I haven’t had much to say because I’ve been both busy and void of any sort of social life. I don’t know why (actually, yes I do and I wrote about it here) but I just have had no interest in being around other humans. Not physically, at least.

I’ve written in the past about loneliness and that loneliness persists, but I’ve actually been able to enjoy my solitude. I’ve been more creative, learned more, and explored more. Not outside because I’m not the hiking type. But emotionally, yeah. While I still like people, I feel infinitely more peace away from people. At least for now.

But this post isn’t about that. This post is about a rat in Paris.

I’m about to completely spoil Ratatouille, so if you haven’t seen it…stop reading!

In the movie Ratatouille, Remy’s a rat with lofty dreams of becoming a chef. But he’s, you know, a rodent. So his dream seems far out of his reach. Instead, he finds himself behind-the-scenes and under a hat, puppeteering a clumsy young man named Linguini. It’s through Linguini that Remy gets a taste of what it would be like to be a real chef…but with none of the credit.

The two are essentially living a lie. Linguini feels mounting pressure to keep up the performance of a faux master chef, while Remy hides away, never allowed to be his full self. What’s a dream if you can’t be free while living it?

So many of us wake up and hammer ourselves into an acceptable, uncomfortable shape in order to achieve our “goals”—but at what cost?

Yeah, you got the job you worked 10 years to get, but you sit in your car in the parking garage deep breathing every morning before slogging through the day. Yeah, you finally saved up enough for that vacation you thought you wanted, only to spend it snapping polished photos for Instagram rather than enjoying the experience.

And obviously, I do the same. Here’s me at a bookstore posing instead of actually browsing for books, ha.

Anyway, the pressure builds and Remy and Linguini just can’t keep it up. They have to come clean and set themselves free. Backs now against walls, Remy and his family of rats end up cooking for a hardcore food critic and Linguini admits that he’s not the mastermind behind the kitchen doors.

And you know what happens next?

The critic writes a warm review. He admits that while not everyone can become a master chef…a master chef could be anyone. He says Remy is brilliant. And all’s well until…the health inspector shuts down Linguini’s restaurant and the critic loses his job and his credibility.

Ouch.

But that’s not the end.

I’ve seen and admired those who can rebuild after being stripped of worldly markers of success. Sometimes by choice. Like my fave Scarlxrd, who was once a popular goofy Youtuber, but wiped it all and re-emerged as a successful screamo rapper.

I’m sure people in his life were perplexed. Doubtful, even. But he disappeared and emerged cooler, louder, and draped in all black, unafraid to be what was truer to him. Even if it turned others away.

Remy, Linguini, and the food critic live their truth and “lose it all” (because, I mean who wants a kitchen full of rats all up in their food!). But in the end, they gain their peace of mind. Together, they open a small restaurant where Remy can freely cook, the critic can freely enjoy, and Linguini no longer has to perform. Everyone is happier. Do they have proper acknowledgment and praise from the world at large? No. But even still, they’re living the dream.

In the real human world, I’ve read testimonies on LinkedIn from professionals who worked their asses off to make it into major companies and prestigious fields. After burnout or lay-offs or contract terminations, they end up switching gears and living their best lives working at bakeries. Or on a farm. Or helping with a small businesses.

Anyway, I share all this to say…

If a brain surgeon can quit his job and find more peace in nature, so can you.

If a goofy YouTuber can rebrand into a screamo rapper, so can you.

If a rat in Paris can rebuild, so can you.

Black Girl Book Fair - Spooky Edition!

The virtual Black Girl Book Fair is back for part 2! In October we’re getting spooky and celebrating Black women in horror. We’ve already hit 1,000 tickets!

Grab Free Tix!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Long time no speak. I apologize for both my distance and this wild subject line. But…it’s literally true. I’ve been lightly promoting my upcoming novel, Tuesday’s Blues, and nothing was really hitting. Not the plot description. Not the cover art. Not the characters. It wasn’t until I posted a spicy little comic that will be included inside the book that people seemed to get “it”.

Is the entire book about vampires gleefully feasting on their situationships? No. It’s actually about the dangers of apathy, of seeking comfort through intimacy to hide emotional pain, and of letting your dreams mutate into nightmares. But if a little vampire smut is what it takes for people to get into Tuesday’s Blues, so be it!

You can pre-order for Kindle here. And hardcovers here.

Check out the rest of the comics on my Instagram! Share them in your stories, repost them, comment…everything helps!

My Black Girl Book Fair is two weeks away…ahhhh! We’ve hit over 10K followers on our Instagram account, and are less than 40 tickets away from 7,000! Can you imagine 7,000 readers in one space? I’m genuinely so excited, and I appreciate every single person who has played any part in this fair.

Grab Tickets

Check out some amazing creators who have covered us:

• Livin’ Like Lana made the cutest TikTok about us! Check it out!

• dug into the origins of the idea!

• Secrets & Legacy Media interviewed me about building my own table!

• EDR Media gave us a shout-out!

• Goodie bag sponsor SaturdayAM wrote about us!

Other Events to Check Out!

Dripped in Lit will be hosting a Bookish Baddie Kickback in Atlanta on April 25th! Enjoy an afternoon of bottomless mimosas, vendors, music, giveaways, and more…including my books! 🤸🏾

This event is the same day as my virtual Book Fair, and part of our live interviews and activities will be streamed at the event!

Black Writers Weekend has been going on tour! They’re bringing their literary festivities to six US cities this year. They’ve got vendors, incredible speakers, and are even streaming a documentary. Take a look at what they have to offer!

This email was more like a commercial break. But we’ll be back to expressing feelings and analyzing cartoons next week.

Thank you, everyone, for rocking with me. I appreciate it more than you know.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Before I get into the topic at hand, I’ve got to let you all know I got my nails done. They’re super cute but unusually long for me, and so I’m tip-tapping on my keyboard like a child learning how to type.

This will affect the quality of what I share here, I’m sure. Also, I have a few updates to share at the end of this newsletter! Anyway…

Where are all the sensitive people?

I imagine there are many of you here, reading this. But in my real, tangible life, true deep thinkers slip through my fingers like sand. Every person I’ve ever truly found fascinating is always out of reach. Far away. Riding a different wave that never crashes into mine. And the people who end up wedging themselves into my physical life with their rehearsed lines and well-crafted masks always end up faking their depth. And I see right through it. Usually late. But the reveal is inevitable. Like a Scooby Doo villain.

All the rare, kind, sensitive souls I’ve ever met, the few ones with pure hearts and eyes that hold an ocean of emotions, are in hiding. And I don’t blame them. When you harbor a heart made of gold, you want to protect it. That’s why roses have thorns. But when you’ve spent your whole life posturing for protection, you end up pricking the finger of someone who only wanted to water you. You’ve been hurt, and now you don’t know who to trust, so you push everyone away until you wilt.

I’ve been on both sides of the garden.

Out of all the posts I’ve written here, there’s only one I regret. Only one that, in hindsight, lacked true nuance. I still felt how I felt, but someone can be a decent person and still hurt you. Someone can have a good heart and still prick you. And I don’t want to paint anyone who’s trying their best with broad brushstrokes when they’re really a spectrum of colors.

Anyway, I’m currently trying my best. Balancing protecting my heart from masked villains with bad intentions, while also leaving room for imperfections and well-meaning gestures. I love my thorns for protecting me, but I have to trust the gardener and their pruning.

If you’re sensitive and guarded, I see you.

It’s okay to hide until you feel safe. Your thorns formed for a reason. There are truly terrible invasive species that want to snatch you from your roots. But don’t forget you deserve to be watered. And never forget to face the sun.

If you’re one of those sensitive souls, tell me where you feel most safe?

Leave a comment

Updates!

The Black Girl Book Fair has announced new guests and sponsors. Including IDW Publishing, Wondaland Arts Society, and NYT best-selling author Ayana Gray. Grab your free tickets here!

ATL-based anime-inspired party brand Trap Sushi curated a playlist for the fair! Check it out here. And if you’re in the DC area they’re throwing a One Piece inspired day party this weekend!

Also, I wore an outfit that I really liked 😆. Granted, I’ve worn it before, A LOT. But the blouse hits every single time!

Vote for Monster High @ The Zelda Awards!

If you enjoyed Monster High: New Scaremester, vote for us for best series! Click here and search Monster High and votttte.

Tuesday’s Blues

My spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, has a new release date! Its March release has been pushed to April 28th. If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! I suggest placing a separate order for pre-orders vs. ordering available merch!

