mental health check-in 💜 + get to know me more 🫶🏽🌱✨💭

September 20, 2022

hey loves!!!!! i first want to thank all of you for subscribing to my blog so you can receive notifications when i post!

it’s been a while now that i’ve been blogging here on my site, along with Instagram and YouTube; occasionally, TikTok. and, as of most recently: Snapchat!

i started doing my own nails in April of 2020! which was one of the happiest times of my life 😌😏😍🤩😂 you couldn’t pull me away from my nail desk, and if you did, i was bringing my nail supplies with me 😩😅🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣☺️ i was O B S E S S E D.

ironically, today, out of nowhere, my son explained to me that we can actually control time, by buying it ahead. he’d have to explain the logistics 🤯😇😄 BUT, he carried on to say that even though me doing nails is “work”, it’s actually not, because it’s something i enjoy doing 🥹😊😭 WOW, what a thought to have 🙂 i felt amazed and overjoyed by my sons sense and articulation, and, application! LOL

i say that, to say, a lot. 1. i am thankful~ yearsssss ago, i knew i wanted to do my own nails but i didn’t know where to start! if i would have only known 🤓💭🌱 2. i have always enjoyed art, nail polish, photography, videography, marketing, networking, self-care, creative expression, beauty, social media networking and managing, etc etc etc! so, my son is right, even though this is a form of “work” for me, it’s also something i love and enjoy doing! when i spend my time doing nails, i am at peace and i am in my comfort zone ~ needless to say 3. blogging and having my own blog site, it’s a dream come true + a heck of a lot of work to keep up with LOL 😝 and, so fulfilling 4. having my own YouTube channel and being a YouTube creator, also dreams come true and moments of high gratitude

December 8, 2023

as I prepare to update this blog post, and finally publish it, I cannot hesitate to reflect on how great of a feeling it is to be in this position.

you know, many of us often hear the saying, “all you have to do is take the first step, the rest will be history!” and, you know what, I can attest to it…. It’s true!

as I sit here, thinking, typing, reflecting, preparing to finalize this blog post entry…. I am baffled to know I started composing this post OVER a YEAR ago! WOW! Time really flies, doesn’t it? But, how good it feels knowing I am on the dominant side of time…. Is a truly exhilarating feeling!

When we take the leap, and follow our dreams, we can look back in excitement and, with an accomplished feeling, knowing we followed our dreams and the possibilities are endless! And, when we don’t take those leaps, we spoil all of the goodness yet to come. With this post, I hope I am able to foster hope and inspiration amongst my peers.

Follow your dreams babe!

As I type now, it’s the 8th day of December 2023. I don’t know where to start, or what to write. Imagining myself reflecting on this post in the future, I believe this is the perfect opportunity to simply paint a picture of where I am now, and where I hope to be in the near and far future.

In less than 6 months, I will celebrate the 4-year mark in my journey as a dedicated nail artist and nail-tuber 🤩 The feeling, is surreal! Yet, I can admit, the journey has been unpredictable and, tbh, this experience is a little unexplainable. Unexplainable in the sense that, I can’t understand how I got here, or how I am going to keep going… I just know, I am.

Does that sound crazy? LOL! As I type it, I am thinking to myself, “what the heck are you talking about?!” haha! The thing is, when you embark on a new journey, and, a lifelong journey, it’s a little hard to truly fathom. For me, commitment has always given me a little of an unsettled feeling. No different in this case, my commitment to my journey as a nail artist and nail-tuber, is unbelievable to me! HA!

Now, I’m not sure if it is the commitment factor, that leaves me with the sense of adrenaline and feeling unsettled…. Or, if it is the fact that I am truly following the path of something I love…. BUT, whatever the case may be, and as challenging as this journey has been, I am truly loving the feeling and sense of accomplishment that is accompanying me on my artistry journey.

