[00:00:00] Ellington Brown: Welcome to SpeakUP! International with Rita Burke and Elton Brown!

[00:00:13] Rita Burke: On SpeakUP! International, we crisscrossed the world to find community builders to have our conversations with. Today, we are back in Canada. We will be speaking with Sophia Jackson. Sophia is an accomplished child and youth worker, who has dedicated years to nurturing and supporting the development of young adults.

She threw her hat into the ring in 2022 when she became a trustee candidate for the municipal election in Brampton. Sophia is the creator of Soulful Colour, which is an affirmation colouring book. There's so much more that I'd like to tell you about . This morning, but as we say on SpeakUP! International, we prefer our speakers tell their own stories.

And so today I welcome Sophia Jackson to SpeakUP! International. Yay! 

[00:01:24] Sophia Jackson: And the crowd goes wild!

Hello, thank you for having me. This is this is awesome. I'm looking forward to our conversation. 

[00:01:35] Ellington Brown: Me too! Sophia, you have diverse passions, influence, an author and speaker and coach and songwriter, singer. How did you get started in all of these arenas? 

[00:01:52] Sophia Jackson: I would, it's just been in me.

I'm, I've been creative from the beginning. My, my mom, let, told me that I was singing before I could talk. I was, So I was and I would fall asleep to the hum of a vacuum cleaner or music in the background so rhythm sounds, noises that, so that was an early thing for me.

And then elementary school, I was in choirs and plays and so acting, dance, track and field, like anything creative. It's just, it's part of me. I really believe it's in everyone. Human, like our humanity is our creativity and everybody just displays it in different ways. I happen to gravitate towards the arts.

[00:02:38] Rita Burke: I like that. I like that. You're saying that creativity is embossed and tattooed in your DNA. And we'll talk a little bit more about that. So my first question to you, Sophia, is when and why did you begin your career as a child and youth worker? 

[00:03:02] Sophia Jackson: I started before I knew I was, I had started I've always Connected with young people and just, when I, going to events going over to a friend's house or whatever the case may be, I would always end up interacting with the young people.

And I've been. I would describe myself as, childlike, not childish, but childlike and maintain that. I think it's very important. And that's I think what helps to keep me stay youthful. And so when. I was in my 20s, a friend of mine, we we did a summer camp. My memory is not the best, so I can't remember the details of why we ended up doing this, but we just thought that there was a need in the community and we did ran a summer camp.

It wasn't something that was long standing, but I remember just having a really good time. It was a young people, newbie in. Little ones, boys and girls, and we we took them on trips and all of that. And it was just, it would just seem so it was easy and seamless. And then the, in like 2012, I think 20, 20, yeah, about 2012 I.

Connected with a friend and colleague, her name is Coco, Nicole she goes by Coco and she was running pro she was doing programs. She had a program called Kings and Bellas and she would get invited into our Peel schools, Peel district school board schools and ran programming for young people who are challenging struggled with self esteem and self love.

 Some traumatic experiences, too, and she used her story, her pain and put it into passion and ran programs. And I followed her around and she was like a mentor and she inspired me to go back to school as a mature student. In 2013 I went back to school to Humber to get my credentials as a child and youth care worker.

So I think like just supporting young people and being in that environment, seeing how I could be of support and assistance, being able to connect with them on a level that oftentimes young people say, adults, they just don't, can't really connect. So that was like one of my superpowers and it really resonates with young people.

And so that was the inspiration for going into that career. 

[00:05:33] Ellington Brown: SpeakUP! International is always looking for individuals that we consider our community builders. Can you tell us other ways Sophia, that you support community engagement through your various talents? 

[00:05:51] Sophia Jackson: Mm hmm. Yeah, definitely. I think, um, being working at the school board was, and actually, I, after I went back to school and, I graduated and all of that, there was a lot of different, areas we could go into right there was like hospitals.

There was group homes there was so many and I was like, I wanted to avoid schools altogether because at that point I was like, it was a weird phenomenon that I was even back in school. Anybody who knows me. Who knew me at the time would be like, what you went back to school, I thought I would never do that.

And I didn't want to work in a school environment. But And so I started off in private schools. I, I did work in a group home for a few years, and then I ended up at youth justice and custody treatment some work in hospitals. And then I ended up at the school board at field district school board, and then was there For 7 years and but my involvement or my supporting in not for profit as well.

