An Authors Kiss with Sara Troy and her guest Erica Ramsey-Bowen, on air from May 19th
“Everyone has a place in this world, that’s why the world was made so vast. If you don’t know where yours is, your job is to find it.”
Erica Ramsey-Bowen says three words sums up her existence and her journey to date: “Work In Progress”.
She identifies as She/Her and is a Self-Employed African American Artist, Illustrator, and Writer.
Born to working class parents in Durham, North Carolina in the 1970s, Erica believes her upbringing in the years following the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the integration of schools, Title IX, and 9-11 all contributed to creating who she is in the world.
“Born in the 1970s, I was the child of tomorrow, the one that was supposed to be the embodiment of my parents’ and ancestors’ dreams. I was supposed to enjoy the fruits of everything they planted during their struggles and I felt this almost cellular duty to be a reflection of their beliefs; I was supposed to break glass ceilings, sit at the front of buses, work alongside men, speak up, be bold, go wherever and be whomever I wanted to be. Instead, I found myself staying within a safe bubble of my own creation, working in corporate America for over twenty years, pretty much not creating anything and staying silent. Last year, I woke up, took a breath, quit my job, and took a leap into being who I have been all along. And I haven’t looked back.”
After “waking up”, Erica embarked on starting her own fledgling art company, Peach E Holdings, and successfully illustrated her first published children’s book, “A No Don’t Day”, which was penned by a childhood friend, Carla Wright-Jukes. On the heels of that, she ran an ambitious Kickstarter campaign for her own children’s book “The Little Bayou Fairy” and saw it successfully funded. Her fearless campaign and strong message of needing more diversity in the realm of children’s literature caught the attention of the Huffington Post Canada. Erica was interviewed for an article about the dearth of representation in children’s literature and was quoted throughout the article. (Link here: Huffington Post Canada Article ) After some delays due to the pandemic, “The Little Bayou Fairy” is scheduled to be published later this month, along with two other book projects that are in progress; “Flora” by Lissette Perry and “Omm Yoga” by Jessica Manfield-Carter.
Erica was one of the featured artists of last year’s “ART GONE WILD” project and exhibit at Zoo Atlanta and her commitment to community service and support of local shelters and animal charities gained her a nomination for LiveSafe Resources’ 2020 Tribute to Achievement. Although she was not selected as a finalist, Erica says that was a surprising and touching testament to the work she does and strives to do within Peach E Holdings.
“The core of who I am is the spirit of joy, playfulness, and peace in the universe. I want everything I touch and the art that I make with my hands, to reflect that. I believe that is how I can best support young people and help make this world, our village, a better place.”
Peach E Holdings, LLC (Art and Creative Imaging Company)
Preorder the book here
Facebook: The Little Bayou Fairy @whowasntafairy
Erica’s Paintings and Works in Progress @SouthernPainterChic