The Blog Glow Up

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My Trip to Wakanda (Vlog and Semi-Review)

In honor of Black History Month, I took my first vacation of 2018 to Wakanda! The Wakandan planes are really nice. The food is actually free, there are no middle seats, and they have this technology that stops babies from crying. Can someone actually invent this airline? Or is this already available for people who fly first class?

In all seriousness I’ve been excited to see the Black Panther film since T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) appeared in Captain America: Civil War.

In the week leading up to me seeing the Black Panther movie, everyone and their mother was praising this film. I even saw an article that claimed that the movie deserved to win several Oscars, which is something that you don’t often hear about superhero films. I did my best not to let the hype get to me because I didn’t want my over inflated expectations to ruin the movie for me. With that in mind, I finally saw it during opening weekend along with my roommates and it exceeded my expectations. Here is a list of three things I appreciated about the movie (no spoilers!):

1. The women were amazing.

I almost wish I was 10-years-old again just so I can experience watching this movie as a little black girl. All of the women in Black Panther serve a purpose. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back- ALL OF THE WOMEN WERE NECESSARY. They each had their own distinct personalities and skills and, without going into too much detail, they defied what many societies expect from black women. T’Challa was cool and all but you definitely walk away from the movie with the sense that who the king surrounds himself with is more important than how capable he is when he’s alone. 

2. The nostalgia.

As someone who grew up with a West African parent there were so many moments where I was like “all my uncles do that.” In one scene Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) was annoyed with something Okoye (Danai Gurira) was doing and she made this noise in her throat that all irritated African aunties make. I’m not even capable of recreating that sound- just know that when you hear it thrown in your direction as a child you know you’re in trouble. 

3. It wasn’t just fighting.

There were some of your typical superhero film scenes that we’ve come to expect from Marvel…BUT those were well balanced with more character-driven scenes. As a result, these characters have helped spark some important real-life conversations.

In conclusion, WAKANDAAAA FOREVERRRR!

Check out my vlog below to see how I prepared to watch Black Panther (yes, I needed to prepare):

Your Creative Idea Isn't Special

The other day a friend of mine told me she was interested in starting a blog about cheese.

“I have all these ideas but I’m not sure if people my age will want to read about all of them,” she said.

“Just start. Starting is the hardest part,” I responded.  

“Sarah how many people do you know are interested in the history of cheesemaking? I don’t want to write a blog if no one will read it.”

“Cheesemaking is a word?”

My friend was suffering from a case of analysis paralysis. She spent so much time thinking about her target audience (or lack thereof) that instead of just starting her blog, the idea sat in the recesses of her mind gathering dust. In other words, she was paralyzed.

An actual image of you overthinking

What she didn’t realize was that the only audience she needed to cater to was herself. There are millions of human beings with an Internet connection, some of them are bound to care about the things that you care about. You’re not the only one who’s passionate about cheese.  

At some point you’ve most likely been told that you’re unique and it’s true. If we take your experiences, your upbringing, the way you write or speak, and your interests you are an individual. There’s no one else that’s just like you. But if we filter most of that stuff out and just focus on two things- a topic you’re interested in and you’re voice/the way the message is delivered you’ll find that it’s not “special” or “unique.”

If you love woodworking but you want to write about it in a no-nonsense tone of voice then guess what? There’s definitely someone else out there who also enjoys carving wood and likes it when people get straight to the point. Not unique. Pick up that pen and become the next Ron Swanson!

Five words: PARKS. AND. RECREATION. ON. NETFLIX.

If you love super cute desk supplies and decorating office spaces but you want to focus more on photos for inspiration and less on writing guess what? There’s other people who love turquoise staplers and bedazzled paper clips but can’t be bothered to read an essay on it. Not a revolutionary idea. Make that blog sis!

If you love cheese and you want to write about how this one has a smoky flavor and this other one reminds you of the French Alps but you’re a millennial who hates reading about these topics from a stuffy 50-year-old writing for Wine and Dine magazine, guess what? There’s a 25 year old out there who is on his way to some cheese convention wishing he had more friends his age that liked cheese as much as him. Cater to that niche audience!

You thought I was joking about bedazzled office supplies?

