The Power of Storytelling: Diann Floyd Boehm on Imagination, Kindness, and Inspiring Young Minds

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What's up, my good people? Welcome to CJ Moneyway Show, powered by CJ Moneyway Entertainment and the Believe Network, where purpose is the blueprint and legacy is the mission. Today's conversation is about something incredibly powerful but often underestimated: stories. My guest today is Diane Floyd, an award-winning children's author, storyteller, and educator whose books inspire young readers to embrace imagination, kindness, curiosity, and confidence. Before becoming a full-time author, Diane lived a wonderfully creative life working as a schoolroom teacher I don't know if I would want to do that. Actress, singer, storyteller, and parent. Those experiences now fuel the characters and worlds she creates for children. And welcome to the show today, a girl Diane from Austin, Texas. Hey, how you doing today, Diane?

Thank you, and that was a lovely warm introduction.

Nah, man, you a lady of many hats. That's jumping through it. That's jumping to it. Hey, so let me ask you a question. Children's books often carry powerful life lessons. What message do you hope children carry with them long after reading your stories?

Each book has a message in it, and overall, when they think of books by me, I want them to walk away and want to come back and go, "That book made me feel good inside. I like myself," or "I know I can do it." Or I'm just going to really embrace imagination and be kind to others and figure out and look at the sky and the clouds and love myself. So let me ask you.

Let me ask you, storytelling and being creative, singing and doing things of that nature, when did you first come into that writing stories was something that was a part of you?

Excellent question, because I never dreamed I'd be an author. I've been singing since 4th grade on stage, you know, like in talent shows. I'm not a great singer, but I love making people smile and be happy and everything. But one day I was working in the garden and I had quit singing because I have 3 kiddos. They're all grown now. But 2 of my daughters love to sing and they kept comparing themselves to me. And I didn't like that. I wanted them to discover themselves and surpass me. And so I quit singing so they could, you know, not do comparison. So I was out in the garden one day pulling weeds or planting flowers or whatever. And a little voice said, "You need to take the stories you made up in the classroom and put them to print." And I thought about it. And the next thing I knew, after I got all the mud and dirt off me, which is one of my favorite things, to be covered in mud and digging in dirt, is to— I went in, I wrote my first story, and it was about angels. And then I kept writing stories after that, and it took a long, long time to get published.

Yeah, it took me 16 years to publish my book. But one thing you said I found interesting that speaks a lot about your character and integrity to me is that you said that you removed yourself out of the frame so that your daughters can grow into their own. You know what I'm saying? So sometimes I have to remove myself because I realize or imagine that maybe I'm the stumbling block and they compare themselves to me. And so I'll just remove myself out of the equation, let them be as they admire me. I don't really know how true that is. So that they can be all you can be. But I'm gonna leave that one for another day. The answer is Diane. In today's world— yeah, I know that's funny, things going on. Hey, in today's world of screens and fast entertainment, why is imagination still so important for children?

Boy, you ask excellent questions. Imagination allows you to discover who you are, what you can be. It allows you to just release and listen to yourself. So even when I was teaching 8th graders, sometimes I'd make them come outside, take their shoes off, and wiggle in the grass and just look at the clouds and then come back in and write a story about how they felt because they just listened to the inside and they got quiet inside and they discovered that imagination that they might have lost and reunited with. That's important to me.

It is, because imaginations run deep, especially as children, you know what I'm saying? We just thinking of being a magic, because we don't have the responsibilities as we have as adults. So your imagination, they say back in the day, just runs wild. And then sometimes too, we don't even know it, you know, having a beautiful imagination or creative imagination. But again, as you said earlier, I never thought that I would be a book writer.

Me either.

I didn't never like school. I hated school. I hated people. You know what I'm saying? So I never would think that I would have a published book and right now sitting on, you know, in the sense of writing more books, you know. So who knows, you know, but it's the imagination and the things that you had when you were younger that come to fulfill your life and your purposes when you get older if you stick the course. So Diane, I'm encouraging you as well. Continue sticking the course and writing these wonderful children's books. I would also like to introduce you to somebody when I get off of here. He writes children's books as well. I think you guys would have a wonderful conversation about, you know, saying children's book, the process, because you have something in common. He's a very nice guy from the service. He was in the service. I can't pronounce his name because it's an African name, you know, Olubi or something like that, but I call him Major Pain. We had a good time. I would like to send you guys each other information and maybe connect and just talk about children's stories, the way that you develop them and the ideas that come behind them. And who knows, maybe you guys can have a joint project together. We never know, like guys.

I would love that. Absolutely.

