Our Why

Jessica Reed (Jess) founded Craft Your Courage, LLC to honor brave expression. Writing, her instrument of passion, became a hobby in elementary school. Jess would eagerly type unfinished fiction on her Windows 97 computer. As she grew older, she fell in love with hip-hop’s storytelling, Harlem Renaissance poetry, and time travel fiction. Works of these genres pressed her to pen her own fears and curiosities. Whether for a class, an extracurricular, or personal release, Jess savored connecting narratives with meaning.

Jess’ editing and proofreading skills blossomed at Renaissance High School in Detroit. As Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, she meticulously polished the mechanics and flow of peers’ articles. Lorena Craighead and Erin Perry, exceptional writers and educators, mentored her and remain inspirations!

Proudly reppin’ the D, Jess later graduated from Stanford University with a major in African & African American Studies and a minor in Creative Writing. One of her proudest moments was performing a poem for Fruitvale Station and Black Panther film director, Ryan Coogler. Despite numerous performances and published blog posts, Jess has NEVER been unafraid to share her writing. Yet, she refuses to let fear hide her voice.

Recently, Jess ended six full years of mentoring and educating youth in the inspiring program, Racquet Up Detroit. In September 2021, she will begin a doctoral program in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education at Michigan State University. Since 2016, she has also offered soulful reflections on faith, healing, and young adulthood on her blog, Roots & Hope. In 2019, Jess launched “Sit Down & Write: Saturdays in Detroit.” During this weekly meetup, writers of all backgrounds gathered at Detroit Sip to create and build community.

With Craft Your Courage, Jess has one mission: to help amplify and empower authentic voices. Writers are invited to seek support with projects of all kinds, including, but not limited to: resumes, cover letters, online media content, essays, short stories, and self-published books!

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