That was like, where I got a love for like grassroots. It's also more in the creative realm because you're I was supporting a program that was helping community artists monetize their art. Like, how can you make a living out of being a creative and and I love that program because it's taking your You know, your passion, your innate talents, and then figuring out ways in order to make make that a living, which I believe we everybody should do that.

You, we should start about start, start from what's your passion and then figure out how you can make money and that should happen as early as possible. So that you have it all set up for you when you become when you get into adulthood. So that's, that's A little bit of what I believe education should be like, but, I digress and maybe we can talk about that more after.

But yeah once you connect into schools, that's community. And it just blew up from there, into interacting with young people, parents, other wraparound resources and community agencies and then when I decided to run for trustee that just it just amplified the connections that I already had.

And then also I gained a new ones, and then I'm a member of the Brampton board of trade. And I think after the after the, my election experience, it really raised my visibility, not that not that I'm famous, but I'm, that my name is known in certain circles because of me running.

And then that led to the Brampton board of trade that led to me being on the anti racism committee, the Anti racism advisory committee because of, I had done speaking engagements and been door knocking and things like that. So it was a jump off point for me to be more community engaged.

[00:08:50] Rita Burke: It is fascinating because you've led us into my next question. You talked about throwing your hat in the ring in 2022 for the position of school trustee. Talk to us about what inspired, what motivated, what drove you into going after such a position.

[00:09:16] Sophia Jackson: I saw it as a once I was talked into it, because I was talked into it.

I was not on my radar. It wasn't something that I was aspiring to do. I actually had a conversation with Another a community member that had run and she planted the seed. She goes, I think you'd make a good trustee and which was, it was a random comment from her coming from her.

And then after she said that, another friend of mine who was supporting a counselor candidate for wards one and five here in Brampton I shared, With her that this other friend had said, had mentioned that I might make a good trustee and then she just she ran with that. Once I mentioned it, she's oh, my gosh, we've been looking for somebody to run for words 1 and 5 as trustee, because the current incumbent has been there for 19 years.

And it's time for a change and I know there's been, there's a little bit of. There was a little bit of controversy around the incumbents and what he has been doing versus what he should be doing and all of these things. So they're just like, maybe you should run. So once they planted that seed, I was like, I mulled around the idea.

And without very much foresight, or Or research I was like, okay, I'll do it! And then, but I, I learned on the fly about. All of that, all that needed to what a trustee does, they're the connection, the community connection between the community and the ministry of education in Peel for Peel district school board specifically.

And yeah. And, speaking engagements and dealing with disgruntled parents, and there's so many different aspects to, of course, being at the trustee table, actually policy and on those things as well. I learned really quickly what it would entail, but then also what it took to actually win.

That was, I had no idea that I would actually have to be door knocking that's the that's the tried tested in true way. It's it's it never goes away that going to people's homes and knocking on their doors are the best way to introduce yourself to the community and that you're running and then the voter apathy and people not knowing what a trustee is or what they do, or that they even get voted for in the same ballot as the mayor and the counselors.

So that was It was a major learning curve from all angles, but that's how I decided to run. And then I, pun intended, then I ran with it in all aspects and. And I was 500 votes away from unseating the 19 year incumbent at my 1st at that, which is thank you. It was an accomplishment and honestly.

If I could have, if I could do it all again, because I'm not actually, I decided I wasn't going to run again for 2026, but if I could have done a redo of the 2022, I having a solid team I had, my friends and family, they came, but I ended up running side by side having a running mate in the counselor.

So I actually ran the election. I was a counselor because I followed so closely. By the the counselor that was running to take out the the current counselors for words one and five, which is a Rowena and I forget the other person's name right now. But they ran as a duo and having a trustee and counselor running together.

I don't it's not something that I don't think it's never been done, but it's not a common thing. So I ran the trustee race. I was a counselor, which is, I think 1 of the reasons why I came so close because I tag teams with this individual, but things didn't go the way that I had hoped and.

There was some comments and ting, and it didn't work out the way that I had hoped. And so I would have, that's what I would have changed is to have that team of people that were like my campaign support. Not that you asked, what would I change, but that's what I would change.

[00:13:36] Ellington Brown: That's okay. And thank you for that information. That's like a bonus, like those colouring books and crayons. Anti racism advisory committee. 