Oh, no problem. So let me ask you, I thought about that yesterday when I was going over the bio. I said, you know what, huh, oh my goodness, a good connection, you know what I'm saying, or whatever. So I just wanted to run it past you first before I did that. So let me ask you this, Diane. What do children understand about kindness and empathy that adults sometimes forget?

Children, they're blind. They love everybody. And as adults, sometimes we forget to do that. We can look at someone, we haven't even met them, but maybe based on their clothes or their hair or their beard, whatever is going on, they start making assumptions about somebody. And most likely the wrong assumption. And kids aren't like that. They look at each other and think, oh, a new playmate. Hey, what's your name? You want to go hit the ball together? I got a baseball. Play catch.

Try to pass them a pencil in class or a crayon or things like that. And like you say, as adults, we get to a certain level, maybe we start thinking of ourselves too highly than we ought to, or being judgmental, but I know that it says this, and this is one thing that stopped me from doing that, Diane, is that it says that don't judge or you'll be judged by the same measures that you judging somebody else for. You know what I'm saying? And as we're talking about books and storytelling and this and that, we're old enough to go back to this slogan too, Diane. It's, "Never judge a book by its cover." You know what I'm saying? Because you don't know what's on the inside.

That's right.

And so, uh, let me ask you this. If every child could hear one message from your story, what would it be?

To love yourself. Because if you love yourself, you can accomplish a lot. And I think that's the heart of everything.

Short and sweet. She say love yourself and you can accomplish anything. Because love is God and God is love and God loves us and And so if you love yourself, you can go out there and tackle the world. And so let me ask you this, Diane, getting into your origin story. Your storytelling comes from a unique mix of experiences, teaching, performing, and parenting, as you said. How did those roles shape your writing style?

My writing style. Goodness. So I think about ideas, right? I'm not one of those people that write every single day. Oh, it's this time now. I'm going to sit down and write. I let an idea bubble in my head, and then after a while, from walking or hearing a sermon or, you know, whatever it is that inspires me, something will click, and then I'll know how to write the story, and then I'll come in and I'll just write it. The experiences come to me. And help me. For example, one day my youngest daughter, she was living with us from after being overseas, and she goes, "Mama, come here." And she goes, "I kept watching this little bird and it keeps going flying into this little flower pot that you have that's empty." And the flower pot wasn't that big, but it was hanging on a post. And so she discovered there were like 3 little eggs in it. So we watched the mama bird come and nest and everything. Anyway, long story short, over time we watched the birds hatch, the mom and daddy take care of them, feed them, all the way till it was time to fly. But there was one bird that was too scared to fly. And we watched and watched it. And that whole thing inspired the book. I can fly.

I like that. I can fly. It was a song about that. I don't think he's in the position right now where he's talking about that he can fly, but R. Kelly made a song. I can fly, I can fly.

I remember that song. I remember that song.

Yes.

You and I are from the same generation.

Hey, so unlike you, I know that I can't sing. I was in school and we used to do the Fa la la la la la la. Didn't really work out for me, or playing instruments. I was not musically gifted and talented, I would say. But I did do a lot of acting. I was in drama school. I could act a fool. Now that's one thing that your boy can do. And so let me ask you this, Diane. Your childhood growing up, as we were talking about backstage, you grew up with 5 brothers. Sounds lively. Sounds like, as you told me earlier about a story, Somebody go get some cleats, somebody ain't gonna get no shoes. So, uh, how did those early experiences influence your creativity?

Oh, a lot. Absolutely a lot. But first, you know, my brothers were very— well, let me back up. So I have 2 older brothers and 3 younger, and each one has a name, like, you know, oldest brother, big brother, baby brother, the babies, right? And each one has a story how they they inspired me in my life. But two older brothers were extremely protective, so dating really wasn't something that was going to really happen for me because they were sports people and they let the guys know in the locker room, you don't look at my sister, I'll blow— I'll bang you to death. You know, sorry, am I allowed to say that? Sorry, but you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, pulverize.

I think I'll beat your butt. Yeah, yeah, you're gonna get your butt beat. Go catch a couple black eyes, you know what I'm saying? Whatever, whatever. We don't play that with our sister. She ain't playing at the kissing and, uh, and all that type of stuff. We ain't having it. I get it.

