silence

Feel All The Feelings (Without Toxic Positivity)

Feel all of the feelings. 

Even the ones that feel messy. 

Or don’t fit neatly into a polished box of positivity. 

Create your own paintings. 

Express your unique style. 

They’ll tell you:

To put on a smile,

Take the stage, 

Work the gimmick, 

Wear the mask of plastic happiness. 

It’s what they want to see...

The spectators. 

The followers. 

The audience. 

Do it for the show.

The hallowed accolades

Followed by the inevitable silence. 

Artificial lights that glowed begin abruptly fade. 

When will we come home to the movement inside us? 

The honesty behind the performance. 

The fuel. 

The sadness. 

The fire. 

The heaviness. 

The energy. 

The struggle. 

The ignition. 

The pain. 

Feelings are feelings when we let ourselves feel them. 

Trapped inside a lie of good vibes 

It’s the farce that starts to tear us apart. 

An elephant’s painting, 

Words created by AI. 

Without the:

Worry or 

anxiety... 

Sans the risk, 

Of ridicule

And rejection…

Creation without risk is imitation. 

It’s the vulnerability that makes it creativity. 

Feeling all the feelings. 

It’s not easy. 

But it sure beats the drudgery

Of pretending. 

Feeling all the feelings

Is human.

Feeling all the feelings 

Is you and me

Being. 

P.S. 

I hope you enjoy this week’s episode: Feel All The Feelings (Without Toxic Positivity) 

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Segways, Birthdays, and Becoming Comfortable With Yourself With Alex and Ash Sullivan

In 1982, in a speech to Harvard University, Audrey Lorde famously said, “. . .If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

Quotes are inspiring.

And, seeing them put into action is empowering. 

That is why this week’s guests, Alex and Ash Sullivan, are two of my favorite people. 

Despite the pressure of a white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, 

They define themselves for themselves every single day. 

As they will share in the episode - that doesn’t mean it is easy. 

I mean - how does one go about living their bold self without being eaten alive? 

Let this interview be a roadmap that can guide you to your own internal answer to that question. 

Oh - and did I mention that this episode is being released on their birthday?  

*Cue the confetti*

For real though - Ash and Alex are the best. 

Alex Sullivan is the Co-Founder of Artists Call to Action.  They are also a dope poet, facilitator, activist, educator and freelance diversity consultant in academia. 

As a mixed agender human being, Alex’s work is often reflective of how the self is presented in the digital world and how current socio-political events can distort that presentation. 

Their creative and academic work is focused on the black queer experience and every aspect of it, frequently tying in themes of womanism, examination of power structures in the United States, and the experience of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora as the communities have spread out all over the world. 

Ashley Sullivan is a counselor-in-training and poet who is currently being considered for licensure, actively publishing, and putting energy into other creative endeavors such as starting their own business. 

Ash is balancing pursuing a career in poetry while also pursuing work in mental health and public health. Currently, they have been published in five or more running publications as well as fulfilling activism work centered around gender, creativity, and community. 

They are a current candidate for their Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University. 

On this week’s episode we go all in on: 

creativity, 

activism,

learning to trust yourself, 

finding your own voice,

the unique relationship Ash and Alex have with each other, 

getting comfortable with your own silence,

getting to know yourself better, and,

Well...you’re gonna need to push play to find that out! 

We could all invite a little more grace, community and courage into our lives. 

And Ash and Alex deliver all of that and more in abundance on this week’s episode. 

Let’s do this. 

Hit play.

And join us. 

Check out their past interviews here

And here

Check out Ash’s LinkedIn here

Check out Ash’s Instagram here

Find out more about the Artist’s Call to Action here

Check out ACTA on Facebook and Instagram

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If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.