Thanks for seein' about a girl, friend. here's where I'm writing my own history—for you, for me and anyone else who needs to laugh to keep from cryin' every once in awhile.

'Cause Sistahs Are Doin' It For Themselves!

So I'm riding this wave of oh-right-I-do-have-a-blog . Who knows when it may break, but for now 'tis fun. What's making it so fun is that I've found some much-needed inspiration, courtesy of my homeslice at work, Latoya. She recently teamed up with one of her girlfriends to create a place online "that both artists and those who appreciated the arts would enjoy. No gossip, no negativity, just a positive space that celebrates art and the artist. A place where we could tell our stories, share our triumphs and most of all shine a light on our art." We've both spent years writing in countless journals, on random sheets of paper, at the desks of our day jobs; years of nodding along in agreement when our friends implore, "You should be a writer!" or "You should write more!"

Well, here we are. Comments welcome!

Sidenote: I adore all of my commenters immensely. If I've neglected to shower you with appreciation or respond to your initial comment, I'm sorry. THANK YOU for sticking with me, for reading my observations. You keep pushing me; it's needed.

So now we've got ourselves a li'l writerly accountability partnership and it's so nice. The fact that we spend close to 40 hours each week together provides the easiest inspiration. Writing is now officially Latoya's side hustle; it's building to (hopefully) big things, good conversations, new discoveries. For me, it's once again becoming a passion--something I just want to do regardless of where it may lead.

I love how I post something and it spurs her to whip out that notebook, and vice versa. I love how those notebooks now sit firmly and readily on our desktops. Our side-eyes at random work emails now come with ever-so-slightly raised eyebrows that whisper, "Is this material I should could use for something?" And if either of us whip out those headphones, it's game time. The surge of enthusiasm about writing generates so much energy. It makes the day job work happen more efficiently, with greater purpose, because we have to clear out the mental space to harvest an opening line. Water cooler chat now includes mini-brainstorms about editing, best times to write, favorite pens ...

The thing about somebody else shining is that it's very hard not to be warmed by that light. I guess that's why I get so irked with people who immediately opt to throw shade. Isn't it just easier to bask in that light, absorb it and then see what you can do with it? Someone else shining should fuel you. Whether it's my daily gchat chums, my #alwaysbeadventuring friend, my published writers/beacons, my mom-friends motherin' all these beautiful babies, my movers and shakers--seeing them be their crazy beautiful, laughter-filled, sometimes messy, smart-thinkin' selves makes me better. We have to keep each other lifted, so shine on and thank you for lighting many a way for me.

Watch This.

My Dear Interns, 4 Points of Advice