Yeah, yeah. So for me, I spent a lot of my time in church, and I had no problem. Just like Mama, she ended up like in this one particular grocery store that was further away. And I would say, "Well, Mama, just drop me off at church and I'll talk to God for a little while and then just pick me up afterwards." So I was just kind of a person that liked the quietness within the church. That had a lot to do with me. So it's my brother's church, etc. And, you know, you mentioned about singing. Well, I went to private school till 4th grade. And then we changed over to public school. In the first 4 years, the teachers always said, "You can be or do whatever you want to be." And they never told me I couldn't sing. But obviously, in 5th grade, I didn't make the choir, and I was just shocked. But the teacher was wonderful. She explained that I didn't sing on key, and she let me try out again. It took 3 more tryouts, and then she felt so sorry for me. She said, "I'll make you a deal, Diane." I'll let you be in the choir, but you have to mouth the words. You cannot sing.

You had a little millipede out there, huh? Come on.

Yeah, so I remember it plain as day. It was a PTA meeting and we were singing and there was a song called Hey, Look Me Over and things like that. And I couldn't help it. I saw all these people out there and I was like, they're all smiling. Smiling and I want to make him happy. And so I'm like, 'Fais-le-mien' French. And before I knew it, I was just like really singing, and she's like, I got so— Now that's funny.

They say, 'Hey, you, shut up.' No, no, no, shut up. Be quiet. Like, no, I'm going for mine. Like, I'm just— I just got to go for Oh, that is a funny story. Thank you for sharing that. I know, as you said, I was thinking like, you mean they were singing, you were lip-syncing? Yeah, I was singing. I couldn't take it no more. She said, I took the lead.

Exactly. And she was already— she was all ready to get on to me backstage until the president of the PTA came up to her and goes, who is that lovely girl that just loves I wasn't in trouble anymore.

She said I probably couldn't sing, boy, but my enthusiasm, my energy got recognized because she said I was out there just— oh, that's funny. That, that is funny. So let me ask you this, uh, Diane. Let's get away from this singing. You got me crying over here. Let's talk about the little girls in the moon. Big Ideas. What is— what inspired the story behind that book?

I've been in a lot of schools around the world, and one thing that a lot of kids all have in common, no matter where you're from, is they like to pick on each other. And if a kid looks a little bit different, then they really pick on them. And I just thought, you know what, I need to write a book about kindness and love and do it in a way that kids can react to. So I decided to create the characters called Moonlings that live on the moon. And the first book was all about discovering what a Moonling looks like and the kids saying, "Oh my gosh, she turns out to be so ugly." And I'm like, wait a minute, wait a minute. You were all excited about how much you had in common, but now you've seen her and now you don't want to be her friends. And it didn't matter what age, the kids all felt so guilty. And they walked away knowing, quit looking at the COVID find the inside, find out what you have that is in common and grow and love each other from there. So then when it came into the big idea that you're talking about, I wanted that book to inspire the beautiful message that the world receives from the love of our Lord without ever even having to say, "Okay, you need to be a Christian." No, it's however you express beauty and love with the Creator, it comes out in The Big Idea through the Moonlings.

This episode is brought to you by CJ Moneyway Media. Where podcast ideas become platforms. Through the Moneyway Lab Masterclass, CJ shares real lessons from the lab for creators building their voices brick by brick. From powerful guest conversations, storytelling that inspires growth, CJ Moneyway Media is about one thing: building legacy through stories. Learn more at CJMoneyWay.com. Music style. Music store.

I like that, because what goes in you comes out of you, and if God's in you, that's what's gonna seek out of you. But I can tell where imagination and creative stories come from. Like I say, we're around the same time frame, and I can remember the cartoon. I don't know if it was Tom and Jerry or something, but it was the Ugly Duckling. And he used to always carry, put the bag over his face and somebody would come take the bag off because they felt like they was too ugly, you know what I'm saying, to have their face shown. But you know, you never know though, you know what I'm saying? Because some of the ugly, like Stretch, you know, the lady, I forgot what they was called or whatever, but she was so, her inside though, you know what I'm saying, the things on the inside covered up what she may have been lacking on the outside, but it's the inner beauty that matters most than anything. So that was exciting to hear that you had a book similar to that 'cause that's what they put in the mind of. That's not creative thinking, watching cartoons. See, kids don't watch cartoons like we used to back in the day. Woody Woodpecker, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, you know what I'm saying, Roadrunner and things. Yeah. Or what we said earlier, we really try to— Green Acres. Anyway, let's keep it moving. So let me ask you, Diane, you connect with readers through school visits and education sessions. What have children taught you about storytelling?

What do they like about storytelling?

What have they taught you? What have they taught you about storytelling?

