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I'm not 100% sure what my resolution(s) for 2016 even was... I'm sure I set one; pretty sure anyway. But then again I don't know when I finally realized that resolutions are pretty stupid. I mean, it's mostly just something no one ever completes right?  I guess it's just not for everybody. There are those people who can set and reach clear goals of any difficulty. I, unfortunately, am not one of those people. I've learned over this past year that I just sort of need to live "free form". I don't really meet goals or milestones and when I don't I feel like I failed somehow.  I'd rather feel refreshed and excited by trying something new or completing something old than like I have meet goals to please others or myself.  Because let's be honest, those resolutions aren't really for you. If they were they'd be personal, not blasted all over social media so we can feel good about others seeing how hard we're trying...

2016 Eisner Award Winning "Paper Girls" So what you probably can't tell from my absence is that I've been secretly working on "Project Motivation". I talk a lot about making lists, getting things done, and tackling personal projects; as well as being tired, worn out, and just plain not in the mood. All the while "Project Motivation" has been a go. Christmas was the best time to really put things into action. I got the whole week off from work which was much needed to recharge and focus on things I really wanted to do. I spent time with family, my boyfriend, and my fur babies and recently finally went shopping. Getting mostly things to change my living space up including a new desk and trinkets to draw me back into drawing and designing. I grabbed a graphic novel I've been wanting to start and fun bits and bobs. The major bits of "Project Motivation" have been set into motion or completed. Create a Workspace Create/Upd...

In a nutshell, I'm tired. And not the you're not getting enough sleep kind or the you're working too hard kind. If anything I'm not working hard enough! No, this tired is perpetual. Some days are better than others, but all in all I've realized I'm just a "Sleepy" type. With this realization I came to the conclusion that it's ok to be tried. Young adults get a lot of crap from "certified" adults about being tired. Like we don't work as hard or do as much, therefore our tired to them just sounds like lazy. Millennials are easily one of the hardest working age groups although it's not necessarily documented/paycheck type of work. We are the kings and queens of side hustles and personal projects. We refuse to work jobs we dislike and usually end up forming fruitful work environments for ourselves and our friends. We're bloggers, artists, podcasters, DJs, photographers, fashion designers and the list goes on. We work ...

It's thanksgiving and I know MOST of you are more excited for Black Friday than you are for free food. As a young person on a budget, the idea of  low prices on things we can't usually afford gets our blood pumping. But what if you could shop like this all the time? I could go into a long lecture about large companies, manufacturing costs, price inflation, and a all the little bits and bobs that most consumers don't understand when they're paying $40 for a sweater that cost $8 to make. (yeah, I just challenged your shopping choices) . But instead what I'll do is share with you why small businesses matter, why "Buying Local is Better", some of my favorite local shops, and what it's like being the child of a small business owner. To start, the definition of a small business is an independently owned and operated company that is limited in size depending on the industry. So a bakery employing 10 people and a manufacturing facility employing under...

My last hiatus was long and much needed. Feeling ALL the feels, getting sick, working on side projects, and just being completely exhausted in general kept me from thinking straight enough to form sentences; let alone a blog post. The hiatus was initially kicked off by the beginning of election season and all the horrific stuff that seemed to follow. 2016 has been a pretty gross year and I think everyone is just ready for January. Even as I tried to think of things to update you on I found it hard to maneuver around the stuff that sucks. But I did it. I've been ignoring ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to do with the election. And not just the presidential election. In my hometown of Baltimore, even local elections are smothered in controversy and sheer stupidity. Corrupt politicians trying to run again and young newcomers claiming they know how to fix everything. Don't even get me started on the presidential election. I know who I'm voting for and that's all that matte...

Celebrating my triumphant return to the blog with a Religious Holiday that represents the start of a "new year" for pagans and also celebrates the lives of those who have passed on.  Halloween as a religious Holiday is a joke to most as the real purpose of the Holiday has been mocked through the years and has now become a corporate fueled holiday, much like Christmas. For me as a new pagan, and as one who is leaning more towards the practices of herbal-ism and mediation, my Samhain (SAH-win) focuses on reflection and renewal.   But here's some stuff you probably didn't know; All Hallows Eve, Saints Day, and Halloween are Christian names. Most of today's Halloween practices are christian ones. Pumpkin carvings to ward off spirits and dressing up in scary masks was the christian way of "protecting" themselves from the Celtic practices that they believed were bringing evil unto the world.  Dia De Los Muertos is closest to the TRUE S...

