On Sunday, February 22, I had the chance to attend the Third Annual Eat & Greet event, hosted by popular content creator LaDarrius “LHUT” Hutcherson.
The event was a celebration of LHUT’s debut book, Bloom Where You’re Planted, which tells his story and how he is building the life of his dreams, growing his influence, and making an impact all in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. (Learn more about LHUT’s book in my latest article for The Birmingham Times.)
But LHUT told me that he wanted this year’s Eat & Greet event to inspire attendees to bloom where they’ve been planted, too.
So, while the event served up delicious food and drinks, LHUT wanted attendees to fill up on nuggets of wisdom too. And so much of what was shared by LHUT and other guest speakers were words I felt writers especially need to hear.
“No matter what season you’re in…”
During his one-on-one Q&A with host Dee Reed, LHUT boldly stated, “I was born a star,” and lately stressed the importance of leaning on faith and having passion for your work to get you through challenging times.
“You can be whatever you want to be, no matter what season you’re in,” LHUT said.
Judge Ruby Clark, who served as the keynote speaker for the event, echoed these remarks, stating that “You can bloom where you’re planted regardless of the season your soil is in.”
This made me think of writers waiting for the perfect season to finally write that book or start that newsletter or blog. There will never be a perfect time. You can make any season your season.
“Your gifts will make room for you.”
The panelists at this year’s Eat & Greet event included five popular content creators: Leora “Queen Leora” Byrd, Brittany Lynn, comedians Detroit Reid and Floss the Mack, and Tiffany Nicole White.
“Your gifts will make room for you,” Tiffany told the audience. She, Brittany Lynn and Leora stressed that if you are authentic and trust in the gifts you’ve been given, you can bloom wherever you go.
Comedians Detroit Reid and Floss the Mack got serious for a bit. Reid shared that he believes in the power of positive self-talk (so keep writing and reciting those affirmations!) and emphasized the importance of not losing sight of who you are on the road to success. Meanwhile, Floss the Mack confessed that procrastination has held him back in the past, and urged us all to get to work.
Leora also highlighted the importance of mindset. “Be delusional!” she said. Dream big. It’s okay if you want to do something you’ve never seen done before. “We don’t need a blueprint,” she said. You can become the blueprint.