Go Where You’re Valued with Digital Draya

On this episode of the Liberation is Lit podcast, we have an in-depth conversation with Andraya 'Digital Draya' Lashay, founder of Uncut Gems Agency and the Art Pharm Project. Draya shares her inspiring journey from a background in journalism and PR to creating impactful community projects that blend art and agriculture. Discover how Draya's work fosters social and emotional well-being, motivates others through storytelling, and builds community-driven initiatives. Don't miss her insights on staying grounded, the power of collaboration, and advice for making a difference in your community.

00:00 Welcome to the Liberation is Lit Podcast

00:33 Meet Draya: Background and Inspirations

01:10 The Birth of Uncut Gems and Art Pharm Project

04:10 Staying Grounded and Motivated

05:50 Advice for Community Impact

07:35 Supporting Local Brands and Collaborations

09:55 Thrift Therapy Columbia: A Creative Social Space

11:18 Wine About It Anthology Series

16:13 Conclusion and Where to Find Us

Organizations Mentioned in This Episode

Thrift Therapy

The Library Record Shop

The Purple Mushroom

Soto Vino

Books Mentioned in This Episode

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Where to Find Draya

https://www.instagram.com/digitaldraya/

https://www.instagram.com/artpharmproject/

https://www.instagram.com/uncutgemsagency_/

Thank you for being part of the Liberation is Lit podcast! If you have stories to share, want to suggest topics, or just want to connect, find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @liberationislit or visit our website at liberationislit.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a review! Remember, your voice matters, and together, through the lens of stories, we're making a difference in the world.

