By Maya Quinn

This week’s Black Belt Folk Roots Festival interview features a heartfelt discussion with Mya Steele, an artist indigenous to Greene County. She returns to the festival each year to spearhead free creative activities and giveaways for the Kid’s Tent.

Born and raised in Eutaw, Mya Steele spent many days in her parents’ salon. “My family roots run deep here. My dad (Marcus Steele) was also raised in Greene County. He grew up in Branch Heights,” Steele explained. 

After graduating from Greene County High School in 2014, Steele began to pursue her own artistic career. “I have always had a love for all things creative. Born to a barber and a hairstylist, I spent much of my time watching my parents sculpting and cutting hair into cool designs and styles, especially in the 90’s and early 2000s,” Steele detailed. “My parents both recognized my love for drawing and supported and encouraged me to pursue it from an early age.” 

Mya Steele currently works in the Cultural Arts & Special Events division of Prattville Parks & Recreation. The role allows her to use her creative passion to serve her community by coordinating art exhibits, classes, camps, and designing promotional material for city events. Alongside these responsibilities, she has also found time to work on her own projects. She currently has a three-part series for children and kids at heart called Picture That. “The original book is a wonderful story that anyone with a gift or passion can relate to and learn from, but is specifically designed to encourage young creatives while reminding them that anything worth doing requires work. There is also a “How to Draw Faces” book to help budding artists find their own creative drawing style. And, lastly, a coloring/sketch book. My goal is to help uplift the generation that follows me.”

Creating a brand and working full time is no easy feat, yet Steele finds balance in life by nurturing her spirituality. “Working full time as a creative always presents unique challenges,” Steele expressed. “Ultimately, I trust that God placed me in the role for this season for a reason…I try to remind myself daily of 2 Timothy 1:7; it helps that it’s tattooed on my ankle. The verse goes, “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.” It’s a reminder to trust God’s plans and not let my own anxiety get in my way.”

When asked why she returns each year, Steele responded that it is simply tradition. “The festival has always been a great networking opportunity. It’s a place where local and non-local artists are all in one place. I am always able to make connections while working the event.” This year, she hopes to see “the perfect blend” of Black Belt Folk Roots Festival traditions with new experiences. “I’m excited to see a new generation embraced and integrated with the wonderful legacy that has been created.”

Before concluding, Steele  readers that there are no coincidences. “If the Lord granted you a gift, He means for you to use it. It may take some trust and prayer to figure exactly what that looks like from season to season, but that’s how faith works…God gives us gifts, This Is Myne. ”

Mya Steele will be present for the county’s Read Greene Read event on Sunday, August 9th at the Eutaw Activity Center at 2:00p.m. You can learn more about her multimedia art company, This Is Myne, and purchase her books by visiting: thisismyne.com

For information on this year’s festival, visit: Black Best Folks Root Festival on Facebook

Featured image and images were sent by Mya Steele for use in this publication.