Nov. 7, 2024

From Darkness to Diamond Bianca's Inspiring Journey

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In this inspiring episode of the Living the Dream podcast, Curveball sits down with Bianca Blaque Diamond Johnson, an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Ability Music Network. Bianca shares her journey from overcoming a challenging childhood and blindness to becoming a prolific writer and poet. Discover how she uses AI to bring her songwriting to life and learn about her mission to create a supportive community for visually impaired musicians. Tune in for an uplifting conversation on resilience, creativity, and the power of self-belief.
Want to be a guest on Living the Dream with Curveball? Send Curtis Jackson a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1628631536976x919760049303001600

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00:00:00.719 --> 00:00:09.205
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Welcome, um, to the Living the Dream podcast with Curveball. If you believe you can achieve, cheat.

00:00:18.625 --> 00:00:49.186
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Welcome to the Living the Dream with Curveball podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate and inspire. Today I am graced with the presence of award winning, multi, multi genre author, entrepreneur, songwriter, poet, and the founder of the Ability Music Network, Bianca Black Diamond Johnson.

00:00:49.371 --> 00:01:02.715
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Bianca started writing early. We're going to let her tell you about her story and her, uh, songs and everything that she's up to and also that Ability Music Network. So, Bianca, thank you so much for joining me today.

00:01:03.215 --> 00:01:05.718
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>You're so welcome and thank you for having me.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

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> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Okay, so as you so gracefully stated, yes, I am all of those things that you listed. Um, I have been writing since I was 11 years old.

00:01:21.019 --> 00:02:22.685
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, and I was urged to start writing, um, by my fifth grade teacher who saw a, as she said, a natural talent in me that I didn't really realize that I had. Um, I knew I liked writing and reading. Those were like my favorite pastimes because I had a very, very hard childhood. And those were my avenues of escape to kind of, you know, go into a different world, to kind of get out of my own current, you know, living situation. And so, yeah, writing became like therapy to get me through those days. And then, um, due to her encouraging me to pursue writing as a career, um, I, I kept at it. Um, and then I actually went blind when I was 15 due, uh, to the child abuse that I was dealing with. And so I thought that my days of writing were over.

00:02:23.064 --> 00:02:40.209
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Like, I, because I, I didn't know how someone who couldn't see would be able to write, like music or write books or stories or anything. So I kind of went into a depression and, um, couldn't really.

00:02:40.257 --> 00:03:16.555
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And then I didn't have family support at all with dealing with division loss. Um, and so I was left to deal with my new reality on my own because, you know, for 15 years of my life I could see. And then one day I can't. Um, and so once I was about 17, I kind of started learning braille and learning how to use a computer and things like that. And so I realized that, you know what? I still can write. Like, I still can, you know, fulfill my childhood dream of being a published author.

00:03:16.974 --> 00:04:04.645
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So in 2017, um, is when I actually published, or as I say, got my title of author. Um, I contributed some poems to an anthology that was, um, put together by another author to help showcase Aspiring poets. And so I contributed, um, four poems, and three of my poems were chosen to appear in the book. And so that's how I got my start publishing. And then from then on, I've self published 13 books to do, I would say, probably about seven different genres. Um, and so, yeah, that's kind of how I got my start.

00:04:06.185 --> 00:04:14.435
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So if, if you'd like, you know, kind of let the listeners know what it was like growing up, because I know you said you had a difficult childhood.

00:04:16.329 --> 00:04:47.904
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, and so with my childhood, it was full of a lot of child abuse. And like I said, that's how I ended up going blind is from the child abuse and the neglect that me and my siblings, um, went through from the hands of my mother, um, because she was a single mother, and she was a single mother of five children with no fathers in the picture. And so she took that frustration and that anger out on us, uh, the children who didn't ask to be here.

00:04:48.204 --> 00:04:52.904
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And as a result, that is how I became blind.

00:04:55.685 --> 00:05:12.334
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, well, I know you've done 13 books on your own and you've co authored four. So just kind of, uh, take us through and kind of tell us about your books and where we can get them and what we can expect, uh, when we read them.

00:05:12.675 --> 00:05:28.014
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Okay. Um, so, uh, because I'm a poet, so I do have two poetry books. Uh, my latest one, I won first place in a poetry, um, contest earlier this year in February.