Grab Your Book!

If you’d like the Kindle version, pre-order on Amazon here.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

It’s been a very busy time for me! I have dropped the ball on communicating changes, and I’m trying to keep up. I apologize! 🧎🏾‍♀️(this is me kneeling before you, asking your forgiveness as I weep). But here are the updates I’ve got for youuuu. First up:

I Don’t Know What I’m Doing!

Most people don’t, from my observations. We all learn as we go and grow. But sometimes what we’ve learned becomes obsolete over time, or…..it’s just completely wrong. Unfortunately, we live in a world that rewards coldness, so admitting you’re wrong is read as weakness. And people would rather be wrong than feel weak…

…at least that’s what I took from watching Atlantis: The Last Empire for the first time.

In Atlantis, the bad guys don’t think they’re the bad guys. They’re simply willing to step on others in the pursuit of profit. To them, that’s smart. And those they take from are, well, not smart. It takes a few morally grey characters standing up for what’s right to take the baddies down—but only once those grey characters own that what they’ve done is wrong.

It’s not easy to admit when you’ve made a mistake or acted outside of yourself. But it is brave and righteous to try to make things right.

Anyway, this was supposed to be about me struggling to juggle everything and being an expert at, well, nothing. But with all the talk of Top Model floating around, maybe the direction this went is relevant!

Leave a comment

Black Girl Book Fair

My virtual book fair made more noise than I expected. We’ve hit 3,500 ticketed attendees, I’ve grown the Threads account to over 7,000 followers, and our Instagram just hit 4,000!

This is a book fair for those of us who grew up on Magic School Bus and Lizzie McGuire. The girls with the glitter gel pens and Lisa Frank binders. Who wanted to buy up the whole Scholastic Book Fair but…couldn’t. It’s for the now-adults who still like books but love to stay in the house. If that sounds like you, follow us (once the page hits 5K, I’ll host a giveaway) and grab your free ticket! Every ticket enters you into a raffle for awesome prizes…plus each attendee gets a virtual goodie bag!

Free Tickets!

If you write about books, events, or bookish events…please write about the fair! Share in your group chats. Your Facebook groups. On X, on Threads, on Instagram. Everywhereeee.

Vote for Monster High @ The Zelda Awards!

If you enjoyed Monster High: New Scaremester, vote for us for best series! Click here and search Monster High and votttte.

Tuesday’s Blues

My spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, has a new release date! Its March release has been pushed to April 28th. If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! I suggest placing a separate order for pre-orders vs. ordering available merch!

Grab Your Book!

If you’d like the Kindle version, pre-order on Amazon here.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

I can’t believe it’s been three years since I started this newsletter…wow. I appreciate every single one of you who are still here, reading all of my strange little alien thoughts. But what I don’t appreciate are the ways this world makes it so hard to simply exist. I just want to eat grapes and read weird books. Maybe watch some weird anime/cartoons. Collect cool dolls. Swing pinkies and blow bubbles and twirl in little frilly skirts.

Instead, we toil endlessly under capitalism while watching evil “people” get away with doing evil things. It’s hard out here.

I do twirl and eat grapes and do “nothing” from time to time. Well, my version of nothing…which is usually still some kind of income-generating activity. And even then, I feel extraordinarily guilty. It’s like I’ve been programmed to think that any moment spent in peaceful bliss without trying to make money is a moment wasted.

I often feel compelled to stumble into the woods and scream.

And sometimes I do. Sometimes I just want to find the loose seam in my human suit and tear it apart like a werewolf transforming under a full moon.

But it’s a fleeting thought. One that gets pushed out by the constant call to perform. Corporate professionalism. Small talk. Reading between lines I can’t see. All the while, my emotions rattle around my brain like a pair of dice, landing in the folds and planting thoughts about the world. So many thoughts.

But, as part of my 2026 Baddie Transformation™, I want to make sure to embrace life’s magical moments despite all the dread. There are things we can’t control, things we can with great effort, and things that are totally up to us! And for me, I find joy in:

• Reading strange stories. You can follow me on Goodreads to check out what I’m reading!

• Playing dress up, which you can see on my Instagram. It’s pretty much just become an outfit dump, ha.

• Giving myself verbal permission to be myself. I recite in the mirror that it’s okay if I’m uncanny and awkward. It’s okay if I’m a little quirky. And it’s okay if I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.

• Taking photos. It’s like art to me.

• Resting. I love soft blankets, fluffy pillows, warm tea, and dimly lit rooms!

• Buying little cakes to celebrate micro milestones. Something about getting a cake just makes every perceived “win” feel much more impactful.

Also, intermission! The Black Girl Book Fair is growing fast! Learn more about the event and grab your free tickets here.

Anywho, happy Black History Month to my fellow bizarre Black women! Tell me what brings you joy these days in the comments.

Leave a comment

If you want to check out my personal cake-worthy Black History wins, take a look at this post! One day, capitalism will release us from its iron grip. But until then, blow those bubbles. Buy those figurines. Call a friend and laugh. Dress up as your fave characters. Say awkward shit. It’s okay.

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

I’m no stranger to bone-crushing burnout. And as the world continues to demand more from us while giving us less and less, I’ve personally turned to consuming (and creating) more indie art to cope.

One of the projects I’ve come across that spoke to me is an animated proof of concept by creator Kayla Davis. Her pilot animatic, Skelly, is about a burnt-out creative with a skeleton in her closet….and he comes to life! Real, surreal, and right up my sad girl alley!! I knew I had to talk to her, because I wanted to understand what inspired such a cool concept. Luckily, she was kind enough to chat with me…

J: Hi, Kayla! Can you please tell the Sad Girls who you are and what you do?

Hey, Sad Girls! I’m Kayla M. Davis — creator, animator, storyteller, and the slightly chaotic brain behind Skelly. I’ve worked in design and motion graphics for years, but Skelly is my baby. I run Good Bones LLC, and I’m building this entire animated series as an indie creator with the help of an incredible team, The Skeleton Crew. I love telling stories that are funny, weird, honest, and a little too real sometimes.

J: As soon as I read the synopsis for the pilot episode of Skelly, I knew it was right up my alley. A burnt-out creative and the skeleton in her closet? Yup, give it to me, haha. What inspired your story?

Honestly? My life.

I hit a point where burnout wasn’t just “being tired at work” — it felt like something was literally living in my closet, waiting for me at the end of every day. That heaviness, that pressure, that creeping presence that whispers, “you’re not doing enough”? That was my Skelly.

Instead of running from it, I decided to give it a voice, a personality, and eventually… a whole universe. I wanted to explore what it looks like when the things we hide — our exhaustion, hopes, fears, trauma, dreams — step out into the open and demand to be acknowledged.

The story is inspired by every creative who’s ever felt unseen, overwhelmed, or stretched thin but still pushes to make something beautiful.

J: Thank you for sharing! What pieces of media have inspired your creativity?

I pull inspiration from everywhere. A few big ones:

• Glen Keane and Don Bluth — the OGs who made me fall in love with animation

• Shows that blend humor and emotional gut punches, like BoJack Horseman

• Adventure Time and Steven Universe for their heart

• Atlanta for the surreal realism

• And honestly? Indie creators on the internet. Seeing people build worlds with what they have inspires me constantly.

Anything that mixes “this is funny” with “ouch, that hurt a little” lives in my creative zone.

Jacque’s note: YES TO ATLANTA. YES TO DON BLUTH!!

J: So you suffered from burnout yourself? How did you overcome?

Absolutely — Skelly was born out of it.

Burnout hit me hard: physically, emotionally, and creatively. I reached a point where I wasn’t sure if I even recognized myself outside of work. I overcame it by:

• Letting myself rest without guilt

• Creating something for me, not for a client

• Surrounding myself with people who understood the struggle

• permitting myself to slow down

• And eventually, turning my burnout into art — literally bringing Skelly to life

I’m still learning balance, but Skelly has been my therapy in motion.

J: Any advice for others dealing with the same?

A few things I wish someone had screamed at me sooner:

• REST. If you’re tired, stop.

• Your worth isn’t based on how much you make or create.

• Boundaries are your best friend.

• Stop trying to be a machine — you’re a human being with limits.

• Give yourself permission to make something silly or fun just because.

• And please, don’t wait for permission to start your dream project.

You don’t owe burnout anything.

J: What do you want people to feel when they watch Skelly?

I want people to feel seen.

Like, “Oh wow… That’s me. I’ve felt that.”