Oh, they're going to be truthful. They're going to let you know if they like your story or not. Or so like there's Harry the Camel. I used to live in the Middle East, so I wrote a story about a camel because I was always around camels. And so I really wanted to get back to Dubai and beauty they gave me living there. Anyway, so in Harry the Camel, Harry wants to be a horse. He's not happy that he's not a horse. So in the end of the story, he discovers he loves himself just the way he is. And so the little kids are like, I liked Harry a lot, but why did you give Harry long eyelashes? He has a boy's name. 'But he has long eyelashes.' And so I said, 'Well, camels actually have long eyelashes because that's what they use to keep the sand out of their eyes.' And they're like, 'Oh, okay.' You know, so they, they really just tell it like it is. And what I really like is a couple of schools I'll go to where the kiddos really know me and I'll test out a story and I go, 'So how do you think this story's going? Am I on track? What should I do differently?' Or is it— and they're like, 'Oh, no, 'You're way off base. You need to— why are you using that character?

This needs to happen.' I'm like, 'Thank you, that's just what I needed to know.' Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can learn from the mouth of babes, you know what I'm saying, one way or another. And, uh, I'm glad that you're not there in Dubai right now because of the things that transpired. Actually, I had a cousin who was playing ball over there in Dubai, and one of our senators Actually, the mayor from Gary reached out to the state senator and see what they can do to bring some of the people home from Dubai last week, I believe it was. And so they was able to get them up out of there. Thank God that they was able to get out. Thank God you're not there right now because it's not looking good over there in the Middle East as we speak today. Many friends there that I keep in my prayers, so Yeah, keep them in your prayers. Keep them— a matter of fact, today is St. Patrick's Day. So as we speak on this day of St. Patrick's Day, uh, you know, I can't— you know what, I can't wear green. I can't. My wife just said something yesterday. She said, I'm gonna buy you some green and white gym shoes. We were watching the Boston Celtics game, and as I told you earlier, I'm a big Los Angeles Lakers fan since 1980. So I hate Boston. I hate everything about Boston, and I don't like green at all. I have nothing in my wardrobe that is green. I just can't do it. I have principles and I have standards, Diane, and that I can't do. So many of your books focus on things like imagination, kindness, and self-belief. Why are those values important in children's literature today?

Again, an excellent question. It's important in their literature because they need to be exposed to that. Sometimes the kids are rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, and oh, you have to be really good at this. And so they're like, okay, I'm going to beat Johnny at hitting that ball better, you know? And so the competition kind of gets to them, and I want them to step back and go, life isn't about a competition, right? That's one thing. The other is when you can have peace inside you, it's easier to give peace back to others. And I think that if we can teach children to always pray for peace and happiness, that when they grow— can grow into understanding that more and more, and as adults, hopefully they too will want to do some humanitarian work close to home, far away, it doesn't matter, but little things that can turn around and make a positive message and imprint into someone's life, and their peace will grow, and maybe spark of kindness will keep growing in the world.

I like that. I like the way that you frame it. Then tie that in back to what you said earlier. You was a young girl, your mother worked far away at a store, and you said, "Mom, well, just drop me off at church and I spend time with God." And so brought me back and it made me think about what the scriptures say, to train up a child in the way that they should go. And when they get old, they want to depart from it. You just said something, you said, you know, teach the kids how to pray and things of that nature. So training them up just doesn't have to be in the church, you know. I positioned you as someone that was a forerunner in the church, and now being a school teacher, now what does that do? That puts you in the position to train up children in the way that they should go. That, that's just the thought that I had as you were saying that. Well, he said that his ways are not our ways, Thoughts are not our thoughts, you know what I'm saying? So we don't know why he positioned us or put us in places at a certain time. We don't understand it, but he knows more than we do. And so just keep doing what you're doing, just don't be singing when you ain't supposed to, okay? And then everything will be fine.

So, uh, so I also like to teach kiddos that, and even my own kiddos, even though they're all grown now, is that start thinking, like, what is it that makes you happy? What are some of the things you want to do? And when I was a little girl, I always— because of, um, the magazines my daddy and mama would get from Africa about what was going on and helping people and so forth. And so our miter boxes during Lent, and a lot of the money would go over there. And so I had always this need to go to Africa, But I didn't think it was ever going to happen. So the long story is that things that you think that you would like to do and you really want to do, the angels are listening. And everything happens in— it's my humble belief— everything happens in God's time. And so I'm all the way in the Middle East, and what do I get to do for the next 14 years? I get to go to Africa, and I get to go to 3 different countries and do humanitarian work. And they did more for me, actually. And so again, dreams can come true. You just have to be patient. Your mind has to be ready to accept the things that you're going to learn from it too and be open to that. Does that make sense?

