Episode 002: Creating Over Consuming

Let me start by saying this was not a self-proclaimed challenge; actually, it happened most divinely. Per my life story. My phone fell in dirt, but I thought nothing of it; the fall seemed harmless. To my surprise, when I picked up my phone, it was broken, still able to use, but not the perfect iPhone screen a lot of us stay glued to. I lit my blunt, and on the exhale, I said fuck it, no phone for the next 30 days. This was a pivot point for me because I was struggling to move forward with the last phase of the magazine production process, the cover.

I had to troubleshoot the print quality issues, the size restrictions, and the binding technique had to change, so I had to learn a new skill with equipment that was already available. The thermal binding machine was one of the first investments, but I was so intimidated by it that I wouldn’t learn to use it until I had to.

Now, I’m sending out six magazines this weekend rather than the one per week pace I was on at the beginning of this pilot. I got back intentional about showing up on the platform that I already grew, rather than trying to go to other platforms to tell them how “popular” I am now on this “elite” platform. Real performative, real…what’s the word…fake.

Consuming will have you thinking you are not exactly who you think you are. But, I got myself together and ended the 30 days realizing even the wig look was fake and had to be let go. The moment those clippers touched my hands, I went back to the first day of barber school when the desire to cut my hair sparked. Now, yes, the story goes that a Black woman burnt my hair at the shampoo bowl, but before I was there, when I cut it exactly the way I wanted it, and it laid perfectly. I got that moment back. What a way to confirm this was the path for me, indeed.

Creating over-consuming helped me debunk capitalism.

There is no hustle when it comes to creating. Resting is one of the most important parts of creating, I’ve found. On a podcast, She’s So Lucky, Les explained the importance of rest when working out to build muscle. And she went on to explain how it connects to the creation process. When I heard that, something clicked, and I started to intentionally seek rest during my day, as often as I could.

Lo and behold, the creativity started flowing like it never had before. I have been experiencing the most random burst of energy that led to me having a full creative idea come to life in the matter of an hour or two. In this timeframe, I’ve written two powerful essays, turned that Substack post into a zine, put it on my website, and sold several copies. September 13th, I’m hosting a zine workshop on Zoom for anyone interested in joining the literary protest movement.

Who am I?

Well, I’m beginning to understand I’m exactly who I fantasized about becoming.

Using rest to replace convenience.

I learned most of my frustration comes from a lack of preparation, leaving me to replace my rest with convenience. The more I continue pouring from an empty cup the more I deplete myself of nothing, so I lean into the convenience of things in life. However, the life I built does not align with the “ease” society has to offer. Doordashing dinner because I exhausted my energy creating and didn’t have dinner plans in place.

Spending an hour curling a wig, just to go outside on a walk and the curls fall before my online event. Or going to the coffee shop and the espresso is bitter or worst the milk is scolded. Minor inconveniences that were meant to be convenient but fell short. Wearing my natural hair in a short cut that allows me to not only look my best but also achieve this look in a matter of minutes gives me more time to carve moments of rest in my day.

With my new look and cafe setup at home, my mornings are slow again with intention and ease. This is a feeling I missed, but I was caught up in the convenience of life. The more I focus on regulating my nervous system, the more my body reminds me of how it operates best, and that’s not always what is convenient.

Wait, there are some community updates below that you have been waiting on.

Protest Zine Workshop Announcement

You can protest in many ways, zines were originally created as a form of protest with radical publishing that preserved the story without being censored. While our history is being erased, it is up to us to preserve the story. Substack might not be your platform for protest, but think about how good you will feel writing without censorship, printing and handbinding your words into art knowing the people in your local community will be impacted. Think for just a moment how it would feel to not feel hopeless and frustrated by the reality of news, because you know you are the journalist telling the story with facts.

I want to host a space for us to discuss how important it is for us right now to use our voice, but most importantly our pen to document the story. In this zine making workshop we will turn your favorite Substack post into a zine to give you the skill set needed to take literary protest to the next level.

Saturday, September 13th 10am - 11:30am PT

To RSVP or purchase any of my current zines available visit my website www.jacquieverbal.com.

Chronicles of Change Book Club Corner

Over the past couple of weeks, during our weekly “Productivity Hour” LIVE, we have been flowing with ideas. Zine workshop, book club, and even the birth of the Black Recipes newsletter series. I try to update everyone in the chat thread, but if you are like me, going into the chat section of Substack at times can be a daunting task. And I personally do not want to start flooding your inboxes with updates, that’s not what our agreement was when you subscribed.

In this new era of finding balance, let this area serve as our corner to stay in touch with book club things. Below is the download to our first book recommendation thank you Reyna Linares Jones, The Art Of Living by Epictetus.

Originally, I was going to do a poll to what day and time worked best for everyone, and if we wanted to do a Zoom call or keep it here on Substack. The more that I’ve thought about it, here’s what I can offer for us to vote on. Once we get the days/time set then I will send out the link to RSVP for the first date. First half of the book needs to be read by the first meeting, and the second half by the second meeting. This is an easy read so we can honestly read it a few times by the end of the week.

Intentional consuming is what I call it.

I love y’all, because of you I am blessed to live the life of my dreams. Not because you finacially support my lifestyle but my work is dedicated to community building and look at this! Two community focused events in one month, completely separate from Blackstack. Wow, this is a dream!

xoxo,

Jacquie