I want them to laugh, maybe get a little emotional, and feel understood.
Skelly is for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed, overlooked, stressed, or like they’re carrying way too much.

More than anything, I want people to walk away thinking:

“Okay, maybe I’m not alone in this.”

Additional. We are still trying to gather some funding to finish up Skelly. Here is a GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/c3100c94

Jacque’s note: Thank you, Kayla! You are a breath of fresh air! Thank you for creating something many of us can deeply relate to.

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably already seen this, BUT I’m hosting a virtual book fair with other magical authors and Black-owned businesses! It’s called the Black Girl Book Fair, and we’re throwing back to the Scholastic Book Fairs of our youth, with a free shoppable catalogue, giveaways from Black-owned brands, and a TikTok live chat!

The Fair is meant to amplify voices often pushed into the margins of mainstream publishing. From how hard I go marketing my books, you can tell it’s tough out here for independent authors, let alone independent authors in “weird” genres….let alone Black independent authors in weird genres.

I appreciate you guys. Thank you for sharing my books and leaving reviews. Thanks for reading my words here as well! I’m hoping the Fair helps alleviate some of the marketing pressure on myself and others who create despite having either no backing…or very little backing.

You can grab free tickets here!

Free Tickets!

Free Money!

To celebrate the existence of the book fair, I want to give you some money 💅🏾🤸🏾.

Here’s a $7 giftcard that works on everything on my site for the next 48 hours! That includes e-books and already discounted posters, sooo you’d be getting posters for $1 and just paying shipping. And, of course, merch! Use code: BOOKFAIR7 at checkout.

Shop Bad Bitches Love Good Books

Now, does the math, math? Maybe? Maybe not. But that’s for me to deal with hahaa, enjoy the discounts, Sad Girliesss!

Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! I suggest placing a separate order when pre-ordering vs ordering available merch!

Pre-orders help authors make their book rollouts and launches super magical. I appreciate any and all support, as I’m super excited for this one 🤸🏾. It’ll be just as fun as my rollout for ‘I Live to Serve the Witch’—maybe even moreso! The discount code also works here!

Grab Your Book!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

As we continue on with our 2026 baddie transformation era, I wanted to share the three difficult yet necessary things I’ve done to grow from totally frustrated to peace-filled and hopeful.

1. Protect yourself like you’re your own best friend

The next time you find yourself feeling mistreated, ask yourself, “If I were my own bestie (which, you should be), would I let them be treated this way?”

If the answer is no, get up on out of there. Either through physical distance, emotional distance, or both.

It sucks because you will hurt people’s feelings. But…people will hurt your feelings, too. We all hurt feelings. It happens! Just set your boundaries and stand ten toes about yourself. You are the only person 100% looking out for yourself.

The more you practice saying “this is not okay with me,” the more confident you’ll feel.

2. Let things go!

Bad bishes don’t hold grudges. They just don’t. It’s proven that holding grudges can affect your mental and physical health. The better you feel, the more you’ll glow! And I found myself feeling lighter and freer the minute I decided to move forward and let go of past hurt.

On my birthday, I wrote about life lessons I learned last year, and one of them was to hand bullies their shame back.

The point of bullying is to shame you into hating yourself. They want you to feel small and isolated, so you don’t think you can survive without them, while also making your time in the environment miserable. If you leave, they’ll have nothing else to bond over. So just call it out, hand them their shame back, and remove yourself.

I still stand by that. Part of being your own baddie bestie is defending yourself. However, once you’ve done that? Remove yourself and releasssssseeee.

Learn the lesson you need for the future and try your best to move forward. That doesn’t mean whatever happened is okay, but it means you’re not letting it harm you more than it already has.

Note: Everything is nuanced, and sometimes you’re stuck and can’t move forward for one reason or another. Sometimes the harm is ongoing. In those cases, make a plan, ask for support, and be patient with yourself as you figure things out.

3. Read good books

I’m not sharing this just because I write books myself. But…if you want to read my books, I’d appreciate it, hehe. Anywho, we recently read A Magical Girl Retires in my book club, and it made me reflect on things like capitalism, climate change, and financial stress. Simply reading the book gave me a boost of confidence as well.

“Reading a book (particularly a novel) can not only help diminish negative emotions and encourage positive ones, therapists have found, but also heighten an individual’s self-worth and self-esteem.”

-Psychology Today, 2023

My goal this year is to read just as much as I did when I was younger. When I consumed stories like how I’d breathe air. I want to expand my mind (because baddies are forever learners), deepen my empathy, and cultivate my own creativity.

It’s not easy getting back into the habit, but the payoff is everything! This is the next book on my list.

What are the hard things you’ve done to feel like a bad bish? And stay tuned for more tips!

Leave a comment

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

It’s a new year, and I don’t know about you, but I’m done with my self-loathing era. In fact, I posted about it the other day:

Stop shrinking yourself. It’s not protecting you like you think it is. Self-flagellation only invites others to take turns handling the whip.

It’s true. Self-loathing gives others permission to join in on the “fun”. Especially if they’re not feeling great about themselves. But this post isn’t about them. It’s about you. And I need you to remember you’re a baddie butterfly waiting to rip yourself free from your cocoon. Maybe you just need someone to give you permission to crawl out and unfurl your wings. So, I’m giving you permission. Today!

Ad Break Before Diving In!

There are new tees on my website! After a year of shouting ‘bad b*tches love good books!’ on Instagram, I decided to finally make merch. Take a look, and snag a t-shirt so you can wear your baddie, bookish heart on your chest.

Shop!

Support the Diary!

Here’s how we’re going to transform into our baddest selves in 2026:

Look in your mirror and affirm yourself.

I mean it. Every morning after you’ve showered, while you’re doing your skincare or your makeup, look at your reflection and speak kindly to yourself. Say, “You’re so beautiful. You’re so loved. I’m so proud of you.” If you feel silly…keep going. Positive self-talk is proven to improve health and lower stress…two things that also make you glow on the outside!

We often yearn for love outside of ourselves, while forgetting we’re also a human with a beating heart, and all the love we have stored up for others, we can shower ourselves with.

Dance in your room!

People say “trauma is stored in the hips,” and I don’t know how true that is, but I do know studies have shown that moving your body can help you reduce symptoms associated with trauma exposure. Sometimes after a good sob, I’ll play some music and act like I’m having an early 2000’s dance battle…alone…in my room. I always feel better after.

Educate yourself!

This year I want to read more fiction. But I also want to learn more. Baddies like Elle Woods taught us you can’t be a bad bitch without a big brain! While higher education can be/get pricey (trust me, I know)…there are other ways to stay informed. Like signing up for one-time online courses/seminars, checking out books from the library, reading Substacks (hehe), and chatting with knowledgeable people.

Wanna learn from me? Check out my brand-building workbook! After leaning into my weird and growing my audience by over 70,000 people in less than a year, I know a thing or two about using your strangeness to make money, ha.

Buy the workbook!

Learning a new skill, or new information skyrockets self-esteem and if we wanna be bad bitches, we need that!

You can be a baddie on a budget!

It’s 2026. We’re not shaming people for wearing synthetic wigs or press-on nails. Switch up your hairstyle, match your nails to your mood, or try thrifting to add unique pieces to your wardrobe.

These are just the beginning stages of the cocoon-busting baddie transformation. Once you’ve mastered positive morning mirror talk, nighttime twerking in your room, and casual learning, then we’ll move on to the good stuff. Stay tuned!

Anyway, tell me your baddie transformation secrets in the comments!

Leave a comment

How to Be a Better Adult — In Motion!

In case you missed it, I had my main characters from my How to Be a Better Adult series animated. They’re so cute and gloomy. I love!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Happy New Year! I wanted to put you on to the coolest Webtoon I’ve read in a while. And if you’re a lover girl like me (ha 😅), I know you’ll love it too!

In the world of Huemans, people wear their hearts on their sleeves, erm, actually, on their skin.

Those with a yellow hue are bubbly, pinks are flirty, reds are confident, etc. And just like colors in our world, in Huemans each shade has its perfect color match. But then there’s Amber…

The comic follows Amber as she yearns for love and dates all the wrong shades—including someone masking their true colors (which is wayyyyy too relatable). Anywho, I’m obsessed with this comic, and when something becomes a hyperfixation, I have to learn everything about that! Luckily, the creator, David, was kind enough to answer all my burning questions…

J: Hi David! Can you let my readers know who you are and what you do?