Transcript

0:05

Welcome to the liberation is lit podcast where the power storytelling meets the force of social change. I'm your host, Taylor Simon. I'm so excited to do our first in person podcast recording with my good sis, Draya, digital Draya here in the streets. And, we're going to talk about kind of how we work together, but also a lot of the cool things that Draya is doing in the community. So welcome Draya. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, where you're from, and your work with Uncut Gems Agencies and the Art Pharm Project? Yes. So my name is AnDraya, Digital Draya Lashay, I'm from Columbia, South Carolina, graduated from Richview High School, shout out to the Blazers, and my background is in journalism and PR. I graduated from 2016 with a bachelor's in journalism, and I worked at Watchbox 57 for a while. So all of my background is in storytelling, digital content production, social media management, all things digital when it comes to storytelling. Awesome. And how did you kind of get started with, or what inspired you to start Uncut Gems? And what inspired you to, incubate in your brain the art farm projects. Oh my gosh. So it was a journey. Just a journey of listening to different stories. I'm very inspired by artists. I know that I'm an artist because I'm a storyteller, but there are people who can do things with their hands and their voice and they can build things and draw things and that just really excites me. And I really love the thought process behind that. And I just love like, Hearing the stories behind what inspires their journeys, and so I noticed like there were so many, you know There's artists that we may know but then there's so many artists where because they work in this field You might not know like oh, well, they're a farmer, but they can really paint very well Or they are a singer and they can also write very well. You know, it's just whatever whatever different art styles There were, they just really inspired me and I just wanted to find creative ways to connect like a lot of these artists together So that we could do really cool things and so with Uncut Gems, I literally, , was watching a movie with a friend called Uncut Gems and we're just talking about like greed and Just how like society and people in society just kind of want to take everything and nobody really wants to share. Nobody really wants to collaborate. And so as I was coming up with trying to figure out who am I and what do I love? It was after watching uncut gems and then I was like, well, he was like, You should call your business Uncut Gems and just tell the stories of those uncut gems that are across South Carolina. And so it's not that the gems to me are hidden because we're here. Yeah, it's just you know, you might not have known because we're not necessarily polished. That's really what it is. So that's kind of the background of where that came from. And then me working, at SC State in the agriculture department. Like I said, I was meeting farmers. And so that's when I realized like these farmers have I have a lot of artistic talents as well and I figured like what if I could blend those two worlds together, the world of art, the world of agriculture, but make it more of a a healing thing with social well being and emotional well being because those are the two things that you know, We hear mental health all the time but To heal like those that deal with anxiety and things of that nature. They need that social well being They need that emotional well being so with the art Pharm project I wanted to blend art and agriculture to creatively improve the social and emotional well being Of the artist as well as those that are in the agri arts community as well. So that's the big thing Background of how I got here. Oh, that's awesome. And it's funny as long as I've known you I didn't know the deeper backstory. It was just how we work together. So Like that's really inspiring to hear kind of from the very inception Of the idea like where it came from. So that's super exciting and so I know this is a lot on you. And so it's, You see me. Yeah, yeah, you out here, you out here. So I, I always like to ask people what keeps you grounded in this work? What keeps you motivated and like, what keeps you, what, Helps you through those tough times when things get overwhelming I think it is the community that I feel like I know the people that are closest to me I know their stories. I know that they're really trying very hard. They're hustling. They're We're walking into the unknown and walking by faith. And so that's their spirituality and their commitment. I'm like you doing it. I got you like, I don't, you're, you're inspiring me to keep going. And it just inspires me to like, just want to keep going and to stay grounded and stay humble by literally just allowing other people to walk into their power. It helps me to walk into my power because I'm not getting in front of anybody. I'm literally beside you as we figure out what we're doing together. So. I, that reminds me a lot. I'm listening to, or no, I'm actually reading this book, The Artist's Way. It's a book came out in 1992, and it's all about creativity and spirituality. And I, I don't know, I had made this post on threads like months ago and I was just like, God is creativity. And literally he, we call him the creator, He created us, he created the world, and, I just think about, like, Octavia Butler says in the parable of the sower, God is change, and, like, that is, change to me is creativity and what you can turn, what I like to say often, alchemizing your pain into creativity, and that's the change, that's the creativity, and it's all spiritual to me. So, I really love, How that and just walking by faith and like Drawing on the power of other people's faith in their work Just really keeps you going and So I always ask too What advice do you have to listeners? For people who want to make a difference in their community This is what I told myself What pisses you off? Yeah, it'll piss you off Go figure out a way to fix the issue. That is what like, that is what it is. So if it's something that you just keep talking about or like, you know, we scroll on our phones all the time And so what are you like constantly scrolling on your phone? Just just talking Just talking shit about like like i'm tired of you doing it I'm tired of seeing that once once you keep once you figure out what that is Then it's literally a matter of okay. Well, what could I do about it? Am I going to say something am I going to draw something? Am I going to be the connector to get this fixed? How could I How could I be a value to solve this issue that pisses me off? Right. And that's pretty much where I'm at with it. Whereas for me, I was just like, I'm tired. My personal story was just. The socialization with people like constantly having that story of oh this person did me dirty this person like that was my issue Mm hmm. And so I was like, well, I'm tired of talking about being tired of talking about. Yeah people not treating me Well, and so my journey that's why people have inspired me is because I'm out here finding people who are Who are in, walking in their power, and I'm no longer pissed because I'm creating with those who are at peace with what it is that they're doing. So that's what I would say. Yeah, I really, again, love that you say that, People walking in their power gives you permission or inspires you to walk in your own. I see you uplifting and repping some brands here today. So tell us a little bit about what are you wearing? The library record shop. No, shout out to Elijah Christian. Elijah was one of those people, who I met along the journey, definitely created a safe space for me to be myself. and he loves music. Music. I bought several records from him. And my record player broke. So Elijah, I'm gonna hit you up. I got to get another one. But, that was another person who I watched walk into their power and he just wants to do his one part into the, you know, for the community. And so I appreciate that. So I always represent him and we have done a few projects together. He's doing quiet hours at the library, which is like a tiny desk style,, event. Free community event and we've partnered together with the art farm project where i've had a local farmer come out we did like gardening kits. for the attendees and we have some other hands on things that we plan to do in the future but yeah shout out to him and what he's