowered my four-year-old daughter by actualizing that she too is capable of being an author! I am most proud that my daughter has started to write her very own book.
In the future, God is Here Media will also offer media and production services, expanding to children’s shows, sitcoms, and movies.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Being rooted in purpose & focusing on the end goal and not short-term success has been the quality that is not only important to what I’ve accomplished thus far but paramount to all that is to come in the future.
Pricing:
- $17.99 – God is Here.
Contact Info:
- Email: ciera@godisheremedia.com
- Website: www.godisheremedia.com
- Instagram: @godisheremedia
Image Credits
Travon Greene
