Published inILLUMINATION·Apr 10Member-onlyI’m a Hot MessAnd when I think of just how much of a hot mess I am, it makes me uncomfortable. — “A human being is a being who is constantly ‘under construction,’ but also, in a parallel fashion, always in a state of constant destruction.” - Jose Saramago The other day, on TikTok, I came across a series of photos posted by a user, who shall remain nameless, explaining things she…Self Improvement4 min readSelf Improvement4 min read
Apr 10Member-onlyTo Every Man Who’s Ever Used MeI hope I was of good service to you. — It started with hands. He laid his hands out on the table with his palms facing upward, indicating that I should lay my own on top. I was hesitant, an eczema flare-up had left dark scaly marks where there had once been smooth skin on mine, and I was insecure. …Personal Story4 min readPersonal Story4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Apr 1Member-onlyTikTok Introduces “TikTok Series,” A New Way To Monetize Your ContentAka TikTok’s lackluster attempt at helping its Creators monetize their content — I opened my TikTok “Creator tools” menu, I believe, check to see how much I had received from TikTok’s Creator Fund. I scrolled to the bottom to find the menu button for it and discovered a new option selection below it. It read, “TikTok Series”, with a little icon with…Social Media6 min readSocial Media6 min read
Published inAn Injustice!·Apr 1Member-onlyAnalyzing the Art of Playing DumbWhy do women downplay their intelligence for the benefit of others? — Playing dumb is a skill. It takes effort to suppress the natural human desire to tote one’s success. Some like to show off as pompous braggarts, while others may prefer to do so silently with a Louis Vuitton wallet. But, given the current state of the world, where putting yourself…Feminism4 min readFeminism4 min read
Mar 30Member-onlyPlease Don’t Pet MeI’m not your dog — I was out with a guy. It was my first real interracial dating experience. We were sitting side by side, and his arm was around my shoulders. For a while, I had been primarily keeping my hair braided underneath a scarf. But that day, I was feeling a bit spicy…Black Women4 min readBlack Women4 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Mar 29Member-onlyReconciling With My Need For Outward ValidationI hate myself — How are you feeling today, my dear reader? Let’s do this; I’ll tell you how I’m feeling and then you’ll say how you’re feeling — how you’re really feeling. And I want you to do it aloud if possible. Ok, here goes. I hate myself. But not in that way. …Mental Health4 min readMental Health4 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Mar 29Member-onlyTwo Steps to Guide You in Your Journey to Mastering a Skill“….you ain’t gotta believe what I believe, but you gotta believe the results.” — The other night I was watching a sermon about finances on YouTube by Pastor Michael Todd. All of it was thought-provoking but there was one quote that stood out to me the most. The lead-up to this quote was an example of how money follows mastery in a certain craft…Self Improvement4 min readSelf Improvement4 min read
Mar 28Member-onlyFive Types of People Who Create Self-Help, Entrepreneurial, and “Educational” ContentSome content creator slander for the soul — I am overwhelmed. Genuinely I am suffocating, drowning really in self-help and start-up content. And I’m tired. That big, ugly, green jealousy monster is starting to grow in me. When I see these titles, “How I made $$$$ in just X amount of time on this platform that is focused…Self Improvement5 min readSelf Improvement5 min read
Published inAn Injustice!·Mar 26Member-onlyHere’s The Real Issue With Chloe Bailey’s Racy Sex Scene in “Swarm”It simply feels like objectification — Warning: This article contains minor spoilers. Last night I decided to hunker down and binge-watch Amazon’s new original show Swarm which was directed by Adamma Ebo and Donald Glover. I haven’t finished just yet, but I’m plowing my way through. I first heard about the show from an Instagram post…Feminism5 min readFeminism5 min read
Mar 26Member-onlyMy Toxic Lover, We Are DoomedA piece of prose on toxic intimacy — My toxic lover, we are doomed. We are doomed to be together and yet apart at the same time. Physically, we may join in that ritual, that private, bedroom tango that strings many couples together. But mentally, we will never be one. Yet there’s something about your merengue, a certain…Intimacy1 min readIntimacy1 min read