When I think of myself continuing to pursue my journey as a nail artist and nail-tuber, I realize how big of a commitment this is! See, when I first started, I was only pursuing an idea, a hobby. I can admit, I didn’t think everything out fully. LOL! It didn’t really occur to me, the level of responsibility I would hold, and, how, over time, the sense of commitment would thicken.

With that, I would like to take the time and opportunity to share a bit about some of the personal ups-and-downs I have endured throughout my time as an influencer so far. Granted, I will likely only cover a few. While I am sharing these experiences to give a sense of myself to you all, I also share with a sense of transparency that I hope will serve as a source of encouragement, guidance, and/or reinforcement for others, along the way.

So, as many of you know, I aspire to make a living as a YouTube influencer and, an entrepreneur. I never imagined my life would take this course, it sort of just happened. It starts one day when you decide to pursue a hobby, and then you decide to be a part of a community, and before you notice…. That’s it! You are a part of something you’re passionate about, while also not having a single clue how the heck it all happened!

And, that is where all the fun begins! For me, I started off with just testing out nail products and sharing my thoughts of them on Instagram. From there, I decided to pursue an Amazon Storefront, and then, I secured a couple of partnerships as a brand ambassador. From there, it seemed like a no-brainer to take the leap into filming and pursue YouTube, so, I did.

Now, I cannot speak on the dynamic of the ‘community’ before I became a part of it… But, during the time I began to integrate myself, I noticed there was a sort of rift between DIY artists, and professional/licensed artists. So, I did what I thought was the ‘smart’ thing, and I signed up for Cosmetology school. Can you imagine that?! LOL! My impulses were truly blaring during this time, and I was not reluctant to let them…. And, when I look back on it, I feel like I was a little cray cray haha! But, more, I was passionate, and, I was committed! THAT, was INSANE! Like, it wasn’t really ME LOL! I guess you could say, maybe, I was in the process of ‘discovering myself’.

There aren’t a lot of people who know my past extensively, but some of you have the pleasure of knowing a story near and dear to me, that I like to share whenever I elaborate on ‘my story’. So, for those of you who are new, I will keep it short and to the point! Back in 2013/2014 I had a passion for learning how to do my own nails. As you all may be aware, back then, the supply chain for nail products was mostly for professional use. The only hope I had for doing my own nails was to purchase a Kiss Nail System Kit from Sally’s Beauty Supply…. And, that ended miserably! LOL! Needless to say, the result was… A FLOP! haha! However, I say all of that to say, once that experience concluded, I basically gave up on doing my own nails, or trying! I even stopped getting my nails done altogether at that point.

Another common saying you will hear people say, and is cited straight from the Bible, is that: God will finish what He started! Babes! Won’t He do it?! By the time 2020 came around, and the fire was reignited in my love for doing my own nails, I had honestly completely forgotten about the desires I had in the past, and the pursuit I had taken back then to begin doing my own nails.

And, I want to take a moment to elaborate on that, as it relates to my story and my journey. Remember, I said, I never would have imagined this being my reality! I don’t know what happens over the course of time, in our lives, but it seems to be so often that life takes us away from our true self, and before we notice, we cannot even recognize who we are! That, is what happened to me.

For the first few months, and even perhaps the first and second entire year of my journey, I didn’t really resonate fully with my new role as a nail artist, nail-tuber, and influencer. I was going through the motions and doing the work…. But, my new sense of identity was not marrying with my normal sense of self. There was some time throughout the process where I wondered if I was just doing this to be a part of something trending, that could or could not be a success, OR, if this was truly something I was passionate about.

Over time, and through meditation, I was able to identify with myself closer and understand myself from a broader perspective. During that time, is when I recalled how this all TRULY started…. WHEN it truly started, and WHERE! And, I realized, I have been passionate about my nails since I was a YOUNG CHILD! Back when I was younger, I was always obsessed with my fingernails. I used to clip my nails too short, before I was old enough for my mom to let me use nail polish. I was always obsessed with nail polish and polishing my own nails, even though my mom forbade it until…. Well, let’s just say, until I was no longer a resident of her household lol!

