Finding Your Book People: Bee Is Building More Than Books in Fayetteville
Ahead of Fayetteville’s Writers + Illustrators Workshop, FAYNC Magazine’s Christina Miles sits down with author, illustrator and educator Bre’Anna “Bee” Washington-Weatherford to talk creativity, self-publishing, finding your people and why sometimes the biggest step is simply putting your idea into motion.
There’s a point in almost every creative journey where the idea is there. The passion is definitely there. You might even have the finished product sitting right in front of you.
But then comes the question: Okay… now what?
For Bre’Anna “Bee” Washington-Weatherford, that question has become a major part of her work.
Bee is an author, illustrator, educator and the creative behind BeetheeART. But talking with her, it becomes clear pretty quickly that she doesn’t separate those titles into neat little boxes. Art, education, entrepreneurship, history and community all overlap in the world she’s building.
“I’m a passionate artist. I love the work that I do,”
Bee shared during our conversation. And for her, that work is about more than completing a project. She wants to understand the people she works with, build relationships and create community around the work.
That approach is also at the center of her upcoming Fayetteville Writers & Illustrators Workshop, designed to help creatives move from simply having a book or idea to figuring out what comes next.
The Work Has Always Been Bigger Than the Book
Bee started professionally in this creative space as an illustrator, helping authors bring their stories to life. She quickly learned that the job went much deeper than drawing the pictures.
It meant understanding culture, family, audience and what an author ultimately wanted their work to leave behind.
As Bee puts it, she wants to understand “not just what kind of book that they’re making, but what legacy they want to carry on through their book.”
Today, she’s illustrating projects that explore everything from gardening, family and hair to the story of historic athlete Ora Washington. She’s also developing a Black history curriculum for younger learners, bringing together her background as a historian, artist and educator.
For Bee, a lot of it comes back to children.
“We always say that kids are the future,” she said. “But what are we actively doing to invest in that?”
From Artist to Author
Long before publishing guides and illustration clients, there was poetry.
Bee remembers performing her first poem around age 14 at church. Writing became a way to express herself and connect with herself, her spirituality and eventually even her husband, whom she met through poetry.
Years later, a health scare while working on an illustration project made Bee think differently about a career that relied so heavily on her eyes and hands. She began consulting and sharing the publishing knowledge she had accumulated, helping aspiring authors navigate the process and avoid common pitfalls.
Eventually, those conversations became The Creative Composition Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing Children’s Books, a hands-on resource that asks writers to think about their audience, research their market and create something with intention.
Now, Bee is bringing those lessons off the page and into a room full of Fayetteville creatives.
Finding Her People in Fayetteville
Bee first came to Fayetteville in 2014. After leaving and eventually returning with her family, she began experiencing the city differently as an adult.
And, in her words, Fayetteville felt a little more “popping.”
More importantly, she found community.
“There are people out here like me,” she said. “It feels like home again.”
Community isn't just something Bee enjoys. It’s built into the way she works. She has brought her creative and educational work into libraries, schools and museums before, particularly in Charlotte. Now Fayetteville is becoming the next place for that work to grow.
“Wherever I’m gonna be, I’m gonna do my best to create a community,”
Your Book Needs People
Yes, Bee specializes in children’s books. But her upcoming workshop isn't exclusively for children’s book authors.
“It’s for people who are passionate about the work that they’re doing,” Bee said, “and who want to not just publish a book about it so it can be between some pages, but to actually go out and support people with the work that you’re doing.”
That shifts the conversation from simply How do I sell my book? to something bigger.
Who needs this? Where are they? What bookstores, libraries, schools, churches or community spaces should know your work exists? What conversations and opportunities could grow from it?
Basically: Where are your book people?
Bee wants Fayetteville’s writers and illustrators to find those people, exchange resources and understand that their experiences belong in the larger literary community.
“We need your voice and we need your experience to be a part of this,” she said.
You Might Already Have What You Need
There’s always another reason creatives can give ourselves for waiting. A better plan. More money. More followers. Another revision.
Bee wants people leaving her workshop with a different feeling.
“I really had everything that I already needed,” she said. “I just needed somebody to help me organize and take action.”
Her advice? You don’t have to have everything perfect before you move.
“You just need to take action and make sure it’s heart centered.”
More than anything, she hopes attendees leave with “a clear, actionable step toward building community through literacy, through their book.”
Maybe that’s the real now what?
You wrote the thing. You created it. You’ve been sitting with the idea.
Now it’s time to find your people.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
10 AM–2 PM
Concourse 107 + NineTen Literary Collective (116 Hay Street)
The Fayetteville Writers & Illustrators Workshop: Self-Publishing and Marketing Made Simple will be hosted by Bre’Anna Washington-Weatherford and is based on her award-winning book, The Creative Composition Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing Children’s Books.
The workshop will take place at Concourse 107 + NineTen Literary Collective, 116 Hay Street in Downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. Together, Concourse 107 and NineTen Literary Collective form a combined art gallery, creative space and literary hub, making the Downtown location a fitting home for a day centered around writers, illustrators and building creative community.
The workshop is designed to give participants practical skills and resources for self-publishing, marketing their work, connecting with their audience and creating opportunities that extend beyond book sales.
The project is supported by a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and, in part, by contributions from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and other community partners.
Christina Miles
Art Director + Admin Lead
FAYNC Magazine
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