Tell us how that impact your community work? 

[00:13:57] Sophia Jackson: Like I said after running I, I was put on the radar of the United Achievers Group.

The United Achievers is a community organization that's been around since the 80s and some of the founding members. They were made aware of me and and then the same thing when there was a call out to the community for new members for the Anti Racism Advisory Committee I, it came, I think somebody sent me the email and said, would you be interested in submitting 

your interest, and I was like, yep, so Anti Racism Advisory Committee works in conjunction with the Ontario Human Rights Commission Council. And the Peel Services Board. The Peel Police Services Board and Peel Regional Police and I thought it would be an exciting opportunity to impact change.

There were recommendations. That were put together and vetted by the. By all parties, and then the Iraq is the community voice and there's about 21 members of the committee and to. To go through the recommendations that were brought up by the Human Rights Project, which is how to just like, what's the word recognizing the disproportionate amount of violence against people of Colour and to help to change the culture and policing.

And so they're being very active and intentional about doing that. And the, this project and the recommendations that came from that project and having the community, representation through Iraq go through the recommendations and now we're at the stage of starting to implement those recommendations.

And it's been a really interesting journey. We meet on a monthly basis and that might change. I think that we're going to be ramping up to meet more often, but for anybody who's listening, I encourage, the police. Peel website, I know is one of the last places people might go to just browse and check it out.

But there's a lot of things that happen behind the scenes and that we're not privy to as community members, but they are happening. And so you can go on to the police. To Police Website and do a search for a rack the Anti Racism Advisory Committee. The recommendations are there. The 20 to 2020 is when the the Human Rights Projects.

I think started and another thing that was probably sparks. I don't know. I don't know if this is so we might have to fact check this. I don't know if it was specifically sparked by the whole George Floyd thing. But Anti Racism and people jumping on to support and dismantle a lot of things happened during that time.

That was sparked by that incident that the murder of George Floyd. I wouldn't I put money on it that maybe that was something that was sparked. But either way, what I'm saying is go and get informed and go to the website and learn about what's happening because this is it's community.

It's. Things that drive the behaviors of what's happening on the police force and from the top down. I'm feeling privileged that I'm part of the conversations that are happening. And the most people don't even know that these conversations are happening, but they are happening and that the appeal police are aware that there is a disproportionate amount of violence that happens against black people.

And they want to. They want to change it, at least from the higher ups. They want to change it. And they're putting things in place to make that happen. 

[00:17:42] Rita Burke: It's interesting that you got on your platform there. You sound like a politician now and an advocate and believe it or not, the people we interview and SpeakUP! International, we have these conversations with people we consider to be community builders, and there's no question.

That you are building community and I really appreciate that there is some American female politician that said many years ago, if they don't offer you a seat at the table, bring your own folding chair. But you've been offered a seat at the table. So you don't necessarily have to take your folding chair, but stay at that table and bring about some positive change for our community.

Obviously, to get involved in politics and the advocacy work that you're doing, you have to have certain skills. Talk about the confidence and the skills that one would need in order to get as involved as you are. 

[00:18:52] Sophia Jackson: Oh, that's a good question. But I like. I remember, my mom's no longer with us.

She passed in 2021. But, of course, her voice and her influence resonates with me. And she always used to tell me that I'm confident when I'm overconfident when I don't need to be and I'm under confident when I need to be. And I just. It resonates with me because, it's almost pick your battles, right?

Pick your battle, Sophia and I just saw I don't know if it's a, if it's a confidence thing, but it's a drive my my passion, the same reason why I became a child and youth worker is wanting to be of support, to positively impact the lives of others. That's one of my, one of my mottos and and to be a positive force in the matrix, right?

How can I do that? And so when the opportunity came to, to do it, and I just want to be able to show up. I don't want to be the weakest link of any operation, I want to be able to show up and how do you want to be remembered, and I'll be You know, creating a legacy, so those are some of the things that come to mind.

I don't know if it's a a confidence thing. I know I do present as such. But I have my moments.

[00:20:10] Ellington Brown: Okay, I want to get to the good part. And the good part is those, you know it, those colouring books. I can't, I couldn't wait any longer to get to this. What inspired you to create the Soulful colouring Affirmation colouring Books? 