00:05:28.550 --> 00:05:42.935
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, and it's called Lyrics of Love. And it is basically a book, a poetry book, um, with poems all centering around love in different facets.

00:05:43.235 --> 00:08:44.054
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So it deals with, um, relationship love, like the ups and downs of relationships. It also, you know, teaches and talks about self love, um, a spiritual love, like God's love, and then also the love of a mother, um, because I am a mother and like, I don't know what I would do without my children, like my biological child and also my bonus children. Um, and so even though I never saw or had a good experience growing up of what it meant to be a mother and what it meant to love your children and, you know, do the different things, like, I've always embodied that and I've always displayed that to my children, so they will never experience, you know, what I did growing up not knowing and growing up into this world and not knowing where love or what love is, because love starts at home. And if you don't experience that at home, you're going to grow up out here searching for something you've never had. And so this Book basically is my story, um, just in poetic forms and verses of my ups and downs in relationships out here searching for love because I never knew what love was. And then also me learning how to love myself because that was something I didn't know either how to do. And then you know, it also, you know, captures my spirituality with God's love. And so um, that's basically the gist of what Lyrics of Love is about. Um, I also have um, non fiction books that I've co authored. Um, they are like um, essays and different things like that with different things I've experienced in life. So I've co authored, authored um, four books with other authors. So we've come together to do anthologies, um, about you know, just being and letting the things that we've been through in life inspire us and inspire others. So we tell our stories um, and share the different things that we went through. Um, I also write fiction, um, and so I write in the romance genre. I write in contemporary, um, fiction, um, and so my, I have short stories, um, a book of short stories. I also have like my first novel. I have um, a couple of novellas. So those are all like fictional stories um, that I've written. And I also write in the genre of children's literature because um, I'm a mom and my love of writing started when I was a child, um, because to read.

00:08:44.835 --> 00:08:59.634
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so I have four children's picture uh, books that I've published as well that I've won first, um, no, I'm sorry, second place for my first children's book, uh, Poetry for Tots.

00:08:59.794 --> 00:09:40.845
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And then I won third place for my latest children's book, um, I can be. And um, all of my books are available through all major online book retailers like Amazon, uh, Walmart, you know, Barnes and Noble, wherever you get your books, um, you'll be able to search for my books there. Um, some books are available as an audiobook which I'm working on getting all my books into audiobooks. So right now there's only two but all of them are available in print, um, ebooks and then some are also available as an audiobook.

00:09:43.105 --> 00:09:45.644
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So how did you get the name Black Diamond?

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> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Oh, a question I get all the time.

00:09:50.465 --> 00:10:07.794
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So I'm going to tell you what people thought when they first heard of my name. The first thing they would ask is are you a stripper or ever been a stripper? And no, neither one never been.

00:10:07.914 --> 00:10:13.254
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So Black diamond is actually an acronym of words that I feel describe me.

00:10:13.955 --> 00:10:41.205
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So, um, because of everything I've been through in life that it, it made me who I am as a person. Um, and so I feel like a black diamond embodies all that I am and that I continue to strive to be. Um, so B is beautiful, light hearted, ambitious, quizzical, unique, extraordinary.

00:10:41.745 --> 00:11:00.875
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And that's black. And then a diamond. We all know what a diamond is. Um, so D is for determined intelligence, Ambitious mountains and hills. Observant, not broken diamond.

00:11:03.294 --> 00:11:05.222
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>There you go. Love it.

00:11:05.359 --> 00:11:07.222
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>I knew it was something different when.

00:11:07.359 --> 00:11:12.394
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>It wasn't B L A C K. It was B L A Q U E. Yes, sir.

00:11:13.534 --> 00:11:23.071
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So tell us about your group, the Ability Music Network. Tell us why you decided to start it and what it's all about and how people can get on it.

00:11:23.263 --> 00:12:06.774
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Okay, so I've always, as one of my things, I've always been a songwriter as well. Um, poetry and songwriting kind of go hand in hand. So I've been writing music since I was a child as well. Um, off and on over the years, I hadn't kind of, you know, focused on it as much as I did with writing the books. But I don't know, lately it's just been this drive for me to really get my music out there. Um, because that's what I'm a songwriter, so I want to write music for other people. So I've always tried to figure out how can I get my music out there without me being the one singing it or me being the one performing it.

