Whats on her mind?: Temple's Interview
Get to know Temple! Temple creates her own face and body moisturizer brand called "Hidden Secrets", self-published a young adult fiction book, and makes her own music. She is currently working on an EP that will be released in the next few months.
When did you start the process of creating your own moisturizer? What was the process like?
I started making the lotions in 2018 when my grandma and aunt were tired of spending money on a shea butter mixture that was pretty pricey. I already had a pretty good idea of how to create it since I always grew up watching DIY's. It was almost theraputic creating it and taking the time to design and print out the labels. It's hard to explain, but for me, the entire feel of expiriencing the oils on my hands and finding the perfect scent was invigorating. After constantly using my own products though, my family and I began to realize all of the benefits that came along with being moisturized - like my dad's face had stopped peeling, my sisters neck stopped having eczema flare ups and scars that I had started healing quicker than previous. It was also pretty stressful sometimes because I had to create the label on my phone and print labels at my school which was a 30 minute drive for me.
Where did the name "Hidden Secrets" come from?
The name actually came from my brother one day while my parents and siblings were all in the truck with me - a few days after I started making the moisturizers. I said to them that I needed some ideas and it just came off the top of his head after we made a few joking suggestions. The name stuck in my head and it's what I chose to go with.
What are some goals you have for Hidden Secrets?
The goals I have for Hidden Secrets are for it to build into a full blown skincare company on a much larger scale which would consist of larger production with the same organic products and ingredients that I started with. I want to be considerate of the earth so I began doing buybacks of the containers people already have used in order to create the cycle of recycling and reusing which I truly feel will encourage them to recycle in more areas of their lives rather than just with my moisturizer. The buybacks mean that I take $2 off the final cost of their purchases.
Also, soon there will be new scents for Hidden Secrets that are considerate of the summer weather - citronella will be incorporated as a natural mosquito repellent so people can enjoy as much outdoor time as possible (without the smell like current products on the market) since we've been cooped up the last few weeks.
What was the process of publishing your first book?
It was over a two year span. Originally I had been writing ten pages each day before I had to take a few breaks for classes and personal reasons. As far as the publishing went, I discovered the site Lulu.com which I used at my old university to publish an art magazine. I knew right then and there that this was how I would eventually publish my own personal works. There are a lot of setbacks if It's not formatted from the beginning, which mine wasn't because I would go from using Word to Google Docs to the Notes in my phone. So it was pretty hard around the final days trying to set up the page sizing and which formats would be accepted in print form since they're separate from digital. I will say though that for me, maybe having prior experience made it a little easier but it's a stressful task trying to complete especially since I gave myself a deadline at the end of 2019. I got tired of postponing and had to ensure everything was completed before the end of January this year.
Which authors inspire you?
Some of the main authors that inspire me are Dean Koontz, Jodi Picoult, Lewis Carroll, Ari Simone (who happens to be a freshman at UIUC that I met through W.O.R.D) , and Kierra Wooden.
Where did you draw your inspiration from when creating your novel?
Some of the ideas came from people i've come across and their own life experiences, but the main plot honestly just sort of developed in my mind. I always think of different life scenarios and how they could possibly go so I just took one and built upon it. If there were moments like me seeing some odd mishap in public someone might've done and thought no one noticed I'd throw that into the plot for miscellaneous reasons to give a more realistic feel to the story. I wanted the book to feel as close to reality as possible without being fully aware since I haven't experienced everything within the story. There are the stories about the friends Toya, the main character, has that were inspired by my own friends and I just felt they weren't heard enough and I wanted to give that outlet for them to know I hear them.
Are you working on another novel currently?
As of now I have tons of inspiration for two or three different novels. Since the semester has been so hard on me the first time around at UIUC, I'm taking it slowly to focus on assignments a bit more but with campus shutting down I may just have a lot more time to work on the second book for the series that What's on Her Mind will be.
What advice would you give to kids who also want to become an author?
Hold onto your imagination for as long as possible. So many people grow up and lose touch with what gave them animation and livelihood. I want them to know that it's best to never lose touch of that. If you think of a cool idea or scenario, write it down or even act it out by yourself if that's what you'd prefer. Another piece of advice would be when assigned short stories and books in school, take the time to genuinely read them for entertainment rather than only as an assignment, you'll realize there's some pretty good books that they choose.
What school do you attend and does your community know what you have created?
I currently attend the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. Yes, through my spoken word/poetry organization that I'm a part of, Writers. Organizing . Realistic. Dialect. (WORD) I'm able to reach a large range of youth on campus through them buying my product and promoting to their friends. There's also a few more organizations that I'm involved in that reach out to to promote not only Hidden Secrets but my book as well.
What is the most challenging part of your career?
Probably, time management and finding a way to promote all of the things that I do without overlooking other talents. Since I'm in school, am self employed and still have to find a way for personal time and self-reflection, I can get lost in things and lose sight of my end goals. As far as promotion, it's difficult since I'm not the most social person and don't have the resources to pay others to promote my work for me. I have to really make a strong effort to put myself out there.
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