Promise
There lies a consistent promise within the beauty of growth and evolution. The promise to forever change. The promise to endure the makings of life until we fully journey back to who we were always meant to be. It is only after discovering the fortune of self-love that we truly learn to release the things of no purpose; the things we’ve been conditioned to hold on to. As I continue to journey back to my center, I’ve come to realize that establishing Bijou Publications and my writing career in a way that is true and without noise and burnout is fully honoring the promise.
alignment over algorithms
My womanhood and my writing, forever intertwined.
Naturally, I am a profoundly private woman who leads a quiet life. I enjoy being inaccessible…elusive. I live within my own world where I am left alone to pray, read, write, watch films, cook, reflect, and heal. I’ve never been one to share all of myself with others, especially not on social media; not even when I was heavily active on Facebook and Instagram. I posted about in a way that kept my “friends” and “followers” intrigued and wanting more but I never allowed myself to overflow. As I continue to mature, I’ve grown more aware of the pieces of life that are in alignment with my promise, and I want to value all of who I am in a way that feels the most authentic, freeing, and natural for myself.
I hold the truth of writers’ mystique close to my heart. Writers exist within an art form where anonymity is one of our greatest allies. From ghostwriting to pseudonyms and pen names, we’ve always held the control on how much of ourselves we decide to share with the public, and oftentimes, who we are and what we pursue outside of our words only hold merit if our readerships want it to. I ask you to think about all of the books you’ve read in your lifetime. How many authors of those books did you actually care enough about to google them? How many of those same authors made you care about their personal lives or if they have active social media accounts? I bet, for the most part, you’ve never cared at all, and if you did care, it merely served as an afterthought. So much fullness and completion rests in being able to maintain our own sense of hidden identity…remaining hidden within the words.
I feel, social media has tainted our mystique and significantly altered the way that artists across all industries create and connect. These platforms were once used to showcase our art for the sake of inspiration and artistic expression. However, we have now found ourselves trapped within a numbers game where we have enslaved ourselves to chasing after trends, competing with algorithms, and curating content, because our visibility as a creative, a brand, and business owner, has become lost within the numbers, and the worth of our work is rooted in the amount of likes, shares, and followers we gain from the content we produce…just for our content and art that we’ve spent hours-months producing and editing to buried underneath unlimited ads and suggested content that we’ll never give a fuck about. A lot of artists and business owners have learned to ride the wave, have adjusted to what social media has grown into, are willing to chase the algorithm, and I salute them while fully embracing that I am not built for it. Social media has become a grand stage, and everybody wants their chance to perform. Everybody wants to be somebody, everybody wants to be seen, everybody wants to be heard…substance, originality, and sincerity, be damned. In truth, the noise and constant engagement left me in a state of mental exhaustion, so much so that my own art, my own words began to suffer. I spent so much time creating and editing content…so much time focused on envisioning and slowly curating the perfect “grid”, that it all took away from actually writing, and because of the promise, I am committed to creating and resting within the fullness of my talent. I am a writer. I am not a content creator nor am I an inspiring influencer, and I refuse to carry the weight of titles that don’t belong to me.
All things in this life are within preference and purpose. Many creatives and entrepreneurs lean into social media because it is a free tool for marketing and visibility, and I graciously acknowledge and respect that these platforms have elevated the lives and careers of millions of people. The beautiful thing about being in alignment is knowing that every formula is unique. We all have the right to pursue our careers however we see fit, there is no right or wrong way to showcase our gifts. On a personal level, I can no longer afford to force myself to fit into spaces that feel out of alignment.
grow with me
As I reflect, with the exception of my first release in 2015, my following and book sales were built off the strength of word of mouth, attending in-person events, and networking. My soul awakens in environments where I physically connect with others. I’ve built my writing career and my business from a place layered in fervent passion and truth. I want to continue to evolve and execute things in a way that puts connection at the forefront and remains fun and uplifting. I never want my publishing or writing pursuits to become a burden, leaving me fractured. My goal is for Bijou Publications to remain my home…remain a haven and platform for me to share pieces of myself and my life for the sake of intimacy and grounded connection. Here is where I hope to connect with readers, creatives, and those who find some fortune in what I’m pursuing. I believe with the entirety of my heart that the people who genuinely want to grow with me will find me as I find them, and together, we will hold Bijou in light.
I hope that my thoughts make you think and reevaluate the quality of your own alignment and existence. I hope that you find the beauty in pausing within the promise of enjoying a meal, an intimate vacation, the company of others, the composition of a newly released single…the gift to create and grow…live and love without the need for outside validation or approval for our lives are not a form of entertainment.
Thank you.