"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel"-Maya Angelou |
About Her
Poet, dancer, author and editor, Carla hails from Chicago, Illinois where she was born and raised. She was born March 16, 1993 to her parents Donna Lowe and Carl Hayes. To this day, they inform Carla that even while her mother carried her in the womb, she was always told that her child would special. Even as a child, she had quite a quirky personality and was not deemed your ordinary toddler. Growing up, her grandmother Ayana Karanja instilled within her a love for books. Her grandmother continuously stressed the importance of reading and education which taught Carla to have an appreciation for it as well. At the tender age of six, Carla developed a love for dance, specifically for ballet. From then on she began to take classes and undergo training that would help her blossom into the dancer she is today. She has danced and been a choreographer in shows and plays, most of them hosted by African Student Council, one of UIC’s most renown student organizations on the campus. Dance is one of Carla’s many passions, but none compares to the passion that she has for writing. Carla began writing at the age of 12 and has been writing since then. She began to take her craft seriously when she attended high school and entered both a poetry slam and talent show. She took the winning title for both competitions, which she says she did not expect to do. From there on, many began to ask her to perform at different venues, events and even schools and churches.
Carla attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she studied biology, but then became undecided when she had the desire to teach English. College life did not stop her from indulging in her craft. She attended her first open mic (Mojos Pen), and fell in love with the amazing art and atmosphere that accompanied it. It was at that open mic where she came across a group of amazing artists called WE the Collective, founded by Frankiem Mitchell. She didn’t feel she was as great of a writer as the others were, but she still took the chance to audition and she made it. After joining the group, she was exposed to many other opportunities to perform and also attended different open mics in the city of Chicago. WE has featured in many different shows and has even had some of their own. Unfortunately, the group had decided to go their own separate ways. However since then Carla has embarked on her own journey as a writer and has accomplished much along the way. She has had her own feature, her first one being at Mojo’s Pen, and has featured at other open mics as well. She has recently published and released her first book of poetry “The Flowers In Her Mind” which deals with her personal issues and struggles throughout life and how she has managed to overcome them. She has also edited works for other authors as well, her first editorial work being “Mrs. Jones”, written by Tarrell Drayton. She has also founded and began her first book club called “Book Club for Black Girls”, creating a safe space for women of color to engage their minds and also creating a healing space for them as well through actively engaging in literature. Carla now attends Roosevelt University where she is studying psychology. She hopes to one day be a child psychologist and work with children who have suffered through traumatic experiences. As one who has been through traumatic experiences herself, it is her hope that she can make an impact on others throughout the world, not just through her art but through her life. |