doing for the creative scenes here in the performance art side of columbia, south carolina, and then we also have miss tatrina The tea is hot, but it's not tea, it's mushroom coffee. It's mushroom coffee. Yeah. Shout out to the purple mushroom. Another one, shout out to you because you introduced me to, well, you connected me with to Tatrina, in such a beautiful spirit. Another person walking into their power, making sure that we're healthy, making sure that we're educated. And in an organic way and in a cool way, because I didn't know mushrooms are that lit. Right, right, and I have been seeing the mushroom coffee ads all over Instagram and I'm just like, I kind of want to try it, but I don't want to buy something gimmicky. And then I found the purple mushroom at Soda City one day and Tatrina is my girl and the mushroom coffee. When I tell you I I drink coffee for the caffeine, but this is so good. It has hints of cocoa in it, so don't let the mushrooms, deter you. This is better than what you can get at Starbucks. Absolutely. She has multiple flavors. There's the chocolate mint flavor. Pumpkin spice, I think. Pumpkin spice, yeah. So, shout out to the purple mushroom. Follow her on social media. Yes, yes. I guess we can spend the rest of our time talking about how we work together. Do you want to talk about this space we're in right now? Let's talk about it. Yeah, so right now we're at 2524 Forest Drive at Thrift Therapy Columbia, which we are turning into a creative social space because we will have everything from thrifted items to, yes. And, This is my new home. I guess this is my official announcement that I will be setting up shop here in Thrift Therapy. And so I'll have my little storefront so you can get your used books, too. But we just have so much ideas and we're so grateful for like the opportunity to have this space because like Dre and I over in Lab and even Jess who also is part of the store, we have lots of ideas on how to bring the community here and have this as a space of really coming together through, supporting one another, whether that's through the arts or, what y'all are doing with the families who were affected by the fires at the, oh shoot, Spring Lake, Spring Lake, I was about to say East Lake, but that's my neighborhood, Spring Lake Apartments and. Just finding creative ways of how we can give back to the community in whatever lane, but also supporting others who are doing what they can in their own lane. So I'm really excited about this. Yes, yes. And then we're also working on another project together, which y'all have may, may have seen, the wine about it, anthology series. So, I remember meeting Draya and Draya was like, I want to do this anthology series and I need a literary person to help me do it. And I'm like, black women healing, anthology, publishing, like, Okay, you, you found the right person. Like, yeah, this is something I'm really passionate about. So I'm so excited to be a part of this project. We are currently looking for submissions. We have a deadline to submit, February 15th. We just extended the deadline. And we are looking for people who write creative non fiction, short stories or poetry, and specifically Black women writers who want to write about their journey around healing, self acceptance, resiliency just how you thrive as a black woman in South Carolina, despite all of the systems being against us. So we are excited about that project. So I want to hear from you a little bit about why that project came into your brain. Yes. So, I went to Texas, with a friend and we. literally just brought some vinyl records over and His friend had another friend who owns a wine company out in Texas, Austin, Texas. It's called Soto Vino Wine. Shout out to them And so we were just literally just networking and talking and coming up with creative ways to try to connect various communities And we came up with this wine and vinyl concept and we'll talk more about that later and somebody just said like Whine about it and it just stuck with we never did anything with that But it just stuck with me and as I was saying before as I was coming up As I was finding out what was making me angry, with like people I was like, I don't know people just act like i'm whining, but i'm really like i'm, really passionate about trying to you know, put these things together and then I didn't just click as i'm sitting there like What if like I told my story With wine, you know, and I could freely whine about whatever it is that has gotten me here There because I have a lot of stories of resilience I have a lot of stories of just conquering a lot of stuff because I've been on a This journey completely by myself. So as I came up with that, it stuck and I was like, I don't know what this looks like. I have no idea, but I'm gonna write a book. And I'm gonna whine about, you know, how I got here and all the things that I had to figure out. And then as I was, you know, thinking about it, I was like, well, this is a way to build community because I know I'm not the only one who has these stories. And yeah, I have a background of storytelling, but what about those people who, like I said, they're farmers. So they might not be a published author or might not want to necessarily publish a book. So then I was like, this is another way to build community by turning it into a series and let various communities across the state of South Carolina tell their stories so that we can understand each other. Cause some, cause we're very diverse. And it's just so much here. And I was like, well, I'm gonna start it with a black woman because I'm a black woman. And, Connecting with another black woman. I was like, well, we gonna get some shit done. So, that's pretty much how it came about I needed a safe space to whine about how I got to this point in my journey and I wanted to do that in a creative way and I figured With wine as I was learning about wine. I said, well, this is an opportunity to partner with a wine educator, which is where Lit between the wines came into place mm-hmm . To pair each section that we're talking about with a wine that matches the mood. And then we can be educated on which wine can help us, what the health benefits are, from the wines. And again, just tell the stories of various communities that might not normally connect mm-hmm . And blend that art in the agriculture in order to do that. So. That's the Wine About It anthology series. Yes, and we are so excited. We are still taking submissions, as I said, until February 15. And we are hoping to have a final product to people by spring. And, for the publishing piece, we have been fortunate enough to get a grant. From the South Carolina Arts Commission, but we still need your support to help us make this into a reality. We want to pay all of the contributors. So the contributors will get a 100, check payment. Stipe, not stipend, they'll get paid. Exactly. And, , we're hoping to, support people who do the cover design, editing, by ISBN numbers. So we have a GoFundMe, I will link it into the show notes so you can support. I will also link the, a place where you can submit your work, until February 15th and, I'll have all the requirements that we're looking for as well. And so I think that is what we got for one about it. I'm so excited again for that. Well, that is all I have for today. Thank you so much for. Sitting down with me and again, like I'm so grateful. I get to hear the backstory about everything because we get in the way. We, we are working and it's often like work. And I'm just so I'm also inspired by your story. So. To wrap us up, where can people find you and your work and keep up with everything? Yeah, so you can find me online. I'm Digital Draya on everything. D R A Y A. That's how you spell Draya. And for Uncut Gems Agency, I'm uncutgemsagency underscore on social media. And then anything with art and agriculture, follow the Art Farm Project. And farm is spelled P H A R M. So that's, Art Farm Project, Uncut Gems Agency, and Digital Draya. Yeah, and again, I'll link her socials into the show notes as well so you can follow her there. Well, thank you and thank y'all for listening. If you have any stories that you want to share, feel free to connect with us on Instagram. I guess not TikTok for much longer. Facebook and threads at liberation is lit and remember through the power stories We are gonna change the world until next time And remember to go where your value period yes, that's it period