In all of these cases these blog writers were worried about if anyone would care about the best types of knives to carve mahogany or if anyone would want to read about the pros and cons of goat cheese. But these interests aren’t sooo unique that no one other than you would care about them. At the core of your blog idea or whatever creative endeavor you are afraid to pursue there’s other people interested in what you’re interested in. That’s what’ll get people to click on your blog link. What’ll get them to stay and keep re-visiting when you publish new content is how unique you are. The way you write about saws like no one else or how you’re the only person in their 20s who has made a blog about what cheeses pair best with your favorite red sauvignon. Your voice, experiences, and how your interests in other things informs the way you write about your blog topic. That’s what’s dope and separates your work from all the other stuff online.

Pair this finely aged dry wine with cheese in a spray can

Yes, you are a special snowflake and when we take the full amalgamation of everything you’ve been through there’s no one else like you, BUT I promise you that other people share your love for neon desk accessories. When you only write for yourself and not for the numbers, readers will respond to what you’re passionate about because you’re not holding anything back for their sake. Whatever your idea is, share it with the world- share ALL OF IT with the world- not just the stuff that’ll make you go viral. There will always be an audience for it, even if it’s just you and your super supportive grandma.

Broke & Boujee

Watch as I fight with my subconscious over my bad shopping habits… and make plans to be more responsible with my money going forward. Enjoy!

The Last Final Exam I Will Ever Take

This semester I graduated from university with a BSBA degree. A few months ago I thought about my last few moments as an undergrad. Would my last exams be difficult? Would I finish early on during finals week or later? What class would I complete last?

Weeks ago I learned the answers to my questions. The last final exam of my undergraduate career would be for a class called Hip Hop Dance Techniques I.

Check out the video below to see me preparing for my dance final:

The Moneybag Galz

When I was nine-years-old I started my first business. It wasn’t a lemonade stand (they don’t have those in Brooklyn) and I wasn’t a Pokémon card dealer. I had been an avid reader of American Girl magazine, which was produced by the same company that made American Girl dolls. These dolls cost about $100 each but as you can imagine the magazine subscription was much more affordable.

Anyways, I decided that I was going to start my own magazine. My target audience wouldn’t be young girls from 6 to 12 as American Girl’s was but instead I planned on going after a niche market- Ms. Thompson’s fourth grade class at Phyl’s Academy. Who could understand that audience better than me? I spent a whole school day with my 20 classmates from morning until afternoon. We fought, we played tag on the jungle gym, and we were forced by our teachers to do embarrassing performances during school assemblies. At that time I thought- if that doesn’t bring a group of people together I don’t know what will. Surely my classmates will support me!

The fact that I had more Barbies than dollar bills, had no professional camera, had no experience in publishing, and hadn’t even hit a double-digit age did not cross my mind at this point. I just thought that I needed to get some customers to buy into my idea and it would be successful.

First I had to assemble a team. I got four or five of my friends to agree to be my business partners and contribute to the magazine. Then we needed a name for the publication- some thing that was clever, that would inspire our fellow classmates to pay us for each issue. After much debate I became the founder and CEO of Moneybag Galz Magazine.

Our first issue included quizzes like who your celebrity husband would be (options included Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Omarion, etc.) and outfit ideas (using images we cut out of other magazines). Our investors were our parents who spent money on paper and ink so we could print out a couple of issues. For the cover I had to get my mom to buy me a Kodak* disposable camera, which I brought to class so my business partners and I could have a photoshoot during lunch. Somehow our classmates managed to find a way into the pictures.

An actual picture from our photoshoot

The day came when we debuted our first ever issue of Moneybag Galz. We wondered if we had enough issues printed out and who our first customer would be.

Turns out it was no one. Not one person purchased the magazine.

I don’t know why we thought we could make a profit from a bunch of fourth-graders. All of us were broke money-wise and our primary form of currency was candy and other lunch snacks. Fruit Roll Ups and Gushers were akin to having Benjamins back in the day.

During the summer before college (2013) I decided to make a Tumblr blog called “Technically An Adult,” which was an earlier version of the blog you’re reading right now. I had considered naming my blog “How to Adult” but a quick Google search made me realize that there was already a popularYouTube channel with this name. The channel focused on practical advice for young adults like doing your taxes and living with roommates. I had already planned to write about mental health, self-acceptance, and personal growth because I sure as heck didn’t know how the stock market worked or what a W2 form was.

I published two blog posts- one talked about what the blog was about and why I had decided to start it. The other was about social media and how the amount of likes I received on a post would affect my self worth. Within a week, the creators of How to Adult, which also had a Tumblr account, had found my blog and reposted my work on their site. Suddenly I had about 100 to 200 followers on Tumblr and I was paralyzed with fear.