Hi Jacque! By day, I'm a designer and creator at an ad agency, making content for various brands. When I'm not doing all that, I'm an animator, illustrator, and a little bit of a writer! I'm obsessed with visual storytelling and metaphors that allow me to connect with others. Bonus points if I can successfully tell an impactful story with no words. That's fulfilling for me.

J: Can you tell us about your latest WEBTOON creation?

Huemans is a telenovela/nollywood-style anthology series about characters in a world where your personality determines your skin color, and one's level of emotional or mental health and wellness is reflected physically. (Ie: high stress can evolve into a broken bone or depression can equate to skin issues) In a world like this, how would people take care of themselves? How might they try to hide their internal struggles? Our first case study is with Amber, a yellow-orange lover girl who just wants to find love but ends up in a whole world of trouble and self-discovery as she processes more about herself than anything else.

J: I’m obsessed with Huemans, truly! As a woman who writes about feelings, you’ve perfectly captured modern dating. What inspired the storyline?

I'm glad to hear I've done a good job in capturing the female experience! I'm naturally inquisitive, so I like to listen to women's perspectives, and in doing so, I came across an old video by Dr. Spirit in 2020 where she used an analogy based on colors, where our own poor self-defense mechanisms can have adverse effects and keep us from missing out on fulfilling relationships.

She sort of used it in passing for a specific point, but, being an artist, I could see how this could be expanded more in-depth visually, and that was what sparked a super mini comic. Apparently, 10 slides weren't enough, and people wanted to know more, so I kept going, but I wasn't prepared on how to write a well-paced story, so I got burnt out. Over time, my Patreon encouraged me to try again, and now I'm rebooting those first 10 slides but now in a full, well-paced story.

J: How’d you think of comparing soulmates to color pairings?

I love this question so much- mainly because I no longer believe in soulmates (or soul ties for that matter, but that's beside the point). That belief is embedded in the world of Huemans as a soft, unspoken rule- however, the beautiful thing about colors is that they can all work really well together if you know how to use them. I believe this same principle applies to people; we all have our preferences, but in most cases, people can have great, long-lasting relationships with people who may not be their typical "complementary type". This isn't explored right away, though.

To answer the question more directly, if we're talking about the analogy for finding a great match to finding a "complementary" or "analogous" match, this comes from my color theory background in school, where we're taught that certain colors are more appealing when used together, and when paired, they can make a well-balanced portrait. Applying this concept to dating highlights how we may have a certain picture in mind, and those perceptions dictate what we think is best for us and how we should show up in our relationships.

J: In the comic, many of the characters mask their true colors after heartbreak. This masking means missing out on their perfect color match. How common do you think this is in real life?

Whew, I think it's another pandemic. There are so many horror stories and weird experiences in the dating world, yet so much hope for long-term, fulfilling relationships. So in an effort to preserve one's heart, one may disguise oneself so as not to be found by predators, but in doing so, cannot be found by the lover they seek. Love requires vulnerability, and that's what makes it feel so incredibly dangerous. We aren't intentionally gentle with one another, and therefore, we end up in constant defense mode when all we want to do is relax with someone who's trying to understand us as much as we are for them.

J: I love the drama in your world! It’s reminding me of shows like Girlfriends and One on One, but I’m wondering…what do you think the solution to this masking problem is?

I’m glad! The messy drama was actually inspired by Jane the Virgin. I wanted every episode/chapter to have at least one new plot twist or lore drop so the chapter doesn’t feel empty. But I think if we want to solve the masking problem in the Hueman’s canvas and our world, it’s very complicated and we’d need a whole table talk, but these two things come to mind first:

a.) intentional self-reflection so that we can have realistic expectations of others and accept them as they are

b.) a healthy standard of our own boundaries and how we can serve others according to their needs

I think if more people upheld these two principles, it might do the sorting for us so that we're not as worried about ending up with the wrong person or predators. It still helps us to not naively fall for anything not meant for us yet also reframes how we can show up more cooperatively instead of only prioritizing ourselves. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but I think it's a start.

J: You make faith-based comics, which I love! How does your faith tie into Huemans?

Thank you! I'm pretty upfront about my faith in Jesus but for projects like this where the Gospel isn't the center, the last thing I want is for the content to be preachy instead of just good. I'm greatly inspired by Tolkien and C.S.Lewis. How I've come to think about my projects is that I want it to be faith-informed but not faith-forced. This is exemplified by characters like "Gogh" or even short, cute prayers or signs sprinkled throughout the narrative.

I find that it's far more powerful to be suggestive and give readers the room to speculate for themselves rather than forcefully serving them my faith. I try my best more and more to respect the reader's intelligence and serve metaphors that are Jesus-inspired but still give them room to interpret in other ways if they so choose.

J: What’s next for you? And where can we find you on the interwebs?

A lot is on the way! If I'm not working on this story, I'm working on a Bible Anime called Eterna (formerly What Had Happened Was), where we explore different characters in the text, and right now we're focused on making the Book of Daniel. I'm also working on another secret animated series set to come out in 2026 as well, but more details on that soon! I also love making black romance and black fantasy manga stories, which you can find on my Patreon. There's a ton of stuff on the stove while I try to maintain my day job, but you can find me on all socials and YouTube as InDaviduall.

Jacque’s note: Thank you, David! These were such thoughtful answers. Looking forward to exploring more of the incredible world you’re creating!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

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Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

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I probably should’ve done this before Christmas, ha. But I released new merch! A shirt I wore went viral earlier this year, and after waiting it out to see who actually designed the original (because it’s from Shein), I decided to just make my own version!

For the hot girls who read books

And for those of you who have read How to Be a Better Adult, I’ve got some cutesy ’90s-inspired Blossom Scout tees for you! If you haven’t read the book, you’ll have no clue why these scouts are so cool. So…read the book! hehe.

Shop!

And there are also new “spiral” notebooks. Like a literal spiral. Not the metal spine, haha.

Shop Journals

I Live to Serve the Witch posters are on sale! If you love the cover art and don’t think you’ll ever read the book…or if you read the book and fucks with the cover art…this one’s for youuuuu.

Poster me!

If you’re interested in books, hardcovers are still sold out, and restocks are at random once a year. However, you can purchase e-books directly from me!

Securing Small Business Sponsorships for 2026!

If you’re a small business interested in my niched down niche of fashion, fiction, and feelings, you can sign up for sponsorship options here! I have limited slots and can’t choose everyone. But! Still apply, and let’s see if it’s a fit! This opportunity is only for small businesses.

Sponsorships

I forgot to share here, but Firefox featured me! Read more about me and my online safe spaces here.

Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! I suggest placing a separate order when pre-ordering vs ordering available merch!

Pre-orders help authors make their book rollouts and launches super magical. I appreciate any and all support, as I’m super excited for this one 🤸🏾. It’ll be just as fun as my rollout for ‘I Live to Serve the Witch’—maybe even moreso!

Grab Your Book!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Our December celebration of joy continues! I was actually inspired to write this post by a friend who’s playing movies in her Discord all day for those spending the holiday solo. I thought that was the sweetest gesture, so I wanted to pay it forward and offer something, too!

I usually spend this time alone…by choice. There’s no deep meaning behind it or anything. I just tend to be reflective and want space to think as I transition into a new year. So, I’ll go ahead and say that makes me an expert on these matters, ha. And since I’m now a self-appointed expert, here’s how to spend the holidays alone:

Support the Diary

Don’t mindlessly scroll

Seeing the gift exchanges, matching pajamas, or the sprawling family dinners in real time can amplify any loneliness you may feel. It’s okay to check in on everyone’s holiday and show love after it’s over.

If you’re like me and the isolation is by choice, it’s still a good idea to tap out of the constant scrolling and tap into yourself.

Plan virtual meet-ups!

Just like my friend, you can plan a virtual Christmas movie marathon. Or virtually hang out with friends. If you’ll be up late on Christmas Eve or early in the morning on Christmas Day, you can hang out with me on TikTok!

I’ll be going live from 12 am EST until 10 am EST. I won’t be on for 10 hours straight, but I’ll be live on and off between those times, playing DJ and chatting about feelings as I do. Catch me if you caaaan!

Curate the vibes!

Celebrating alone means celebrating how you want! Order food (you may have to order today, depending on where you are, or buy ingredients to cook beforehand), curate your perfect playlist, and light your fave candles. You can decorate your space however you want—it’s not too late! Check out this Sailor Moon-inspired tree by Moonies Club. So cute! Grab some tinsel, a small cheap tree, or maybe balloons…dance around your bedroom…read a good book…play dress up games…whatever makes you smile.

Make a gratitude list.

