Writing, Spirituality, Community & Ancestral Connection with Tia Lashay

In this episode, I speak with writer Tia Lashay about the intersections of creativity, identity, and personal belief. Tia shares how a quiet childhood shaped her love of writing, the decade-long process of crafting her debut novel A Question of Affection, and the complexities of portraying queer relationships as a non-queer author.

The conversation moves beyond the page, touching on Tia’s experiences with community—both sought and lost—her evolving approach to spirituality, and the role of ancestral veneration in daily life. She also reflects on how writing and public speaking challenge her natural privacy, and reads her poem I Hope for the Day.

Key Takeaways

• Solitude in childhood can nurture deep creativity and self-reflection.
• Writing can be a bridge to understanding perspectives different from your own.
• Authentic community requires dropping performance and embracing self-truth.
• Sensitivity readers are essential when writing outside your lived experience.
• Spirituality is personal and can evolve far from its origins.
• Generational trauma can impact mental health and relationships.
• Ancestral veneration can provide grounding, gratitude, and emotional resilience.
• Sharing your work publicly can combat self-doubt and build confidence.
• Seeking help for depression is a vital step towards healing.
• Sharing experiences fosters community and personal growth.

About: Tia Lashay is a first-time author, podcaster, and Southern belle residing in Charleston, South Carolina. She loves all things performance art, and when she’s not writing, she’s downtown enjoying a theatre show. Her writing and reflections are summed up in her podcast, Soul Sister Series, as well as her upcoming debut novel, Question of Affection.

Connect on Instagram, Podcast, Book

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:58 Growing up as a latchkey kid
• 7:45 Early writing experiences
• 12:05 Studying psychology and criminal justice
• 17:59 The 10-year journey to writing A Question of Affection
• 23:11 Sensitivity reading & the queer lens
• 26:51 Struggles with building authentic community
• 35:21 Generational trauma & silence in Southern Black families
• 39:23 Spiritual evolution: from Christianity to witchcraft and tarot
• 46:19 Spirituality in the Black community
• 49:09 Ancestral veneration: practices & benefits
• 51:29 Living with depression
• 55:42 Overcoming shyness to promote the book
• 1:01:02 Advice on communing with your ancestors
• 1:07:01 Poem: I Hope for the Day
• 1:09:20 Closing