what do you deserve?
"You Are The Bag. Secure Yourself. — SkipfromBK via Twitter
Editor’s Note: This was supposed to be sent on Monday, October 9th and I didn’t realize it was sitting in my drafts! I’m still hitting publish anyway, a reminder to not let mistakes stop you.
Let's use this week's newsletter to do a little exercise, you ready?
Great, let's get something out of the way before we begin.
Settle in your mind and think about the things/people/spaces you've been wanting, desiring, or thinking about lately.
Now let's remove all of the possible external blocks -- whether it's not enough resources (time, money, space, all three) or that the recession has been wild or that terrible job or relationship or whatever it is that you saw in the news that depresses you and/or makes you angry.
Let's push back the internal shit too - any shame, guilt, fear, low self-esteem, comparison, jealousy, achieving for performance's sake, etc - in whatever way it shows up.
Let's also move out of the way whatever "well-meaning" adult told you that if you did xyz, you'd get xyz, and it wasn't true. In fact, scoop all of the things society and/or your authority figures taught you while growing up about life and the world that doesn't hold any weight right now.
Okay, have you done that?
Great.
Now ask yourself, "what do I deserve?" and see what comes up.
Hopefully, this exercise will help your prioritize your own intuition, your own needs, your own path forward, without factoring in all of the bullshit that life will throw our way sometimes.
That's not to dismiss anything you're feeling or experiencing, this is a way to center you -- the one who ultimately has to make the best decisions for your life - in the middle of your choices and not what you think or have been told you should be doing.
let me know how it goes,
Melissa, founder of #blkcreatives (click my name to see what I think I deserve, and feel free to use it as a framework!
Links that Help
Use social media, don't let it use you.
Jordan Peele’s newest anthology of new Black horror that has a cool ass name
Thinking of reaching out to a therapist? Here’s a template.
The TRiiBE team is hiring, applicants outside of Chicago (remote) welcomed
Pre-Order First Things First: Hip-Hop Ladies Who Changed the Game
Quavo Is Still Grieving Takeoff. He Went to Capitol Hill To Talk About It
A resource for mid-career fellowships
Trying to stay politically proactive? This newsletter is for you.
Ivy Coco Maurice on continuing the legacy of a Jamaican fashion pioneer
An interview with the director of a 90's cult classic
Until Next Week, Take Care!
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