00:12:06.815 --> 00:12:12.075
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Because singing, rapping, that's not my thing, not my talent, unfortunately.

00:12:12.710 --> 00:12:15.514
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, and so, you know, so.

00:12:18.105 --> 00:12:26.841
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so I was like, huh, this is cool. And so I started playing around with like, different apps and different things.

00:12:26.913 --> 00:12:31.841
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And then I found out about the different music that are AI generated.

00:12:32.033 --> 00:12:52.047
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so basically I started uploading my lyrics that I've been writing since I was young and creating, you know, music from it. And so that's what inspired me. I'm like, okay, now I can actually put music and vocals to my songs.

00:12:52.230 --> 00:13:00.774
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so I started doing that and I started my YouTube channel. Um, I created me what I call my AI artist who does the vocals.

00:13:00.855 --> 00:13:06.235
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And, you know, I let people know, no, it's not me. No, it's not a real person. It is an AI.

00:13:06.735 --> 00:14:41.253
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>She sounds wonderful, but she's not a real person. Um, and I named herself people sigh. Um, and so that's how I publish my music, um, to the different platforms and also on my YouTube channel. So just during my course of searching for, you know, different groups or anything dealing with music for, specifically for people who are blind and visually impaired. I know a lot of people who sing, a lot of people who rap, a lot of people who, you know, are DJs, and they're, you know, um, audio engineers and things like that. And I'm like, there has to be some kind of group where we all can come together and perhaps, you know, work together, collaborate, share our, you know, get feedback, share our work, you know, different things like that. And I just never found one. So I was like, okay, you know what? I'm going to create it myself. And so that's where a Ability Music Network came from. Um, because, yeah, there are so many blind and visually impaired people that are in the music industry, but we don't really know each other. We really don't, you know, like, you know, there's just so much out here that we're learning. A lot of people are learning on their own. So I said, you know, I can create a group that could be not only for just sharing your work, but also learning.

00:14:41.349 --> 00:15:43.684
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Learning about different software, learning about different, you know, techniques or different things out there that can help those of us who do music find new ways to do music or find people that, you know, oh, I like that song. How about let's work together and make a song? You know. So that's where, um, the idea for Ability Music Network came, um, to be. And so right now it is a, um, very small group. So I'm still working on getting members and advertising the group and things like that, because, you know, my ultimate goal is to start doing, um, talent shows and showcases and, you know, I want to do Flower Tree Friday and different, you know, events and stuff that will help get, you know, your work recognized and, you know, just help to better cement and, you know, help people network and get to know different people, um, to help get their work out there.

00:15:44.225 --> 00:15:53.205
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>But right now I'm focused on trying to grow the group and getting, you know, members and people to engage and take part.

00:15:54.024 --> 00:15:57.605
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So for those who want to take part, how would they do that?

00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:26.254
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, so you can search for Ability Music Network on Facebook. Um, I do advise people, when they do join the group to please answer the questions, um, or your request will be denied. Because we're trying to avoid spammers and scammers and things like that. So the best way to help with that is to have a human person to answer the questions, um, so that we know you're actually a real person.

00:16:28.554 --> 00:16:31.490
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, so you're an entrepreneur.

00:16:31.602 --> 00:16:36.254
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Do you have any other businesses or business ventures that people need to know about?

00:16:37.320 --> 00:17:40.954
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, so yes, I actually, outside of the music and the writing and all that, um, I'm also in the development stages of my own natural, uh, skincare line. Um, and I've been doing that kind of off and on for the past couple of years just due to life and not being able to focus, you know, solely on um, my entrepreneurial goals. Because I am also a full time student, I am also a full time employee and I'm also a mother of three. So I wear quite a few hats. So it does get kind of hectic and some things that I want to do kind of fall by the wayside so I try to pick them back up. But yes, I do make um, my own natural skincare products because I'm a very natural person and so I don't like the different, um, you know, store based products and stuff that you can buy and stuff like that that are not good for your skin. So I started creating my own.