I've noticed that at this point in my life A LOT of my peers are doing things that I find myself turning my nose up at.  They're buying houses, getting married, and having children. This is all fine and good for them, but I feel like I want to live a little more before I make these steps. Have some Chelsea time before I settle down. Now I'm not so out of touch that I don't have obligations and priorities. I'm not out here living it up and doing whatever I want. But between the Needs and Wants, I try to find a middle ground. Hence my Adult Life Checklist.  I chose 30 solely because I wanted to make sure I lived before I started making huge decisions like marriage and where I want to live for the rest of my life. Also, I can barely remember to feed my cats and myself sometimes, so feeding a little human is out of the question. Conquer a Fear - Now I'm not talking about locking myself in a room with a huge spider and sweating it out. I m...

I've narrowed my search range for inspiration by a lot. If you haven't noticed, I haven't been posting. As I stated in my last update it's a struggle to not be influenced by so much negativity when that's all there is these days. I could bore you with my adventures in the nerd-verse but I'd rather not... So instead what I've decided to do this next week is attempt to educate. I don't know a lot about certain topics but I'm willing to study and make sure I cover things with accuracy. Once a light is shined on certain situations, people who were ignorant can see them differently. This recently happened to me and it felt good to have my eyes opened, even though I felt a little like a fool. My education and upbringing does not mean I know more or less; it just means I know different. What I'm trying to say is that I'm tired of running head first into the ignorance of educated people. We suffer from a disease that makes us feel like w...

I've been trying to get away from all the negativity I see online these days. Although I haven't completely purged all technology yet, I have been debating it. Negativity isn't the only thing bothering me lately. I already care too much about what people think, and social media is not helping. Everywhere I turn people are crying for attention. There is no more actual CONTENT in the world anymore. And it's making me so mad. My Instagram feed is full of shallow females, pompous males, politics, and crappy brands. I literally shake with the want to punch the next person I see in the face. My blog content is being affected as well. With such a crappy mood and all signs pointing to such horrible things on the internet; I can't seem to pinpoint a topic that isn't around people dying, racism, hatred, or bickering over petty games and ideas. Detoxing the negative-nancy's, trolls, and instigators in my digital life might help. I'm avoiding the follow...

I don't know what I'm supposed to do or say in these situations. So in turn I choose not to watch the videos, I choose not to follow the cases, and I choose to stay quiet. Why? I don't feel as though i'm someone in a position to have an opinion about all this. This is not to say I don't feel a certain way about what I see. It turns my stomach and it scares me. Because only being afraid of receiving a speeding ticket is no longer enough, I'm now afraid of loosing my life. Cue eye-rolls from people who question my "blackness". My early opinions were along the lines of "Well if they just listened..." "If they cooperated..." "If they watched their tone..." The way I saw it, most people of color lacked a respect for law enforcement. But now these things no longer apply. Now even cooperating can get you shot. What is respect if it's bred from fear? I refused to believe that cops could be so cruel and downr...

Miss me? My hiatus was much needed and very refreshing. Even though I didn't cover everything I wanted to... I did manage to get some stuff done and have some meaningful revelations. New Pets - My first pet and first cat, Oliver, passed about 2-3 weeks ago. It was very painful for me as I felt as though I could have or should have done something. At 4 years I felt like it was way too soon. But there is only so much I am in a position to do for a pet. I have since been blessed with two black fur-balls of love that remind me of him everyday. New Job - I landed a new job almost completely by accident and it made me feel as though the universe was really looking out for me on this one. MaddGear Pro Sports reached out into the world when they were ready to bring on a Jr. Designer when they found me on Indeed. Take that LinkedIn! After one really chill interview I was told I'd be joining their team. At a time where the global office will be moved from China to the US the offi...

I hinted really heavy at this in the last update. Given I also promised a few posts before the next one – but anyway ... In short, my blogger mojo is gone. And in shorter, my life needs me. My interests lately have just moved to other projects and I can't seem to focus on writing good posts with meaningful content when my mind is someplace else. I plan to be back to posting by July 4. See you then.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT GOING ON. My complete lack of posts in the last week is directly related to what has been happening in my life. "An Unfortunate series of Events" is the best way to put it all together. It was a confusing mix of sad and happy times that demanded the full extent of my attention. I suffered several loses including my great grandmother, a classmate, and one of my cats. I took the time to cancel and start new projects, invite new pets into my home, and manage to smile despite so many negative happenings around me. It's also been hard to focus through how many horrible things the Media keeps throwing out into the world. And please excuse me but I've decided to keep my position on such matters to myself.  In a nutshell mu mind is elsewhere when I should be making time and brain-space for this blog. I've prepared two more posts for this week but otherwise I still haven't managed to really get back my energy. At least you'll hear f...