Nothing fills me with more joy than taking note of the things I’m grateful for. I’m personally happy for all of you who read my weekly ramblings. Thank you for allowing me the space to write about emotional expression, crushes, sad times, and happiness. Thank you for your submissions. I appreciate you all so much!

Send loving texts.

Last year I decided to randomly text old co-workers to let them know I enjoyed working with them. I may hate Corporate America as a concept, but I adore the people I’ve met along the way, ha. This is the time to tell people the little things they’ve done that have changed your life for the better. You never know who needs to hear it!

Be lazy.

If you have the day off, be lazy! Lounge around in comfortable clothing. Take a nap! Don’t do anything laborious. Rest your mind. It’s okay to just chill.

Pray.

Prayer, meditation, whatever you prefer to call it ✨ It’s always a good idea to focus on what you want, what you’re grateful for, and acknowledge what you’re releasing.

And that’s all folks! Happy Holidays!

Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here!

Pre-orders help authors make their book rollouts and launches super magical. I appreciate any and all support, as I’m super excited for this one 🤸🏾. It’ll be just as fun as my rollout for ‘I Live to Serve the Witch’—maybe even moreso!

Grab Your Book!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Our December celebration of joy continues! Now, you may be scratching your head, wondering what’s so joyful about turning down invitations to brunch, but…walk with me here, ha.

In my novel, How to Escape Death, Mona Kitt is an apathetic, psychic Corporate Futurist who hates her job. And, because she can see the futures of everyone she meets, she kinda hates everyone around her too.

When you know a person will cheat on their wife, or steal from their boss, or commit fraud, you tend to lose faith in humanity. But, besides that, she also chooses to see the worst in everyone. And yet, week after week she attends a baddie brunch, and week after week she’s miserable.

The tradition Teddy spoke of was their monthly “winner’s circle”, where each baddie shared a “win” since their last brunch. A circle jerk of corporate self-congratulation. Everything that Mona had grown to hate.

Part of Mona’s problem, besides being emotionally cold, is her adherence to the status quo, despite despising everything about it. But it’s okay to say “please don’t invite me to your baddie brunch”, if you don’t want to be invited to the baddie brunch!

Many people confide in me. You wouldn’t know it, because I tend to lurk in the shadowy outer crust of every group I find myself in, but people get me one-on-one and tell me, well, everything. And that’s how I know many people struggle with the same social overwhelm. The same discomfort. The same urge to throw their napkin in the wind and toss their mimosa onto the floor.

I don’t blame anyone for playing along, though, because these social games seem to be imperative for our survival. But I’m convinced you can find ways to make it work for you, rather than forcing yourself into an uncomfortable shape.

For example, you can skip the baddie brunch and suggest meeting people one-on-one in a different setting.

• Go to an arts and crafts workshop, where you can chat but also have something to do with your hands.

• See a play together, and you can gush about the soundtrack after.

• If you’re like me and love thrifting, you can check out a new second-hand boutique and put together outfits for each other.

• Or, attend the brunch, but leave early.

In Mona’s case, she’s really only passionate about weed. So, maybe a visit to a dispensary while shopping for the perfect strain, then smoking at a park together over sushi.

One thing I’ve learned about joy this year is…you have to cultivate it. Define it for yourself. Then hold that definition close. And everything you do should water that seed within, while still tending to the tiny world around you.

I think we’d all be a bit less miserable if we let ourselves be ourselves, while surrounded by those who accept us for who we are. It could all be so simple.

(Except capitalism purposely dilutes our ability to find our tribes and build with them. It also rewards sociopathic behavior, which is counterintuitive to joy for many of us. In addition, we get worked to the bone, so those brunches serve as a way to see everyone you need to with the limited free time we have. But…do what you can with what you’ve got! Joy seeking in the face of the cage we’re in is a form of resistance.)

I Love Strange Women

But, I mean, we already knew that, ha.

Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here!

Pre-orders help authors make their book rollouts and launches super magical. I appreciate any and all support, as I’m super excited for this one 🤸🏾. It’ll be just as fun as my rollout for ‘I Live to Serve the Witch’—maybe even moreso!

Grab Your Book!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Our celebration of joy continues. And today? We’re celebrating what makes you unique. I’ve written about feeling alien in more ways than one. The discomfort of being different and never really fitting in anywhere. Always saying the “wrong” things. Following a script you didn’t write and never got in the mail. But! Being an alien isn’t always a bad thing. It means you’re outta this world 😎 (corny, I know—but true!).

If you’ve been feeling alien lately, watch this video:

And if you have any tips or mantras that help you, please share in the comments!

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Self-care can look like magical mushroom-themed photos.

I love planning creative photo shoots. I’ve been doing them for years! Something about imagining a theme and pulling it off with little to no money just makes my girly heart sing, ha.

The other day, I wasn’t feeling great. I knew to get out of my head, I had to get out of the house, so I dragged myself up and headed to what I thought would be a small photography shop. All I needed was a tripod… but instead I found myself in an overwhelming, multi-story shopping center. There were too many sounds, too many people, I hadn’t eaten enough food, and I just wanted to break down and cry.

But I didn’t want to waste my makeup.

So I fanned away the tears, breathed through my nausea, and ended up taking the cutest pics ever.

Did these photos solve all my problems? No! But they delayed the puking, stopped the incoming tears, and left me with more content to promote my books.

When I was much more depressed, I used to scoff at the “little things”. It felt like sticking tiny bandages on huge, gaping wounds. When I’d be asked, “What are your coping skills?” I wanted to scream. Because listening to music, journaling, and painting don’t solve the many heavy problems that plague this world. But really, without these little bursts of joy, life would be all suffering. Even if the happy moments are fleeting, and the pain seems to linger…we still need those moments. It’s what makes us human…erm, I think?

Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! Only printing a LIMITED amount with this cover. Afterwards? The main Grim Reaper-free cover will be the only one available.

Grab Your Book!

Zelda Awards Voting!

Nominations are open for the Zelda Awards!

If you enjoyed Monster High: New Scaremester, please nominate me for best writer ✨

Nomination!

And that’s it! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you are enjoying our joy-filled December. Will the woefulness return in January? Yes, actually. As I’m planning to release short stories about despair. But…they’ll be fun…I promise!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

I’ve been pushed to dust off my YouTube channel, and I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t use it as an excuse to punch the concept of “Adulthood” in the face.

Support the diary!

This still counts as part of my temporary rebrand of this space as a “Diary of a Happy Black Woman” since I find glee in spewing my gripes against the MACHINE™.

Anywho, many of you have never heard my voice, and I suppose it’s by design. I’m no orater. And I always sound slightly ditzy and much duller than I actually feel inside. I giggle nervously, and according to an unhinged Instagram troll, I have dead eyes (and to be fair…I do. 💀). But, here I am speakinggggg because in 2026, video will continue reigning supreme, and y’all know I have books to sling, ha.

As you watch the video, you’ll notice I say this: “I didn’t know about the hazing that happens when you get a job. And then you don’t get treated well until you’ve earned your stripes. But I was born with stripes.” And you know what? I really ate that!

Years ago, I once started what I thought was my dream job—working in marketing at a beauty company. We had a virtual meeting to prep me for my first day at the office, and I sat there with the biggest smile smeared across my face. Head nodding. So nervous but so excited. They told me they had a “big task” waiting for me, and I’d be starting tomorrow.

“Ahh,” I thought, “a chance to prove myself!”

The next morning, I slid into my painful, pointed flats and donned a cute little corporate outfit. I was ready to sit in my private office making spreadsheets, planning content strategy, and creating aesthetically pleasing presentations. But when I pulled up to the office, I was met with snickers and cold shoulders. The two women who greeted me led me past the offices, past the kitchen, and into a sprawling warehouse. They handed me a stepladder and motioned towards towering stacks of products.

“This is your project,” they hissed. “Organize all of these productssss.”

I looked down at my uncomfortable shoes. I glanced at the stepladder. Then the sky-high stack of boxes. Working in the warehouse wasn’t part of my job description, and I didn’t mind it…but I wasn’t dressed for it. That’s when I noticed the women giggling and scoffing. Heat rose to my cheeks and ears, and I realized…I was being taunted.

After weeks of covert abuse, I spoke to my manager.

“Oh yeah,” she said, knowingly. “It took about two years before they treated me like a human.”

Like a human.

I didn’t deserve that treatment, and neither did my manager. Even after those two years, she’d still sigh with relief and sheepishly smile at any crumb of approval from these ladies. I was shaken by this display of catty power-wielding and offended by the idea of earning equal treatment through small acts of humiliation. I didn’t last long at that job.