[00:20:30] Sophia Jackson: That was definitely connected to me becoming a child and youth care worker, care counselor because I started colouring as an adult, again, To calm my stress, calm my anxiety being going back to school full time.

And I put a lot of pressure on myself to, to get honors. Colouring is an underrated art therapy. I will say that over and over again. It's underrated, but, we, it's utilized in so many different areas, from the time a child can pick up a pencil or a crayon, they start colouring and or scribbling or doodling and that, art form is utilized to teach math to teach science to teach English to teach art, obviously to teach so many different things and it doesn't stop. It goes right out through, elementary school, middle school, high school, in some form, your geography assignments, your, there's so many ways that you're utilizing colouring, whether it be with crayons, pencil, crayons, markers, and then, and the list goes on.

Saw it as an underrated, but then I also saw that it was missing representation in a positive way. For, newbie in Afro Caribbean, like, all of that. So I was like, okay, this is another industry and it is an industry colouring adult colouring specifically. But colouring books for young people is very popular.

It's another industry where the representation isn't there, or that there is an opportunity to add. Another perspective, different imagery that highlights people of Colour in a positive way and and so I saw it as an opportunity to fill the gap. 

[00:22:21] Rita Burke: How important do you think representation is in books, particularly for children?

It's, uh, it's I don't even, you can't even, it's hard to articulate how important it is. That's how important it is. It's we know to see ourselves reflected is what helps to give you inspiration on what you and. And subconsciously tells you what you can and can't do, because if you haven't seen somebody in a space that looks like you, there's, there are often this assumption that therefore that space is not for you and to have representation in every aspect of life from, here to infinity is so important for people of Colour for, all For people in general, it's just how we, it's how we it's how we relate to the world in our environment.

So to have to have any area be void of a group of people who offer so much and have historically given willingly and unwillingly so much that it doesn't make sense. It just make it make sense. So it's extremely important. 

[00:23:40] Ellington Brown: I agree with you 100%. I know growing up, we didn't have books where there was representation.

The books were called Fun with Dick and Jane. And the kids in the book were white. Everything In the book, it was white, the houses were white, everything was white, it's wow, but the strange part about that is you don't really think about that when you're at that age, you just, it's more of a reading thing, you're learning how to read, but it just that the reading part was great, but there was no matchup in terms of seeing someone that looked like me.

And I think it's very important. And I see now that there is a huge push to make sure that the younger set has that representation, that equal representation. Thing going on between reading books and seeing themselves in them. 

[00:24:48] Sophia Jackson: It's a very I'm so happy that you said that you don't notice it.

You don't notice it until you notice it. And then you're like, where's this been all my life? You know what I mean? And that's the subconscious, right? Like on a subconscious level, it's like we, you're almost programmed to just get along without it. But when it's when you do see it, then it's wow, this has been missing.

And imagine us growing up, With having that, it's like the well, being in the Caribbean even though I was born here, I've heard, from people, young people that have, they started, they grew up there or were born in the Caribbean or on the continent in the, in Africa. And then they come here and the.

You know coming out of an environment where that they didn't they are the majority they interact with their teachers, their professors, their, the store owner down the street, everybody was of Colour. So coming here is so different. But and that's there, we talk about, I just actually listened to a a video where the, just how dominant Jamaicans are that they're just like, and that, that is connected to ancestry from Nigeria and just, but in North America, having, if you had that representation all the time, how that would play on your psyche your mindset, what you believe that you can and can't do in the world your resilience, like we're already a resilient people, obviously, because we're still here, but if we just add that next, it just adds that next level of of confidence that is I sometimes I just think about if we could just turn back time and make a change.

How would that have impacted our trajectory and our history to constantly see yourself in a positive light? I mean. It's, I can't even, I can't even imagine what it would be like. 

[00:26:51] Ellington Brown: It's it's mind blowing. 

[00:26:53] Sophia Jackson: Thank you!

[00:26:54] Ellington Brown: When you, when you actually think about the impact of just that making that small change, how that would have affected everyone on the planet directly or indirectly.

[00:27:08] Sophia Jackson: Indirectly. Indirectly. Yes. 

[00:27:10] Ellington Brown: Okay, so there's like a, I see it as a balance. You have your artistic pursuits and then your social responsibilities. How do you balance those two aspects of your life? Because they're huge. 

[00:27:23] Sophia Jackson: Don't, I, they're intertwined for me, I I see the the books are.

