If you've been on the internet—like, ever—you know the term, "basic bitch," (aka "basic," because who has time for multiple word phrases anymore).
If this isn't a part of your repertoire (who are you?? I'd like to join the social-media-free world you're living in), just know that it's a derogatory way to say, "if you're not 100% original, or if you're living up to a stereotype, you're basic." or, more succinctly: "you're a sheep."
Read MoreWe are so much more complex than the labels we put on ourselves. "Red" and "blue" are simply examples that most Americans who lived through 2017 can probably relate to. Though we've been pitted against each other to believe otherwise, the truth remains that there are always little speckles of blue in red, and red in blue. We should not feel that we have to be defined by these labels. The labels, themselves, are distracting. The VALUES we each care about as individuals are the only things we need to discuss, debate, etc. The minute we start lumping those values into labels, we've muddied the waters and gone off course.
Read More2017 has been a divisive year: everyone I know has either loved or hated it. I did not love it. It has had so many—maybe too many—growing pains. My personal career pursuits have become clearer, but for most of the year they've been unsteady. Following the news has been stressful. Watching people go at each other's throats, cut each other down, and advocate hate has been disheartening. But as I stood before my 2017 Gratitude Calendar this morning, coffee in-hand, head tilted to the side, reviewing every single day that this Earth tripped around the Sun, I saw something emerge beneath the overwhelm: love, focus, and hope.
Read More“When I received The Heart of Happy Gratitude 2017 Calendar from my dearest friend Rosie, I was completely inspired. Having a gratitude calendar on the wall was so perfect for me because I'm such a visual person. I look at it everyday and think about what made my heart so full that day and fill it in.”
Read MoreI write for a living. Unless you never went to school or learned how to read (in which case, if you're reading this: you are a miracle), you know that writing is a process. You get waves of inspiration accompanied by long pauses of dead space. "What's the best way to phrase XYZ?" or "How do I make that transition less dorky?" You get it.
Read MoreIt's been a weird few weeks. I have been busy working on gratitude calendar designs, sorting through various freelance writing gigs, and managing my personal writing schedule. On top of all the other random inconveniences of life: internet outages, incredibly involved vet visits, and the like.
Read MoreA couple years ago I went through my bathroom drawers and basically dumped all of their contents into a trash can. I had read about the lack of regulation in the cosmetic industry — the poisons in our lipsticks, the carcinogens in our sunscreen, the hormone disrupters in our face cream — and decided I didn't want any part of that unnecessary pollution.
Read MoreStumbled upon this illustration by Mari Andrew this morning. I think it's important to share because "healing" can be such a vague word, especially when you hear it over and over again. It tends to lose its meaning when you're in the thick of it. If you're open to a fresh perspective, you can reignite your motivation to heal those heavy spaces in your heart.
Read MoreWhite nationalists are terrorists.
They want to take this place, this land, YOUR home, and claim it. They were never taught to share. They were never taught to take responsibility for their actions. They were taught to deflect their pain, anxieties, and fears and project them onto others - to find someone else to blame for their problems so they can continue to stuff their shitty feelings down.
Read More