00:17:41.309 --> 00:18:19.265
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, and one reason why I started that is because my son has eczema and so I wanted to find something that would help with his eczema. And so I started mixing up and making my own body butters. And then it kind of went from body butters to, you know, massage oils. And then it went from, you know, I just kind of slowly started adding more products and so I started. So I'm still in the development stages of it, but yes I do. And it's called Black Diamond Naturals is my um, product line.

00:18:20.964 --> 00:18:27.825
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>There you go. Any other upcoming projects that you're working on that listeners need to be aware of besides that?

00:18:29.009 --> 00:18:31.970
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, not at the moment.

00:18:31.970 --> 00:18:34.916
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, those are kind of like my focus.

00:18:35.060 --> 00:19:20.393
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Folk really. The music is definitely my focus because I'm actually working on um, writing songs for my third ep. Um, I'm hoping to release actually beginning of this month. Um, I mean, I'm sorry, not the beginning, the end of this month. I forgot it's a new month now. Um, but yes, I'm. So I'm still working on writing um, I think I have about three more songs to write uh, for my upcoming EP entitled Prisoner of Love. And I did release a single called Prisoner of Love, um, and that will also be on the E. But yeah, the entire album is also called Prisoner, uh, of Love and it's an R B.

00:19:20.568 --> 00:19:35.765
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So um, as far as the genre goes for the album. So that's what I'm working on right now is writing the music, writing the songs and then getting the music to go along with it so that I can add the vocals to it.

00:19:37.755 --> 00:19:45.971
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So tell us about those apps you, you were talking about the AI apps to where you, you can upload lyrics for listeners who want to do that.

00:19:46.083 --> 00:19:48.375
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Give us some tips or tell us.

00:19:49.275 --> 00:20:04.828
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>The main app that I use is called Suno AI and that's spelled S U N O um, AI. And basically you can have the app generate lyrics for you, but I actually, you know, write my own lyrics.

00:20:04.876 --> 00:20:16.068
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So. And I also purchase my music from producers. Um, so the app can also, you know, generate music for you as well. But I, I prefer to just buy mine.

00:20:16.196 --> 00:20:29.565
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So basically what I do is I upload a clip of my instrumental that I've purchased, then I upload my lyrics and then it puts it all together and adds the vocals.

00:20:29.904 --> 00:20:44.184
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So it does take some, you know, quite a few tries. So I go through a lot of credits trying to get it just right how I want it. Um, but it is a very fun app and when it's done like, it's done like.

00:20:44.224 --> 00:21:07.265
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And I've had such amazing feedback from people, you know, listening to my music. They're like, the vocals are good. Like I, I get that. But it's the words. So like you can use this to bring your words. So I like you would never know that it's actually an AI. But you know, a lot of people, they relate more to the words because I've always been told I have a way with words.

00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:45.404
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, so I use that. Um. There's also another one called um Udio and that's spelled U D I O so studio without the st. Um, so it's called Udo AI. Um, I actually use a lot of AI for a lot of my different things as far. I use AI also for videos. I um, make videos to promote my ep and I also use AI Gener, their AI generated videos. And so with that I use an app called um Invideo.

00:21:45.744 --> 00:21:58.875
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so that's spelled I N V I D E O. Um, and I use that also to make my promotional videos for the music and just, you know, other stuff that I'm working on.

00:22:00.694 --> 00:22:04.255
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And are these apps on the PC or, um, mobile apps?

00:22:04.414 --> 00:22:20.106
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>They are mobile apps and they are, um, accessible with voiceover. Um, you can also use Suno on the PC as well. Yudio. I'm not sure of, um, because I don't really use that one.

00:22:20.171 --> 00:22:42.787
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Suno was my primary one that I use. Um, but there are quite a few apps out there. Like there's so many music making apps out there, it's crazy. And I just, I love that, you know, I can finally, you know, release my music to the world and, you know, let people enjoy.

00:22:42.851 --> 00:22:54.424
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>You know, it's good when you enjoy your own stuff, but when other people enjoy it like it, it means so much more. And so I love that people are actually loving what I'm putting out there.

00:22:56.005 --> 00:23:01.065
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Absolutely. Well, throw out your contact info so people can keep up with everything that you're up to.

00:23:01.684 --> 00:23:08.704
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So I'm, um, listed as Writer Black diamond on all social media.