I used to be that person. Full of complaints with no solutions. Now I'm the person that will still complain (only the truth!), but I also make an effort to get off my butt and DO something about my "problems". The things I hear and see vary from things people want to do, to places they want to visit, and life changes they want to make. If you have so many gripes... why not just do something else? There are so many factors to consider when the time comes to make a change. I can promise you that I understand it. Some changes will greatly affect other things in your life while others will have no affect at all. For example, wanting a new job will affect the current job, the skills you may have to acquire or sharpen to switch, the time it will take to apply (and schedule interviews) , and the change to your income can affect your life negatively or positively. While on the other hand wanting to do something simple like learning to cook is as simple as GETTING OFF Y...

I actually haven't been up to much in particular. At least, not enough to really explain away my absence for the past week and half.  In truth, my routine fell apart. I lost all control of my schedule and my health so it took it's toll. Staying up late to game, stressing over work and bills, and somewhat losing the want to create hurt my sleeping patterns which triggered migraines. A chronic ailment I've usually managed to keep under wraps with proper sleep and eating habits.  Today is the first day I've felt pretty good and can reflect back on what I did manage to accomplish in the past few days.       I got to feel old and really proud as I saw two of my younger cousins off to prom and attended one of their graduations from my own Alma Mater. It was a graduation filled with 160 years of tradition with white dresses and a dozen red roses. It was very nostalgic and emotional for me and I'm very proud of both them. I've also slowly tried ...

School is out or finally over, no work on Monday, and it'll be hot and sunny all weekend. (In my hometown anyway) What are you going to do? Hopefully not sit in the house.  Now I love to do nothing as much as someone can love a thing. I literally make plans to do nothing and get pretty upset when those plans are ruined. But I've been slowly trying to do more because FOMO has ruined many a summer and spring break for me. Pull out your pen and paper kiddies; we're gonna learn some stuff today.  FOMO = Fear of Missing Out Fealing like something fun is happening somewhere without you. Although usually (in my case anyway) it's fact. Receiving or seeing a picture of your "friends" doing something awesome without you is easily the worst feeling. I'm training myself to not immediately feel as though they purposely left me out and instead think along the lines of positivity.  GOMO = Going Out More Often Is as easy as it sounds. It's the ...

I've been accomplishing a lot lately. Literally full steam ahead for the past month or so and I can say that it has paid off. My Twitter following is on the rise, as is that of this blog. With so many projects rolling along nicely my first flop hit me pretty hard about a week ago. Please allow me to step into my other self. The me that loves  anime, manga, and comics.  One of my side projects has been to bring a little taste of real life into what I experience among friends that also enjoy my nerdy indulgences and at conventions. My Facebook page and eventual channel " EchoTV " was to debut with a panel on diversity in cosplay at Otakon 2016; the convention's last year in my home town. When the convention emailed to tell me my panel application for "Cosplaying While Black" was denied, I was angry and wanted an explanation. (One I have yet to receive) In my rejection letter they basically say that they didn't properly go through all submissions ...

Sage bundle and turkey feather used in smudging. This post was very hard to work on and even harder to post because of the statement of fact I will make about myself. I choose to be a spiritual person rather than a religious one. The question, "Does God exist?" or "Do you believe in God?" makes me very uncomfortable. Because the me raised in church and catholic school would say yes because she should, while the me who LOVED world religions and grew into an understanding of people would say something along the lines of the idea of a god being real.  Despite where I am in my life with my beliefs, there are people and teachings I cannot turn away from. My mother, for example, who is one of the strongest and most pure christians I know, was the first who taught me that church is more than a building and who still makes sure that I pray when I feel it. I can't truly kick twenty years of teachings. But all the same I can't forget three...

The long awaited, once skipped, update #14! Which is not very exciting... Since my post last week about sleep I have had very little of it myself. I've bought several candles, oils, and tried many techniques. Even on the nights were I did sleep pretty soundly, that refreshed feeling only lasted but so long. Besides that I actually haven't been up to much. I've been mostly at a standstill as I try to get submissions for "Always Late" and plan my next few posts. I have otherwise chunked down most of my side projects and once I'm rested I can jump back into blogging and trying techniques to get new follows. I will do what I can to kick the dreaded Hiatus Bug. But no promises...