I had an audience who had certain expectations of my writing. They wanted to hear what I had to say which was exciting but I didn’t want to write something terrible and then have them all unfollow me. If you visit that blog today you can actually see tumbleweed roll by because after I gained all those followers I quit blogging. The pressure I had created in my head was too much for me. I spent more time thinking about what I should write instead of actually writing because no idea I had was good enough (or so I thought at the time). 

 

Self-doubt hindered me from expressing myself creatively on Tumblr, which was very different from my experience with Moneybag Galz.  My friends and I threw ourselves into creating a magazine that our classmates would buy. Even though we were all broke nine-year-olds and no one bought our first (and last) issue, it didn’t take away from the memories we had of debating over the celebrity husband options, making collages, and taking silly pictures on a disposable camera during lunchtime.

Maybe the problem was that I spent too much time thinking and not enough time doing. If I had the attitude of a nine-year-old when I was 18, who knows where my blog would’ve been today? On NBC news perhaps? A topic of discussion among the Kardashians? Beyoncé’s bedtime stories for Blue? We’ll never know.

*Note: If you saw the words “Kodak disposable camera” and assumed that I meant to write Kodak Black or Bodak Yellow then you’re too young to be reading this blog.

The Nosy Cashier

It was lunchtime on a regular workday. I headed out of the office to walk two blocks to a sandwich shop.

“What can I get for you ma’am?” said the gum smacking cashier behind the counter.

“Um, can I get the chicken salad sandwich please?” I responded.

“Sure.”

I walked along to the register while an attendant assembled my sandwich. As the cashier rung up my order I reached into my purse to find my wallet.

“Why do you always order the chicken salad?” she asked. I paused, not sure if I heard her correctly.

“What?”

“You always order the same sandwich when you come here. One time you even brought your friend here and you both ordered the exact same thing then too.” Even her gum chewing sounded judgmental.

 

“Well, uhhhhhh.” I didn’t know which was more surprising- the fact that this lady knew what I ordered the handful of times I came here or the fact that she was criticizing me for it.

“You should try the Italian turkey; it’s way better.”

I will admit that I was not particularly adventurous when I ate at this spot. The chicken salad sandwich had this special mayo, dried cranberries, walnuts, and, of course, chicken on freshly baked Italian bread. I was eating a bougie sandwich and it wasn’t cheap, especially if you ordered chips and a drink.

The one time I deviated from the usual and got a tuna sandwich, I didn’t like how it tasted. From then on I told myself I would not waste my hard earned money on food at this restaurant unless I was pretty sure I would enjoy it. Better safe than sorry.

After the incident with the nosy cashier, I didn’t go back to that restaurant for at least four months.

***

There are people who go to the same coffee shop or restaurant on a regular basis and the minute they walk in the cashier knows their name and their order without even having to ask. The person behind the counter refers to their customer’s order as “the regular.” They strike up a conversation about topics only friends would think to ask you about like your recent vacation to Guam or your family drama. These loyal customers seem to always show up to the shop around the same time each day and their presence becomes a part of the daily routine of the place.

I have never wanted to be that person. I purposely avoid going to the same food places super often because I don’t want them to know what I’m going to order before I do or know what time I’m going to show up before I even step foot through the door.

My encounter with the nosy cashier had turned me paranoid. Suddenly I would have to think about if I had gone to a restaurant within the past two weeks and if I had I wouldn’t allow myself to go back for fear of being recognized by the employees.

I began to question whether or not I was adventurous enough. Do I make an effort to get out of my comfort zone in all aspects of life? The answer is no. In some ways I do but not when it comes to my food choices. Being an avid foodie isn't good for my wallet but that's not the reason I don't try new things all the time. I like to eat but I'm entirely comfortable with not checking out new restaurants every week.

Not me.

 

Truth is I don’t like the idea of people, mainly strangers, thinking that I always play it safe. Sometimes my idea of a thrilling evening is playing board games or reading a new book. There’s nothing wrong with me enjoying the familiar. But when does that become unhealthy? I suppose that depends on the person. Everyone's idea of adventure is different. Beyoncé performing in front of millions of people is just a regular Tuesday for her but it'd be a completely new experience for me.

I'm not avoiding new experiences out of fear but because I turn my energy towards other things besides going to new restaurants or ordering something different off the menu. Discovering new foods isn't really super exciting to me. It's definitely delicious but not high on my list of hobbies. I'd rather learn something new than eat something new.

So to the lady at the sandwich shop- mind your own business. To everyone else- be adventurous, whatever that means to you.