00:23:09.109 --> 00:23:33.924
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, so if you want to follow me on Instagram, I'm at Writer Black diamond. And that is B, L, A, Q, U, E Diamond. Um, Tick Tock. I'm also Writer Black Diamond. Um, I also have my Facebook page where I share my motivational quotes that I create. Um, that's also Writer Black diamond as well. So everywhere I'm known as Writer Black Diamond. You can find me.

00:23:35.664 --> 00:23:44.045
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Right? Writer Black Diamond. Close us out with some final thoughts. Maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on any final thoughts you have for the listeners.

00:23:45.430 --> 00:24:33.396
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, I would say my final thoughts is because I'm also a motivational speaker. So I always like to leave people with a motivational quote or a motivational. Just something to let people know that, you know, despite whatever limitations or adversities that you may be going through, like, life is not over. Like, I thought life was over for me. I was always told by others that life was over for me, that I was never going to amount to anything. Thing that, you know, I would always have to, you know, have someone take care of me and things like that. And as you can see just from listening that that is the furthest thing from the truth. Like, I've always been able to break down any barriers that anybody has ever tried to put on me.

00:24:33.580 --> 00:24:59.144
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And, you know, don't let anything hold you back if it's something that you want to do. If there's a dream, there's a goal, if there's anything you want to do, the only way it's not going to happen is if you don't do it. If you don't put in the effort, if you don't put in the work, if you don't even, uh, attempt to do it, you can't sit around waiting for other people to do things for you. You have to do things yourself.

00:24:59.724 --> 00:25:37.795
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>And so for anybody that, you know, may be going through something right now or may not confidence or may not have that motivation and you feel like you just need, like, that push, definitely check out my Facebook. And, you know, there's so many different quotes. And I write these quotes myself from my heart. So these aren't quotes that, you know, anybody famous or anything. These are all written by me just about every other day or every two days. And I, um, have a large following on my page. I think I'm almost up.

00:25:39.920 --> 00:26:33.275
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Um, but people love, you know, what I have to say. And so if you feel like you need that, you need that extra push or that, you know, definitely check out writer block Simon on Facebook and, you know, engage and, you know, share and, like, and, you know, definitely send me a message. I love to help people that's always, you know, been who I am. You know, I volunteer my time. I teach, you know, different, um, skills to people that, you know, are due to losing their sight. So right now, somebody that I'm working with where I'm teaching them braille, I'm teaching them how to their computer with jaws, and I'm also teaching them how to use their phone. And, you know, I do this because this is what I love to do. I wish I had someone to do these things for me. When I went blind, I had to learn everything on my own.

00:26:33.744 --> 00:26:44.977
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Cook, I had to learn how to do laundry. Like, I didn't have the opportunity to go to a rehab center or to do any of these things because I had to work to survive and take care of myself.

00:26:45.080 --> 00:26:49.525
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>So I had to teach myself how to do all these things by trial and error.

00:26:50.505 --> 00:26:51.984
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, so, so you cut out.

00:26:52.025 --> 00:26:57.128
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>How many followers do you have, um, on the Facebook? My.

00:26:57.217 --> 00:27:03.474
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Specifically for my motivational. Um, last time I checked, I think it was like, 2900.

00:27:03.775 --> 00:27:09.527
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Man, look at you. All right, ladies and gentlemen, y'all. Check out that ability Music Network.

00:27:09.711 --> 00:27:15.318
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Check out writer Black Diamond. Check out her books, everything that she's up to. She's really doing great.

00:27:15.446 --> 00:27:36.207
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Show us some love and support. Jump on your favorite podcast app. Follow us. Leave us a review. If you have any guests or suggestion topics, Curtis Jackson 1978@att.net is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. And Black diamond, thank you for all that you do and thank you for joining us.

00:27:36.391 --> 00:27:38.755
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>You're welcome. And thank you for having me.

00:27:39.335 --> 00:27:47.358
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>For more information on the Living the Dream podcast, visit www.djcurveball.com.

00:27:47.527 --> 00:27:51.951
> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>until next time, stay focused on living the dream.

00:27:52.022 --> 00:27:52.214
> Bianca Black Diamond Johnson>Dream.