You are not nocturnal.  Fact. Human beings were not built to be up and about after the sun goes down. There is a REASON you feel like crap the next morning when you've stayed up late or gone out. Of course this isn't about going to bed at 8 and never hanging out. It's more about why you should make sure you sleep well and regularly.  Sleep is an integral and highly necessary part of being able to function properly.  I promised myself I'd never miss a weekly update. But there was no Humpday Update #14 because I couldn't even formulate words yesterday. I was SO TIRED. The notion of "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is not cool or cute. Having your body shut down on you, even in the smallest ways, can obstruct how you go about life during the day. It's something I've been seeing since I started college and I was even guilty of it myself. Pulling an "all nighter" was the norm, scrolling through social media until 3 am ...

What we don't see often enough are people who uplift each other.  And what people don't seem to understand is that complete strangers can have just as much power over us as our closest friends and family. Surprise surprise, it's not about caring what people think. It's about being human. So claim that no-one influences you because you're just so strong and I will happily ask you to have a seat and stop living in the clouds. Someone seeing a situation in your life from the outside can say a lot about you and how you carry yourself. It can also say a lot about whether the right or wrong people are guiding you through your life. Or whether the advice you've received in the past was definitely not for the best.  My decision to study Business when I entered school was my decision. But it was my decision for the benefit of others, not for the benefit of myself. One person, one art student, and the only art student who tagged along on a business ...

Trying to up my reader traffic and my follower numbers has me severely in the dumps this week. I've been looking at other blogs and reading through as many articles as I can to figure out what I'm doing wrong only to find out I'm not wrong. I'm just talking to a small group of people. This was still enough to really upset me. These posts and articles were basically telling me that because I don't talk makeup, food, interiors, fashion, and anything else not quite as important to me, people don't care. I am very adamant on trying to prove this wrong. I will not sell out to have a popular blog. I feel as though being there to share my experiences and suggest good practices for living comfortably and happily as a young adult is more important than me chiming in on make-up trends and telling you how to dress or take care of your hair. I know and follow several beauty and hair bloggers and their following baffles me. They are great at what they do, ...

I am the master of picking up a million things and starting a dozen projects without considering the time and energy it takes to get them moving. This often results in potentially amazing endeavors going unfinished and forgotten. But if there is one thing I have been trying my hardest to master, it's time and task management. I have also come to the very grounding conclusion that as a young adult I am not the only one going through this. Our generation largely lacks the funds, time, and resources to get some things moving. Which is why it's important that we not dive headfirst into things we won't have the means to fix when it falls apart. Besides that, this post is more about how to prioritize things we need and want to do. Overall, everything I'm tripping over is fairly simple. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH OF IT! So step one: Make a List. My list looks something like this: re-vamp workspace gather artists and writers for art magazine get funds for pr...

I am learning to take life as it is. Mostly because I've come to understand that certain situations and scenarios will come as they please. You have to go through life with some pep in your step an your head held high. Since my last update a lot of things were packed into each day both good and bad. The greatest thing being that I turned 24 on Monday! The worst thing being someone hit Victor (my car) and kept going. Over the course of the last seven days I have noticed how different of a person I am since my last birthday. I have a drive now that I didn't have before; and with that drive I'm feeling the real joy that comes with finishing a project or taking big steps toward the future. Rather than stressing about what the next day will bring (or how much money it'll bring), I'm excited about the opportunity to start something new. Nothing is more freeing that taking life one day at a time. You can't plan for everything and you can't win them al...

As someone who is pretty new to the blogging world I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that there was an award that could given; from one blogger to another as a way to help new bloggers gain some traction. The over all point of this award is to help, meet, and network with other bloggers. As well as show that you are part of a larger web of bloggers that have started a wave of helping people be heard. I spent a solid two weeks mulling over my nomination and trying to decide who to nominate. I ended up with a list of people I know or knew personally at some point in my life as well as a few that I don't know, but are blogging staples in my city. Despite my urge to help those close to me, my nominator for this award is a Style/Lifestyle/Beauty blogger from North London; Robyn Samantha . Thank you for my nomination Robyn! Now, before I start the meat of the post, here are the "rules". Thank and link to the person who nominated you. Give 11 random facts ab...