I have a confession to make. Since my move to Spain, I have started to acquire a collection of, wait for it, dolls. Barbie dolls, American Girl Dolls, and “dolls from foreign lands.” Most recently, I have become obsessed with finding Black dolls with a literary connection. As a former child who loved playing with dolls, I don’t think it’s a strange leap to be a grown woman who loves to play with and collect dolls. But I’m not collecting these dolls to fill a display case in my living room. I’m collecting Black dolls as totems of inspiration to sustain and inspire me through my writing life.
Reconsidering My Barbie Ban
In 2018, I actually wrote a blog post explaining how I went from being staunchly anti-Barbie to a Barbie stan when Mattel introduced their fabulous multicultural collection of Barbie Role Models. They were taking present day “heroes” – like Ibtihaj Muhammad and Chloe Kim – and turning them into Barbies. I thought the intentionality with which they attacked the issue of representation was spot on, and they continue to produce amazing dolls in this series.
To be clear, the Barbie Role models collection gave me a reason to applaud the Barbie brand, but it wasn’t until Mattel introduced their Inspiring Women line that I lost all sense of restraint and started buying Barbies for myself. As soon as they became available, I purchased the Maya Angelou Barbie and the Ida B. Wells Barbie because they both mean so much to me as a writer. Maya Angelou is the author who inspired me to be a memoirist, and Ida B. Wells is the woman who continuously reminds me of the power of the pen to fight injustice.
The sad end to that story is that I ordered the dolls and had them shipped to my parents house in Florida, thinking it would be easier than trying to have them shipped directly to Spain. (Wrong!) My parents received the dolls in a timely fashion then sent the dolls to me in Spain. Sadly that box is somewhere between the US and Spain and hasn’t been seen for months. My guess is that I’ll never see it. *sob* But, I am not one to quit when I really want something. I ordered another Maya Angelou doll from Amazon to be delivered directly to my door in Spain. The Ida B. Wells doll, unfortunately was no longer available. *sob again.*
Maya and Me
So what do I do with my Maya Angelou Barbie? I don’t “play” with her in the traditional sense, but I do talk to her and she inspires me with her presence in my office. (Note to the folks at Mattel, it would be great if the Maya Angelou Barbie could recite some of her poetry.) Sometimes when the words don’t flow, I look at Maya and I swear she nods her head at me and tells me to keep going.
I can literally hear Maya Angelou’s gravelly voice encouraging me to follow my dreams. To keep writing. To try something new. To be bold. She just always knows what to say.
I considered keeping my Maya Barbie in the box she came in, just in case I ever wanted to sell her as I’m sure she’ll be a collector’s item some day, but I quickly dismissed the thought. First of all, Maya needed to breathe outside her box. Second of all, I wanted to touch her beautiful clothes and the miniature copy of I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings that she holds proudly in her hands.
This doll is not a collector’s item. She is the embodiment of my literary dreams, a statue of my hopes and desires, a visual reminder of what’s possible.
Claudie the American Girl Doll
This is not a sponsored post and Mattel is not paying me to write anything, but they did recently send me their newest American Girl doll, Claudie. Claudie is an African-American girl who grew up during the Harlem Renaissance. The doll comes with her own Claudie book that was penned by the brilliant Brit Bennett of Vanishing Half fame. I wasn’t exactly sure why Mattel pegged me as a doll lover when they sent me the Claudie doll, but then I read her novel and discovered that Claudie, although young, is a budding writer. Now, as I mentioned above, I always loved playing with dolls as a child, and you all know I’ve been a reader since jump, so a doll with a story is my sweet spot. Add to the mix that the doll’s character is an aspiring author, of course I’m going to love everything about sweet little Claudie.
Claudie now resides on the couch in my office and she brings the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance to my writing space.
Creating a Writing Space that Inspires and Delights
Because I moved to Spain to pursue my dreams of being a creative writer, setting up a writing space that inspires and delights me was critical. In my office you will find the regular accoutrements of a writer, a desk, a computer, bookshelves. But you’ll also find my writing altar and now my collection of Black dolls as well. My dolls inspire me. They make me smile. They remind me of my own potential, and quite frankly, they’re a lovely distraction when I want to procrastinate and play. And creative play is necessary for a successful writing life. Does every writer need to buy a doll for their writing space? No. But I would encourage every writer to give themselves the freedom to play and to buy toys that spark their creativity, makes them smile and engage with their imagination. That’s what my dolls do for me, and I’m so happy that I’ve added them to my writing world.
Do you play with dolls? I’d love to hear all about it? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.