Note: Situations like this inspired many scenes in my novel How to Be a Better Adult! Purchase an e-book here.

We weren’t born to be hazed in a corporate office by women wearing kitten heels and ill-fitting pencil skirts. To type away at a glowing computer screen while being berated via email by a middle-aged man in a loose tie with sweat pooling around his collar. Or to be emotionally strung along by anyone who doesn’t see your value.

You don’t need to earn your stripes when you were born a TIGER.

I personally believe we’re all made equal. We’re valuable simply because we exist. Think about it. You were conceived and pushed out of a canal and thrust into a world with all the natural resources you could possibly need. You came from somewhere, grew from a tiny bean, and now you’re here. What a miracle.

Unfortunately, just like a tiger, we’re immediately shackled and caged. Kept in the captivity of capitalism, where we’re taught to shrink ourselves until we’ve “earned” the right to stretch and pace a bit further out of our enclosure.

But those shackles are imaginary. We’re only psychologically bound. Never forget you were born fierce. Born powerful. Born free.

And you deserve to be treated with care and respect. These are not things you ever need to earn. If you find yourself in a space where you’re working for basic care or begging for respect, bare your teeth and demand it (if you can)! Or…leave (if you can). You’re a tiger, boo.

While we can’t really escape certain responsibilities, just remembering your nature can add a pep to your step. It can make answering those emails and filling out silly paperwork a bit more bearable, I think. Because, at the end of the day, a tiger is still a tiger. Even if it’s in a cage.

No one can take your stripes away.

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Tuesday’s Blues!

Don’t forget, my spicy, monstrous romance novel, Tuesday’s Blues, is coming sooooon! If you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! Only printing a LIMITED amount with this cover. Afterwards? The main cover will be the only one available.

Grab Your Book!

Wear my character Hope on your chest in my How to Be a Better Adult unisex tee! It’s cutesy ✨🤸🏾

Shop Now

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Just a reminder that for December, this space has been rebranded as a celebration of joy. And what’s more joyful than pink-tinted magical girls on skates?

So you can imagine how hype I was when creator Pearl Low (they/them) agreed to chat with me about their latest project, Wheels & Roses, a sports-themed magical masterpiece! Keep reading to learn more about Pearl and how they find joy through the magic of creation.

J: Your Wheels & Roses concept trailer just dropped, and it’s cute af! What inspired you to mix “magical mishaps and roller skating mayhem”?

Thank you so much for watching our trailer! It was 2019, and I was at a point in life when I was really thinking of quitting working in animation. To keep me going while I was in this confusing time, I did what I usually do, and gave myself more work lol. Even when working full-time, I tend to always have at least one side project I’m working on. To bring me some joy, I thought I’d try to make a magical girl story (one of my favourite genres).

I started thinking of characters and sketching them for fun, and around this time, I was also getting into roller skating. I wanted to add something special to my story, and roller skating seemed like just the thing, but then I thought, “...what about roller DERBY?” I also really enjoy sports anime, and I think at that time I was watching Haikyuu–!! and felt like I wanted to create a sports anime type of story too.

So, because I couldn’t choose one genre over the other, I just decided to put them both together: the magical girl genre, and sports anime genre. I’m so glad that people are also enjoying this mash-up of genres in Wheels and Roses.

Jacque note: Geniusss!

J: Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? What’s your background?

I’ve worked in animation for over 10 years, and have worked in publishing for 5. My favourite types of stories to tell involve MAGIC!

I am the Director and Creator of the magical girl meets sports anime project Wheels & Roses, and have directed at Sanrio and Studio Smokescreen. I have storyboarded on projects such as Hair Love (Sony Pictures Animation), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network), #1 Happy Family USA (A24), and Canvas (Netflix). My work has earned myself an Oscar for Best Animated Short film for “Hair Love”, an NAACP Award for Outstanding Short Film for their work on Canvas, an NAACP Image Award nomination for my episode “A League of Maya’s Own (Craig of the Creek)”, and an Annie Award Nomination for Best Writing TV/Media for their episode “Whose Dimension is it Anyway?” (Craig of the Creek).

In Publishing, I have worked for Scholastic, adapting two volumes of the series, “The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids” into graphic novels. I’ve also worked for OwlKids magazine and Great Books Foundation, creating educational and engaging illustrative materials for children in grades 2 to 5.

Outside of work, I’m a person raised in Vancouver (Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh & Musqueam unceded territory), Canada. Vancouver’s ocean and mountains shaped who I am, and my cultures and love for animation shaped me into a storyteller. I’ve always been drawn to stories with magic – the magical girl genre had a huge influence on me as a child– and seek to create fun art that reminds us of our humanity, and how we can grow with one another.

J: Thanks for filling us in! What draws you to the magical girl genre?

Looking back, I think the magical girl genre drew me in because it was a sort of escape for me! I was raised in an abusive household, as well as a super anti-Black city, and there were so many ways I was told that the way I existed was wrong. Watching magical girls on TV felt like perhaps one day I could be like them. I could be a rollerskating magical girl (Cardcaptor Sakura) and be super powerful, or leave my small town and build a new life for myself (Kiki’s Delivery Service). The magical girl genre always gave me hope and inspiration… a light in dark times during some points in my life.

Nowadays, I feel like the genre is where I can earnestly express my desire for my characters (and to speak to people watching my art) to live their best life, or be as messy as they want. The genre can be such a nice blend of action-adventure, magic, and slice-of-life stories. Personally, I really care about friendship, and I feel so comfortable talking about friendship through the lens of this genre. A magical girl is badass, but life still can get in the way, and they still need the homies!

J: What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome on this journey thus far?

I think the biggest challenge is a tie between Wheels & Roses being “too genre-bendy” and “too queer”. I’ve run into a lot of no’s when pitching this story around because of these two aspects. Not staying in one lane, genre-wise, is “too risky”. Add having characters that are queer into the mix? EXTRA risky. I’ve heard so many things from, “just don’t tell people your show is queer”, “we can’t show kids being queer, so we can’t work on this”, to “your concept isn’t marketable”.

At some point, I just really got tired of hearing all that and decided to make Wheels & Roses independently. I’m not trying to have my third-eye wide open on this (*shing*), but sometimes people tell you no because what you’re doing is outside of the definition they have for you as a creator. ESPECIALLY when you’re a (queer) Black woman, I feel this is true.

I know I’m a great creator, and regardless of what people tell me, I will continue to live my truth. Not out of defiance, but out of respect for myself. I am a storyteller, and storytelling is what I will continue to do.

Plus, I just want to have FUN making cartoons!!! Haha.

J: How do you want people to feel when they watch Wheels & Roses?

I really want people to feel like they’re having a blast while watching Wheels & Roses. I specifically also want queer people to feel seen and safe to enjoy a story made for THEM, CENTRING them. I also want people to feel like they need to pick up some skates and have some fun!! Haha.

J: What brings you joy?

So many things! In no particular order: bubble tea, roller skating, movies, animation, drawing, petting cats, spending the day with a friend/my partner, studying languages, and eating good food!!! The list of things that bring me joy is long, and that’s something that I’m really grateful for.

J: What’s next for you? And where can we follow along?

I’m really wanting to continue to expand the story and world of Wheels & Roses. Whether that’s create more animation, or a book, I really feel like I want to build more of this series. In the near future though, what comes is next is Wheels & Roses’ Proof of Concept animated short dropping in JANUARY 2026! I’m really excited for everyone to see all the hard work Orange Blossom Studios (my studio) and our partner NuBoom Studios have done.

You can follow Orange Blossom’s social media to see more:

YouTube: @OrangeBlossomStudios

Instagram: @OrangeBlossom__Official

X: @ StudioOrangeB

TikTok: @OrangeBlossomStudios

Jacque’s note: Thank you, Pearl! Your project brings me joy! I can’t wait to see where you take it!

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

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Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

As the year comes to an end, this space will temporarily switch gears from introspective lessons on love, loss, and forgiveness to celebrations of joy. The truth is…I’m pleased.

I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I think a lot. And as I spent the days after my birthday mulling over what I want out of life, I came to the conclusion that I’m thoroughly content.

I’ve learned the lessons I needed to learn this year. Met incredible people. Ate incredible food. Had a passionate (doomed) romance. Ran my third successful Kickstarter. Wrote my second Monster High Series. Had two songs written about me. Exponentially grew my audience by being myself. Been to four(!!!) countries. Released my first collection of poetry and published two novels!