Yeah, you got to— it's preparation first. You have to prepare yourself for certain things. You got to get yourself in alignment. I was just talking to Corwin Johnson not too long ago. First, you got to get yourself in alignment. Then it's transformation. And then you're ready to fight your giants. A lot of times we think that we fighting our giants, we could not be fighting our giants. We haven't even got to step 2 yet, you know what I'm saying? We haven't completed that one. So we can't fight our giants if we're not prepared to fight. You got to be ready to go prepare and fight the giant like David was. He wasn't afraid, he didn't have fear, you know what I'm saying, because of the things and the steps that he took before that, you know. So I understand you totally. Doing things humanitarian, like, you know what I'm saying, that's the heart of God, you know, especially living in a society. I was talking to someone yesterday about it because they actually have a company in Haiti and they make shoes and leather bags and stuff in Haiti, and it started with her from humanitarian project that she went to to go help out, and then it turned into a business, you know, and things of that nature, and the heart that she has for the people. And so And like I told her, I say, you know, it's good to have people like herself. It's good to have people like you that still have a heart of God, because man, we are so far from that when we're taking away from people that actually needs it. Say, not caring about the humanitarian side of, you know, saying people really need these type of the funding, they need these type of thing. And so how far off base we are with that. But as long as we got people like yourself, long as we got people I believe that God is going to turn some things around because, as I said earlier, his ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts. You said we be thinking or seeing it this way, but he say he sits high, he looks low. You know what I'm saying? I spent some time in the church too, a little bit, Diane. That's a good time. Maybe not as much as you because I would not tell my mother to drop me off at church while she go to work. That ain't gonna happen. Never happened, never will happen. Say that I did that. Diane, before I ask you this last question, just let me ask you this. Where can we find you at? Where can we find you on social media? Where can we find your books? Just where can we find Diane Floyd? And I'm not going to even try to pronounce your last name because I will chop it up.

So it's Diane Floyd Baim, even though it looks like Bohemian. Yeah, that's right.

That's what I was like, Bohemian Baim.

Okay, so it's just dianefloydbaim.com. And for those listeners who just can't see it on the screen, it's D-I-A-N-N-F-L-O-Y-D-B as in boy, O-E-H-M.com. So my website, and I have a newsletter so you can always stay in touch with me. And I absolutely 100%, if you are thinking, oh, I wish I could write, but I just don't know how to get started. I want you to know that I'm a person who believes that I've been blessed to be able to be published now after like 15 years it took to turn around and help you. I won't know all the answers, but I certainly can kickstart and I don't charge a thing because I was blessed. So I have to bless you. So I wanted to put that out to your listeners.

I like that she's standing for it. She's just not talking about it. She's actually doing it. Because she's blessing those because God had blessed us. You gotta be in a position to understand what these type of blessings and passing downs are all about. So Diane, lemme ask you a final question. For parents listening today, what's the best way that they can encourage their children to develop a love for storytelling and reading? 'Cause God knows my son do not like to read at all.

To read to them, to read to them. And also make up your own stories. You know, lay in bed with them when you're getting ready to go to bed and lay, you know, sit however you like doing it, sitting in a chair, but make up stories and let them participate. Okay, so let's make a story up about a knight. Okay, what would you like your knight to be? And let them be engaged in it. And the more the kids start being creative with you, parent— pretty soon they're going to want to read stories about the night or maybe you want to talk about space. Whatever the topic is that encouragement from a parent because a kid models especially when they're very young they model their parents if a parent loves to play basketball they want a basketball here it lets us sing they're gonna go "Ooh la la la la." or see what they supposed to.

So I guess I passed that down to my kids that have 1 or 2-year-olds because my son, he passed that. My son's 15 years old. You said get in the bed, lay down, read a story. I don't think that's gonna happen at this point.

A 15-year-old making up stories, it does work with a 15-year-old, believe it or not.

Making up stories. I know I ain't gonna lay in bed with him. Maybe his mommy can lay in the bed with him— I dug with them all the time— but I know that he wouldn't want me laying in the bed.

No, no, no, no!

That's not appropriate. Very inappropriate. Diane, I really appreciate you on this show sharing your wisdom, share your heartfelt messages and your stories. I really appreciate it. Hey, you can follow Diane and grab her book The Little Girl and the Moon. The Big Idea, Charlie and the Tire Swing, How It All Began. I am saying she ain't hard to find. And if you want to learn how to write a book structure, how to write a book, things that you would like to know about storytelling, check out on her website. And she would not only help you do it, but she'd do it for free because she's passing it forward because she said that she has been blessed. And so she is here to be a blessing. Hey, you have been listening to the CJ Moneyway Show with your boy CJ Moneyway and my girl Diane from Austin, Texas. Until the next time, we out of here.

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