Women’s empowerment can be defined in several ways, including promoting women’s sense of worth, raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training, supporting other women, and not judging one another. When I think of women’s empowerment, one person that comes to mind is Cierra Lynn. I discovered Cierra through Kierra Sheard-Kelly’s IG page.
Kierra sported a beautiful long camo jacket w/ some amazingly bold and colorful artwork that had statements like “Confidence,” “Know My Worth,” and “I Am” hand-painted on it. The painting was amazing!! It stood out to me because, for many years, I struggled with these things. I lacked self-confidence and didn’t know my true self-worth, so when I saw this beautiful artwork, I was screaming, “YES! That’s me now!!” I just had to know who the artist was and found out it was Cierra Lynn, The Empowerment Artist. I immediately went to her IG page & was wowed by her gift and talent to empower women and boost self-esteem in this manner.
Cierra Lynn discovered her talent for art in elementary school, and it grew from there. She began to use her talent by hand-painting clothing and accessories for her friends, sororities, fraternities and participated in fashion shows on and off-campus. She received her BA in Fine Arts from Norfolk State University and began teaching early childhood education, but she was laid off after four years of teaching. For months, she searched for jobs but found she had to come up with a different plan to provide for her and her daughter. She decided to turn her gift, talent, and passion into a profitable business. Cierra Lynn is known as an influencer in the art and fashion industry. Cierra Lynn is doing her part to spread love through bold and colorful affirmations that uplift and inspire from hand-painted t-shirts, hats, and handbags to wallets, custom designs, body art, and so much more. She has been seen on Fox, ABC, and more. To learn more about Cierra Lynn and the amazing work she does, check out her website: cierralynncollection.com and on Instagram (@theartistcierralynn).
-Janet Downs
Janet Downs is an instructor with over 20 years of experience, having worked with Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. She volunteers and is a resource for the homeless community and is working towards starting her own non-profit. She’s passionate about mental health and seeks to bring more awareness to the black community. She is active in church ministry, a writer, and loves music, hiking, and travel.