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I also wrote some of my best essays this year (even Firefox, THE INTERNET, noticed my efforts, ha), and had amazing guest writers—like Theee Librarian himself.

There were some hiccups…like USPS “mysteriously” losing 40+ book boxes *cough cough* intentionally stole them because, come on…but I honestly don’t even care. I was blessed to resolve all the issues that came up. In fact, the more woes that were sent my way, the more I shared, and the tighter my community held me. All the while, my reach grew wider and wider. I hope whoever ended up with those books gave them to people who appreciate them.

I can’t forget my first limited edition collector’s book! Shout out to Satisfiction. You can shop the book here if you missed the initial run.

Life’s never going to be perfect, smooth sailing. There will be bumps in the ride, but it’s those bumps that wake you up. It’s the tripping up that propels you forward. You’ll never appreciate standing up triumphantly, fists in the air, if you were never knocked down. Maybe I am an alchemist, after all.

Anywho, feeling content is a powerful thing. Because I want for nothing, I have everything. My power lies in the fact that my desires are things already in my grasp…and nothing more.

I appreciate this space and all who read! If you have any submissions to share about joy, now’s the time to send them! To submissions@jacqueaye.com.

Things I Love

• Authors in pretty dresses ✨

• This novella!! Someone read it and tell me your thoughts.

• My book! Ha, I Live to Serve the Witch is GOOD

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

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Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Today’s my birthday, yayy! Considering I didn’t think I’d get here two years ago? I’m feeling pretty hype. While I won’t share how I’m celebrating (it’s a secrettttt), I will share some life lessons I’ve learned this year. Hoping they speak to someone out there!

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#1. Do what you want!

At the top of the year, I wrote this:

I want to write and travel and live in the wind. I want to avoid the MACHINE™ as much as I possibly can…I want to curate spaces for others like me, to scream into the void to others like them. A greenhouse for wilted flowers.

After I typed my flurry of words, I realized just how simple my desire was. Why was I pressuring myself to be more than what I wanted, and letting outside voices determine my worth?

I did end up writing and traveling and living in the wind. Well, I continued to. And I managed to avoid the MACHINE™ entirely. It took a lot of sacrifice, though. When it comes to curating spaces for others, I opened up this space for other voices, and I’ve learned so much from you all.

Moving forward, I hope to continue doing what I want while drowning out society’s imaginary capitalistic pressures.

#2. Care and confusion should not co-exist.

When someone cares about how you feel, they don’t go hot and cold. They don’t neg or jab or mock you. They don’t try to orchestrate weird shit behind your back. They communicate with you. Even when it’s awkward. Even at the risk of a misunderstanding. This is a major lesson I’ve learned this year.

If you’re dealing with any kind of relationship, platonic or otherwise, and you feel constantly confused…that’s a sign you should focus your attention on healthier connections.

#3. Hand bullies their shame BACK.

When you find yourself in an environment where you’ve been chosen as the group’s whipping boy, the best thing you can do is hand them their shame back.

Someone’s spreading rumors about you? Ask them about it. Directly. They’ll feel flustered and stupid when they can’t justify it.

Someone’s covertly poking at you? Don’t suffer in silence. Bring it up in front of others. Now the embarrassment is shared.

Someone keeps making backhanded comments about you? Ask them to explain what they mean. Then watch as they stutter and stumble while heat rushes to their cheeks.

The point of bullying is to shame you into hating yourself. They want you to feel small and isolated, so you don’t think you can survive without them, while also making your time in the environment miserable. If you leave, they’ll have nothing else to bond over. So just call it out, hand them their shame back, and remove yourself.

#4. Someone is waiting to meet a person like you.

I was recently told, “You’re the best person I’ve ever met”. And I wanted to cry, ha. Even with my awkwardness, my emotions, and the way I spew my guts in public…people in my life still think I’m cool. And I think they’re cool.

There are books I’ve read that I adore. Easily five-star multiple-read material. But when I check the Goodreads rating, it’s a 3.4! And still…I love the book! I just know that those other readers may have a differing taste.

And sometimes it’s that simple.

#5. You’re allowed to love yourself no matter what.

As much as I lament, please don’t get it twisted. I love myself.

I don’t care if I’m rich or poor. Sad or joyful. Annoying or chill. Even in those times when I feel “alien,” I still love myself! In every season. In every situation. I may struggle with understanding people when they act strangely towards me. But that’s because I love myself so much, I feel genuinely confused by it! I’m just a sexy alien on a boring planet, and that’s why I feel lonely, haha. I’m rare and seeking others like me. 👁️🤸🏾

In all seriousness. You’re allowed to love yourself, even when you’re not where you want to be. Even when you’re not the best version of yourself yet. Even if society tries to pummel you.

#6. Ask for what you want.

The worst you can hear is “no,” which leaves you at the exact same point you started! Even if you don’t get exactly what you ask for, you might leave there with something. So…try!

All year, I’ve asked for assistance. Shares, features, support, etc., and I’ve been surprised by how many kind-hearted people out there are willing to lend a helping hand. Don’t be afraid to be in community with people. And be a helping hand when you can as well.

#7. Create what you want.

Okay, so I’m writing a novel/comic hybrid about a broke musician who sleeps with Death and summons the monster under her bed to help her pay rent. It’s the kind of story that no one would get if I tried to pitch it. So, why try? I can just make it myself!

And if you missed the Kickstarter and would like to secure the exclusive alternate cover (pictured above), you can pre-order here! And because it’s my birthday, here’s a $5 gift. Use code: BIRTHDAYGIFT5

Grab Your Book!

#8. Forgive yourself.

We’re all flawed humans. Process, and let that hurt go.

And that’s it! Or, that’s all I feel like writing right now, ha. If you’d like to help me celebrate my birthday, please share your thoughts about this space in the comments. Or tag photos of my books on social media. Or snatch up an e-book.

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Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful year! Here’s to many more years of telling strange stories and normalizing emotional expression.

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

Hey, Sad Girls!

So, I gave in to the hype and watched Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Spoilers ahead…

If you’re unfamiliar with the tale, which…I doubt you are, but I feel like I have to explain anyway, Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant, but troubled scientist. After losing his mother as a young boy, he becomes obsessed with playing God and creating life—but better. With some funding from an eccentric man with more money than he (or anyone) needs, Victor’s able to do just that. After a dark and stormy night, he shocks life into a corpse…creating the monster.

Frankenstein was a beautiful film (Literally. So aesthetically pleasing.), and Jacob Elordi deserves to win some kind of something for his role as the monster. But it was heavy. Even for a woeful woman like me, ha. So I chased it with the campy, palate-cleansing ’90s comedy, Death Becomes Her—a movie about two vain frenemies who take an anti-aging potion and fight each other to the death.

And it turns out both movies had the exact same themes.

In both Frankenstein and Death Becomes Her, the main characters’ actions are driven by their rage. The monster understandably resents his jealous, abusive creator. He hadn’t asked to be born, and yet he was thrust into his cold, dead body and forced to exist in a cruel world of no fault of his own. And while his creator does go through some trials, the brunt of the suffering lands squarely on the monster’s shoulders. Everywhere he goes, humans are terrified of him. And because he’s, well, an immortal monster, he’ll likely be alone forever.

The same goes for the ladies of Death Becomes Her. After decades of a jealous, catty back-and-forth rivalry that ends up hurting both of them, the two women, wanting to one-up each other, seek out the services of a magical, wealthy woman offering up eternal youth. The problem? They can never truly die. Even when their skin peels and their bones break, they have to continue their upkeep for all eternity. It’s the price they paid for their bitterness towards each other. And, just like the monster, they’ll be alone together, forever.

I think both films explore how unforgiveness can keep you stuck. Suspended in a state of resentment. Never growing, yet still decaying.

I’ve definitely been there. Replaying hurtful words and moments over and over again, wondering “why me?” Watching as time ticked on and the world turned around me. But I just couldn’t move on. I couldn’t understand why I was here to suffer, while people who hurt others gleefully skip away into the sunset.

I became the monster.

Nothing was my fault, just like nothing was the monster’s fault. He didn’t deserve anything that happened to him, and his anger toward his creator is totally justified. But anger doesn’t undo what’s been done. It only keeps you anchored, feet planted, with a seed of resentment sitting in your chest.

At some point, that seed gets watered and grows into a tangled weed.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s true, the monster can’t unmake himself. He can’t become more pleasing to the eye. Can’t convince mortals to treat him better or see his humanity. But he can see his own humanity. And he can choose not to carry the weight of his creator’s sins.