And there's 4 books in the soulful Colour series right now. They're like an extension. Of me and how I put out my creativity in the world what I, my legacy and then in order to share, what I have within my gifts, my God given gifts, in order for me to share that I have to connect with people and community and collaborate.

And and so I find it, I, That I guess that's how I balance it is because for me it's all encompassing.

[00:28:02] Rita Burke: You are a speaker. You came close to becoming a trustee. You obviously speak. I think you said that in your bio that you're a speaker. What are some of the topics did you speak about and how did you learn to be a public speaker? 

[00:28:24] Sophia Jackson: I think I'm still learning. Unless you're a client and I have exactly the skills that you need.

No, I just think, we're lifelong learners. And it's not like I I set out to be a speaker. I think because of my background as a performer and an artist, singer songwriting, I've been singing since I was a kid in schools and competitions. And I went to a school of the arts.

I really believe that the arts is some is what has afforded me the foundation to be able because, public speaking, being on stage. That's 1 of the top number 1 fears of people that, I don't want to speak in front of anybody. And so for me to get over that fear, relatively early in life it's just.

It just comes natural and then, because I so, outspoken, it's yo, I could get paid for this. I could get paid for this. My topics are in the power of creativity so how creativity can tap into productivity in a corporate environment, how that how creativity can spark, imagination.

And when we're talking about young people, how it can help with confidence and self esteem. So I weave the creativity throughout different topics and how it can support that. And that's 1 of my topics and then mental health and wellness. Self care, how creativity could be utilized as a way to either be proactive about your mental health and wellness and self care, or to help soothe and be a tool for you.

If you're struggling in those areas and then I did in 2018, I believe it was, I was introduced to the financial industry through I was encouraged to get my license and I did get my license as a financial advisor and dabbled in that area for a few years. I currently renewing my license, actually, but I, so I talk about the money narrative.

For me, connecting financial wellness, literacy, mastery in a creative way to our stories and our narrative and how we separate money from life, which is really weird to me when we want to have a conversation about it, but it's so intertwined. And so I talk about our money narrative, our financial stories so a a grassroots and social work approach to financial literacy and then, I think those are my main and then just obviously the journey, my journey as a entrepreneur and author of colouring books, because I had to convince myself that I was an author because I'm like, I created colouring books, but everybody was like, but you put words in there. Because you wrote the affirmations that makes you an author and I was like, okay, so it took for the first couple of years after.

Creating the first colouring book in 2017, I really didn't see myself as an author because other people kept telling me that I was, that I finally embraced it. And then talking about my journey as an author of affirmation colouring books. 

[00:31:36] Ellington Brown: Sophia, your colouring books, I think are wonderful. I really do.

And I never thought that I would be caught up in the enthusiasm of going out buying Crayola crayons to be colouring in a colouring book. Can you tell us some stories or testimonials from someone who benefited from using your Soulful Colour Affirmation Colouring Books. 

[00:32:18] Sophia Jackson: Wow. There's so many. Just the fact that you shared that you were inspired to go out and colour.

I don't know if it was in one of my books. But just the idea, like 

[00:32:30] Ellington Brown: Yes it's your book your colouring book. 

[00:32:34] Sophia Jackson: That's awesome to hear. But, um, in addition to that, so that's one story. Cause like you're sharing that right now, right? So you were inspired to, go out and get a book, get some pencil crayons, or get some crayons.

And And what your experience is with that I would love to hear more about that, but more stories. Of the same is just for young people it's the images. They're just like, I've never seen anything like this. And I have a young a young person, his grandmother, who's a friend of mine.

Took a picture of him with the book. They found it at I think it was at a vendor market and this young person got the book in his hand. And it is this picture. I'll send it to you. I think he, you can just see on his face. It's obvious. It's pride. Just beaming and that's just by seeing the image on the images in the books.

And then for older people I've run workshops where it's like a guided colouring session and the comments are like, the, I haven't seen anything, the images, anything like this, that the connection between the words, the affirmations and the images, they, they create almost an experience, right?

That resonates, and then I'm always so surprised by depending on the individual, they'll flip through the pages of the colouring book and they'll zone in on the words and not even really pay any mind to the illustrations, whereas some people only see the illustrations and then you have to be like, oh, did you see the affirmations?

