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Daphne Wayans Discusses Upcoming Books & How Being a Mother Drives Her

Photo Credit – Ray Kachatorian

If you were to ask Daphne Wayans to describe herself, in a nutshell, she would say that she’s her children’s mom. Daphne’s calling is to make sure her children’s happiness and well-being come first and foremost, before anything else. The love for her family is unmatched by anything else she has going on in life. Daphne is the ex-wife of one Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, that being Keenen Ivory Wayans, with whom she has five children and maintains a workable relationship. Daphne is a parenting and relationships expert and has contributed to such outlets as the Huffington Post. She has also been featured on shows like VH1’s Hollywood Exes and Marrying the Game for her insight and clout in Tinseltown.
Daphne was born and raised in Inglewood, California as an only child to blue-collar parents who were nurturing and unrestrictive – encouraging to be and do what she sincerely desired. With a passion for the arts, she attended Otis Parsons and FIDM, but was always drawn to the charm of a family.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the mother of five about her upcoming book release. We also discussed how she wants to use her platform to inspire the next generation of women and more. The full interview can be seen below!

You are currently working on a book can tell what the book is about? 

It’s a series of books, and they all focus on the feminine arts, for example, motherhood, interior decorating, and all things women tend to do in the household.

What inspired you and why is this the right time to release it? 

That is a good question and thank you! I was inspired by numerous friends who were these quote-unquote independent women that were growing more masculine. So, it was something that I have been thinking about for a while now and decided to work on this series of books to change the narrative. The current culture does not allow women to be women in a feminine way, and they lean more towards a masculine type of woman. I feel this is the best time to release this book because the goal is to restore the nature of the person and the restoration of the roles between men and women.

What is some advice would give for aspiring authors out there looking to write a book? 

Just continue to write do not worry about format. Some people can help you with that side of the process. Just write to get your thoughts down on paper, and you can learn from there. You should also read because you can learn other styles to incorporate into your writing process. So, the two go hand and hand. I tell people just to tell the story.

You worked on ‘Dying Laughing’ as a co-producer. Is there any other project you are working on? 

Right now, I am not working on any television projects because I am focused on the Daphne brand and all the layers of Daphne. I am now able to see myself as a brand, so that is currently what I am working on, which is what I would be doing it anyway because of its part of my life. ‘Dying Laughing’ was one of the most amazing things I have ever done and with people that are notably very funny as well.

Have thought about possibly partnering with Netflix and directing your own material? 

I do know how I would be as a director and I don’t see it as a strong point for me. I think I could if I had some training, but honestly, I am interested in doing anything with Netflix. I am looking to turn any of the projects that I am exploring – such as a podcast, and I would like to turn it into a television program and a movie. I want it to be a point where it gives birth to everything.

How do you want to use your platform to inspire the next generation of women, but especially black women? 

That is the only reason to do it. I have four daughters, numerous nieces, and goddaughters. This is the only reason I am trying to build my platform: to inspire the next generation. It was inspired because I wanted to expose my daughters to different experiences and awareness. There have been important things that I notice their friends were not learning because everyone is focused on money. Who is focused on home and what does money mean when a family is a cornerstone?

Are, there any other business adventure that you have been thinking about pursuing outside of the entertainment business? 

That is the glitch in the matrix because I am always thinking about other business ideas, but I must finish one project at a time and then move on to the next one. There are more projects that I want to pursue, but right now my focus is on releasing my series of books.

How has being a mother of five inspired you as a creator when approaching projects? 

My children are my inspiration. They are the reason, and they emphasize why I do what I do as a creator. They are my guinea pigs. Your children can become your best friends and best allies.

What can we expect from The Way to Happiness Foundation, Keep a Child Alive this year?

Keep a Child Alive is always looking to help children in African. That is my sister Alicia Keys’ project. And I support The Way to Happiness foundation because it is something that we all strive for in life.

Finally, you are an avid travel and a lover of languages? With that being said, how many languages are you fluent in currently? 

Only three, currently. There are some others that I am interested in learning. I’ll be traveling to Hungary soon. So, I will come back home with something to say in Hungarian.

daphnewayans.com

What do you think?

Written by Landon Buford

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