On the other hand, the two women from Death Becomes Her let their pride and egos drive them into hurting themselves. No one made them that way. They let their anger consume them until there was nothing left of their hearts. But, unlike them, you can choose to let that hate go before you turn yourself into a monster.

Note: This is also a major theme in my novel, I Live to Serve the Witch!

I used to be so confused by the concept of forgiveness. I guess I still am. How can you forgive someone who hurt you? Or made you doubt yourself? Or made you feel small? In my mind, they don’t deserve it.

But I’m learning that forgiveness isn’t about absolving that person of accountability. It doesn’t erase or justify what was done. It simply unshackles you from the weight of it all. And makes moving forward a bit easier.❤️

If you have any advice for letting go of hurt and making room in your heart for forgiveness, please share with us!

Leave a comment

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye

At least every month, I’ll share personal essays from fellow Sadgirls/guys/people in our community. For now, let’s call it…Sadgirl Submissions! This allows us to share our experiences and normalize emotional expression. This week’s essay is from Alexander Linton, a novelist and comic book creator born in South London, England. He is a full-time traveller and creates his stories from all over the world. His work includes fantasy, science fiction, and psychological horror. His debut novel, A Song For Nightfall, was published in 2023. His latest psychological horror, The Wandering of Umbra, was released in November 2025.

Alexander found early creative inspiration in novels, manga, and story-driven video games—a combination that continues to inspire him to date.

If you’d like your essay considered, check out this post.

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2018 was probably the most important year of my life so far. It was a year of unorthodox adventure—quitting my crappy-but-decently-paid job to take to the road, volunteering to help those who seemed to have an even worse lot in life than me, and finally meeting people with the same adventurous spirit and disdain for protocol. It was a year I had long believed to be only a distant fantasy. Instead, I thought I was doomed to a life of ever-persistent safety nets, just like everyone else I knew.

So, when I finally decided to take that leap of faith away from routine and relative safety, you can imagine how monumental this was for me. It’s difficult to put the feeling of elation that comes with such a leap into words for those who haven’t experienced it themselves… but I’ll try, since that’s what I do.

When I was younger, I absolutely hated custard. My parents never made it at home, but I was practically force-fed it every day at the end of my school dinners. The stuff was grim yellow, with clay-like lumps of powder, and only a hint of sweetness to mask its slimy texture. I hated it, my friends hated it, and I’m pretty sure the dinner ladies (as they were called back then) hated it too. It sucked, so I naturally decided I didn’t like custard—and never would.

But when I was about ten years old, a family friend made us homemade apple and rhubarb pie with custard (yes, I’m British, in case you hadn’t already realised). I was raised to eat every last crumb of food on my plate, especially if it came from someone’s loving labour. So, quite despairingly, I submitted myself to what I assumed would be a long and torturous meal. Yet, suffice to say, ever since that meal, I’ve had custard with every pie—except meat ones.

The point is, I had no idea what I was missing because all I’d known of custard had been of the crappy variety. I didn’t really know what custard even was until I broadened my horizons just a little.

It’s the same with that feeling of elation.

It’s no exaggeration to say that until I handed in that slip of paper in 2018 that said something like, “Thanks for the money, I’m out,” I had never truly experienced elation. That feeling of taking control of your own road, no matter how small the step, is irreplaceable.

So, I set off abroad. I had practically no plans other than getting to the country and one week booked at a bed-and-breakfast in Phuket. I wanted every part of this journey to feel like I was living on the edge, so I threw planning out the window.

And I was living on the edge. Incredible countries, fascinating cultures, wonderful people, tough journeys, bouts of sickness, near-starvation (yes, honestly), fulfilling projects, heated encounters, storms at sea, simplistic island living—this trip had all the priceless memories I could have hoped for, and more.

So, after I returned to a massive homecoming with my loved ones, who repeatedly expressed their deep jealousy, and after I had time to reflect—what did I think of the year of my dreams?

It was okay.

Sadly, I’m not being facetious. It was just okay. As always, the present was far more important to me than the past. The past is done, and it was fun at the time. But honestly, even while I was on the road, I was always looking to the future, expecting it to be more colourful than the present, no matter how fulfilled I felt at the time.

This reflection gave me one of the most important yet heartbreaking realisations of my life, and a source of great despair after that elation: nothing is ever going to be enough.

Far from my expectations, the months following the year of my dreams were filled with a sense of hopelessness. I had just accomplished what I had dreamt of for years—the thing that was meant to put a new light in my life and instil in me a new sense of purpose—yet it had done just the opposite. I felt even more devoid of purpose and direction than when I was actually living what I’d considered a purposeless life. What exactly was I supposed to do now? I had absolutely no idea.

What made that time even worse was having no one to confide in. My friends and family still had a healthy measure of jealousy about my adventures, so how much sympathy could I expect if I told them it wasn’t enough?

That was another source of despair; I had so many friends and people to love, yet I had never felt so alone. So, what did I have to look forward to in life? All I could see were boring days where nothing would be enough, and no one to share my anguish with. Living the dream, right?

If it sounds like I’m wallowing in self-pity, don’t worry; I’m far beyond that point now. I’m sharing what I would define as my personal rock-bottom for two reasons.

Firstly, I want to highlight what I believe might be the price of fulfilling our dreams. Temporary fulfilment and memories are enough for some, but if they’re not enough for us, we’re setting ourselves up for some deep misery. The deepest form of despair, I believe, comes after the peak of hope and fulfilment. This is important because an enemy as strong as despair must be faced with a ready heart.

Secondly, I want to explain the meaning behind the title of this blog post: The Miracle of Despair. I want to share how despair, and hitting absolute rock-bottom, changed my perspective on life forever.

During those painful months back home, I received some unexpected mental medicine from my nephew. He was six years old at the time and, by all accounts, gifted. For example, one of his favourite hobbies was watching the football (or soccer for readers across the water) results on TV, then writing out all the scores the next day for his parents, complete with team kit colours and emblems. He’s absolutely ridiculous.

One weekend, while babysitting him and his sisters, we played Super Mario Bros. (the original from the eighties, the one packaged with Duck Hunt and its orange airgun—a staple of my childhood). We reached what I think was the final level in Bowser’s castle. Mario leapt over Bowser, flipped the switch to collapse the bridge… but instead of falling into the lava, Bowser got stuck in mid-air, with Mario stranded on the platform. It must have been a bug. Now there was no way to defeat Bowser!

“What have you done?” I joked. “Now you can’t get to Bowser!”

And he replied: “Bowser can’t get to Mario either!”

The lesson hit me like a slap in the face. I must have known it on some level, but hearing it aloud from another person was different. It was exactly what I needed.

The lesson: when you’ve tasted the deepest despair, nothing else compares. When you’ve hit rock-bottom, there’s not much further you can sink.

This meant that suddenly, I realised I had the freedom to do practically anything. I had nothing left in my life I truly wanted, so what was there left to fear? The answer: nothing I wasn’t already enduring.

Despair is like a weight on the mind. The longer it’s there, the more stress and strain it causes. But this also works in reverse. The more our minds carry despair, the stronger they become. The heavier the despair, the more resilient we are at the end of it—provided it doesn’t break us.

I’m not saying we should actively seek out despair—there lies madness. But when despair inevitably comes as the price for our highs, we should take it for what it is: another obstacle to overcome for an even higher peak.

And that is the miracle of despair. Despair is its own worst enemy. If we have a healthy perspective on life’s harshness, despair will exist only to teach us how to overcome it.

So, to those who give the shallow yet oft-repeated advice to “look on the bright side,” I respectfully disagree. Of course, it’s important to stay optimistic, but telling someone in the depths of despair to “be optimistic” is like telling someone starving that they need to eat. The word duh comes to mind.

Sometimes we need to feel a little hunger to appreciate food. Sometimes we must embrace the darkness to understand the bright side. We shouldn’t fear it; it can do no more to us than it already has.

And that’s that. Thank you for reading my first blog post. I hope my words have reached someone out there and slapped them in the face as hard as they did me.

Jacque’s note: Thank you for sharing, Alex! What a thoughtful piece. And it definitely makes me reflect on my own despair and how, despite the woefulness, it’s also given me wings.

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Thank you for reading! If you would like to support me, check out the links below:

Purchase your brand building workbook ✨

Buy Me a Coffee ✨

Upgrade Your Subscription

Read my surreal novels: Check them out!

Follow me on Instagram!: @Jacqueaye