And so that's really a testament to analytical mind versus a creative mind and what draws your attention so having both the words and the illustrations really create a cognitive experience. It creates an experience that you don't really get. And then once you're you're not You're melanated, you're like a melanated, even non melanated individual, so non non Nubian they really gravitate towards the book as well, but when you are somebody of Afro Caribbean descent, and you're flipping through the pages, you're connecting even more, because you're seeing hairstyles that resonate with you, you're seeing situations that resonate, and so it's, Those are and then teachers, educators, counselors, I've had a social worker and a counselor say that they utilize the books in session to open up a dialogue to, to trigger conversations and that they get utilized in the in spaces and places where the demographics will resonate with the books and the images.

Yeah, there's a lot of testimonials, testimonies, things that I never even thought would. What I hadn't, I didn't have the foresight. I just knew that. They would resonate with people, but I didn't realize how in all the different areas from elementary school to college and university, not for profit spaces and corporate with colouring with adults in a corporate environment.

Team building diversity, equity, and inclusion, even because, as I was speaking with Rita before we started is just showing up as I am with my books because at the end of the day, the pages are white, right? The pages are white, so you can add whatever Colour you want to, and which is why I also have multicultural pencil crayons skin toned pencil crayons to, to have as an offering along with the colouring books, because people are going to see themselves reflected regardless of who they are and what their background is. 

[00:36:14] Rita Burke: And as we said earlier, Sophia, it's critical to be able to see your book, your, yourself, your story, your culture, your history reflected in the books that you go through. Then you feel included and you feel like you belong. And that's critical, particularly in the year 2024 for our children to feel that they're included.

I like the book. I'm impressed with the book. I know people who like grown ups who enjoy colouring books. It seems like Elton is on board as well now. 

[00:36:54] Sophia Jackson: Yes. 

[00:36:55] Rita Burke: But I'll let you know that the thing that particularly appeals to me more than anything are the affirmations. Because I have a children's book that I wrote, and I call it an extended affirmation.

And because it's talking about, it's talking about liking oneself. So I think to have affirmations in your book here is a huge plus for the people. And I'm not saying children because I think adults would benefit as well. 

[00:37:28] Sophia Jackson: Absolutely. 

[00:37:29] Rita Burke: Who sit down to colour. So talk about where those affirmations came from.

[00:37:35] Sophia Jackson: My singing and songwriting, background, like being a lyricist, a writer, poetry I see music and when I write songs, it's like poetry put to music is, I write poems and then I can sing them and that's where it comes from. And I've been, I've been writing songs for, I don't know for as long as I can remember.

And then and then being able to inject my own, flair. My stage name, when I was performing a lot is Sojay. So it was like and a a friend of mine that I used to play and perform with, he would say, let's Sojayify, it, it became a verb. So let's put some Sojay into that.

And and then also like some, a mentor that I had a conversation with just very recently. She's a. She's a, an artist, she does fine art and she, I don't know if it's her quote, but she said this to me and I thought it was very powerful that there's no unique message, just unique messengers.

And me saying the same thing that everybody else has said is going to hit different. It's going to come differently, which is why I encourage people to do them. Do and bring your energy because even though somebody's already done it, nobody's going to do it the way you do it, and that and the way that you do it.

Can really resonate with can resonate with people. That's where the affirmations came from. I write down stuff all the time. I have notes, like a notebook and then I have my cell phone where I something comes to mind of a way to say something and I'll put it down so that I always have a pool of affirmations or quotes to to pick from. 

[00:39:24] Ellington Brown: We've talked about a whole lot of things this this afternoon. So now I want to, oh, go ahead. 

[00:39:31] Sophia Jackson: I just wanted to highlight the importance of men colouring. And I'll even go one step further and say black men colouring. Because it's such a a great way. For to support mental health and wellness, and our men of colour can go through a lot, in life in general, without unpacking that too deeply, but to be able to tap into your that inner child and to sit with pencil.

Pencil crayons or crayons and colour, it's very therapeutic and it's something you can do in the privacy of your home. And, I know there are, especially in our community. There are people who are adverse to therapy, like actual, seeing a therapist and I'm not saying colouring can replace that by any means, but it could be.

It can be a way to help calm your spirit as a man of colour. So I'm very happy that you're. That you said, here on a podcast where other people are going to be listening that you took that plunge to, to get. Crayons or pencil crayons and Colour because there's some like big men don't colour, there's that like bad man.