More importantly, I remember WHO bought me my very first nail polish (and my mom hated it)…. And, I remember the color it was! My dad 💙 he bought me my first nail polish and it was an iridescent indigo/baby blue color. I loved that nail polish with every ounce of love I had in my heart and soul back then. Every morning, I would look at it in the medicine cabinet and imagine wearing it…. Because God knew my mother was not allowing it! HA!!

So, with my new-found recollections, I began to feel more in tune with myself than ever before. And, I also began to feel a sense belonging that I didn’t feel before. My journey and identity were evolving and I was understanding the bigger picture… The whole story, instead of just one chapter.

Even though everything was beginning to make more sense and I was feeling a sense of belonging, I won’t go so far as to say that ‘it all made sense’, because, still, it didn’t! I still struggled to see what my impact or role would be in the community, or what value I would bring to the table as a nail artist and nail-tuber/influencer. BUT! Throughout this entire time, I still forged the way and stayed the course. I know, one may wonder, why or how? Right? Well, you know another common saying and quote from the Bible, ‘believe in that, that you cannot see; have blind faith, faith the size of a mustard seed’. So, even though I was still seemingly in an array of confusion… I knew one thing, and one thing for certain: I was going to STAY THE COURSE!

Do you ever feel sometimes, when staying the course, that, it could just all end up being a waste of time, effort, money, commitment, etc? I do, and I have. But, do you ever think, maybe that’s just the devil? After all, he is the killer of all hopes and dreams! He is the little black cloud that hovers, and that annoying, insecure voice that won’t shut up.

And, all of that, leads to where I am today… COMMITTED! I realized, that, the only way to shut the devil up, was to commit! What makes the devil falter? Well, commitment, perseverance, a reluctance to fail, give up, or be defeated! One thing the devil is obsessed with, is a good fight! And, I realized, after some time, that, that is exactly what this boils down to… It boils down to my willingness to FIGHT, and, my willingness to CLAIM victory!

SO! Now, we can discuss how exhilarating and wonderful this journey has become, now that I am fully committed! Well, for starters, I want to elaborate a little on how I really found my sense of belonging, once and for all. And, if you know, then don’t even question! ‘Tis, the Goddess Gang Nail Art Challenge!!!! Which, I hope to always be remembered for!

Once I was able to adapt to the new version of my reality and sense of becoming myself, then I knew, it would all be uphill moving forward! I needed to let go of my insecurities, I needed to stop second guessing myself, stop worrying or wondering if I was following what was meant for me…. And, I needed to operate from a sense of passion, and, a sense of confidence and, a sense of belonging! I needed to stop trying, and JUST DO IT (like Nike)!

THAT, is how I birthed the concept and creation of the Goddess Gang Nail Art Challenge! Instead of looking at who I wasn’t going to be, or who I wasn’t sure that I could be… I began to consider who and what I wanted to be! I decided to ask myself: what do you want to be remembered for? And, with that as my starting point, I was easily able to manifest and take forward strides in my newfound direction. I realized that my artistic and influential style was different than others in the sense that, it was important to me to uphold a sense of originality and, structured concept.

Day by day, block by block, I was able to build myself up, AND my brand. And, that was such the challenge! Because, when you think about it… In a way, *I* am my brand. I believe, we all are our own brand, until our brand is able to make its own name for itself. So, if I knew the brand would inevitably revolve around me, until it had its own foundation built for itself…. Then, I wanted to create a concept that would establish my brand, a name for ITSELF…. Apart from me. And, LUCKILY, I was able!

This, my friends, is the direct result of setting goals, and not letting the devil interfere with them! Additionally, this has been the result of remaining true to myself and rolling with the punches! Some factors that have played a part in my journey, I failed to mention, however, they have been equally impactful, and, in the future, I will elaborate on those struggles and accomplishments also!