Month: October 2016

Currently

currently-october

Reading: I’m always reading about five books at once. One I just recently started is I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi . As you would expect from Awesomely Luvvie, the is laugh-out-loud funny and “a guide to getting some act-right online and in real life.” In the book introduction Luvvie writes, “This book is what Millennial Iyanla Vanzant would give you before you get to the point where you have to sit on her couch for fixing. Luvvie will be speaking at the Blogalicious conference next month in Atlanta which I’ll be attending, with a hard copy of her book and a fresh Sharpie in tow.

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Why You Should #BlogLikeCrazy

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Could you publish a new blog post every day for 30 days?

That’s the question I pose to the women of See Jane Write every November for our annual #bloglikecrazy challenge.

You may be thinking that blogging every day for 30 days is, well, crazy. But I’m a believer in the saying “Crazy just might work.”

Here are three reasons why I think you should blog like crazy with me this year.

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Why You Must Share Your Story

every-woman

The women in my world are warrior women.

They are strong. They are brave. They are courageous.

They are not warrior women because they are flawless or because they live perfect lives or because they never fall apart.

They are warrior women because when they do fall apart they find the strength to write themselves back together again.

They are brave enough to share their stories. They are courageous enough to show their scars because they know their words can help heal other women’s wounds.

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Why I Won’t Shut Up About Being a Girl or Being Black

black-girl

Lady. Babe. Girl.

These are three of my favorite words,

but some of my fellow feminists believe I should expunge them from my vocabulary.

Yes, I am a feminist, which means I believe in the equality of the sexes, which means I want equal pay, equal opportunities, and equal respect.

This does not mean I want society to pretend I am not female.

Earlier this year a widely read blog for female creatives wrote a eulogy for the popular hashtag “#girlboss.”

“Would a man ever call himself a boy boss?” the writer asked.

Probably not. But who said I was trying to do business like
a man?

A reader of my own blog, SeeJaneWrite.net, took offense recently when I called myself a lady writer and referred to my personal notebook as my lady journal.

Look. I get it. I understand that “girl,” “lady,” and “babe” are all words sometimes wielded against women as a verbal weapon to put us in “our place.” But it was when I decided to reclaim and redefine these words for myself that I found the courage to take my place. I found the courage to take a seat at the table and, with all my girl power and lady might, flip the table over.

I don’t call myself a girl boss so I will be less threatening to the male ego. I call myself a girl boss because I want you to know I can take your job while wearing pink and flipping my hair, if that’s what I choose to do.

This is why I won’t shut up about being a girl.

I’m also not going to shut up about being black…

Read the entire article at B-Metro.com. 

I Am a Mess

women who inspire
In October of 2015 I was honored by Girls on the Run Birmingham as one of four local “Women Who Inspire,” along with Girls on the Run founder Molly Barker. But at the time I didn’t feel very “INSPIRATIONAL.”

A year ago today I was at the Clubhouse on Highland being honored by Girls On the Run Birmingham as one of the city’s “Women Who Inspire.” I walked through the door and was greeted with handshakes, hugs, and a hot pink sash that read. “Inspirational.” I draped it across my body noting the nice contrast with my grey dress. I smiled as my proud husband took my photo for the obligatory Facebook and Instagram posts.

But I felt like a fraud.

I didn’t feel inspirational. I felt like a mess.

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