Don't dance so I want to, we want to debunk that. And yeah, thank you for sharing that Elton! 

[00:40:44] Ellington Brown: Sophia, what are your future plans? I know you're doing a balancing act here. So can you tell us how do you plan on expanding your impact on community engagement and then your creative expression?

[00:40:59] Sophia Jackson: I want, I'm going to continue doing what I have been doing, and I want to amplify the Soulful Colour Books, the brand, and even though, um, I keep being told that I need to ramp up on my, my speaking and presentations and facilitation that's the best way to get the message out there.

So that's what I'm going. I'm going to be doing, even before our call today, or before jumping on this I met with a teacher out in Cambridge. And we're talking about me being a part of a kind of a speed networking.

Installation experience and so I'm going to be another way for me to tap into community. So I want a Soulful Colour to be a global brand. So I'm on a mission to to to build it out to be that because I want to positively impact the lives of others. I want to bring mental health and wellness.

I want to create and hold on to, being off a device having a way to take breaks from our cell phones, our iPads, our laptops and things like that, especially for young people, because there are studies that show that, the younger a child is connected to a device, the more detrimental that can be for their development and social emotional.

So that's what I want to do. So thank you for having me here, because this is part of that. Part of me being able to deliver. this message and and spread the word about Soulful Colour. 

[00:42:27] Rita Burke: SpeakUP! Up International, we seek to inform, to educate, and to inspire. And there's absolutely no question that your story, Sophia Jackson, will do that for our listeners.

I certainly appreciate your joining us here today. 

[00:42:50] Sophia Jackson: Thank you. Thank you very much for having me! 

[00:42:54] Ellington Brown: So a 

[00:42:54] Sophia Jackson: They can't they can't see my smile, but I'm 

[00:42:58] Ellington Brown: That's okay, they can definitely feel it. You tell us when the next time you put out your next book, creative achievement. We would really love to know about that and have a conversation about it just like we had one today.

And I know that I am and I definitely know, Rita is looking forward to having a conversation with you again. And I gotta hurry up and get off of this call with you because I need to get some different Colour colouring crayons. 

They're just not I just, there's a certain Colour I'm looking for and it's not in that.

And I the crayons for complex skin complexion, I think are excellent. We never had those. Yeah, 

[00:43:55] Sophia Jackson: yo, there's a, I did a deep dive into the whole flesh tone and peach and all of that stuff that, you know yeah. I would also suggest doing, using pencil crayons as opposed to crayons and then or combining them and then markers too.

They can help. With getting different different shades and different colours as well. The shades that you need. Yes. And then also keep in mind that I, that there's four colouring books. That in the soulful Colour series, I think I said that already, but I want to emphasize that. I just published two new ones that are bilingual as well.

Soulful Colour presents Zeke and Zara. So we have two new characters and then also Soulful Colour presents Empower Flow. Oh, you have the Zig and Zara there. That's cool. And then Empower Flow. That's right. Because of Love of Literature and Empower Flow is a menstrual awareness colouring book with affirmations that are bilingual.

And I'm connected with a not for profit that's based here in Brampton called Help a Girl Out. And they were the inspiration behind that book. Menstrual awareness colouring book, because there's still stigma. There's mis education. There's so many things that we don't really talk about or that needs to be highlighted in the women's health space.

And so we're doing that with empower flow. So I want to spread the mention that as well. Go to soulfulcolour.com! 

[00:45:26] Ellington Brown: Oh, yeah, thank you. Thank you very much. And, uh, let's try to talk again really soon and you have a wonderful afternoon. 

[00:45:37] Sophia Jackson: Thank you very much. 

[00:45:38] Rita Burke: Thank you. Thank you so much. It was certainly a delight to have you on with us.

[00:45:44] Sophia Jackson: It was a pleasure for me to be here. Thank you. Thank you for the great questions! 

[00:45:47] Ellington Brown: Thank you for listening to SpeakUP! International. If you wish to contact Ms. Sophia Jackson, please be prepared to submit your name, your email address, and the reason why you wish to contact Ms. Jackson at soulfulcolor.com. 

Ms. Sophia Jackson has other social media platforms you can use to connect to her listed in the description section on Spotify and other social media platforms. 

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