It’s been a challenging 18 or so months where I’ve navigated a lot of anxiety and grief. Of course, there’s been joy and good stuff too, but I lost confidence somewhat, which is hard to say out loud. In amongst the sitting with and processing of these feelings, I really leaned into making abstract embroidered and tufted pieces like the wall hanging I’m holding above. It’s taken me over two weeks to put this on the grid after a loving but firm talking-to 🤣 from my boy @byxaviart ❤️🥰 who recently sat me down and implored me to stop hiding and start sharing my art. So this is a start.

📷 of me by @_sariasim_

#abstractembroidery #abstractembroideryart #texturedart #tuftingart #texturedartwork #fiberart #paintingwithyarn #fiberartist #textileartist #fiberartistsofinstagram #contemporarytextiles #blackartist ...

Where do I even begin! Eighteen years and three weeks ago, I started writing Baggage Reclaim. I never imagined what it would lead to. All I’d set out to do was help at least *one* person avoid what I’d been through or to navigate their way out of an unhealthy situation. I wound up doing so much more.

2023 has been tricky. I’ve slowed down, paused/stopped a number of things, including The Baggage Reclaim Sessions podcast, and made space for grieving and getting a sense of how I want to proceed. The publishing process for The Joy of Saying No took a lot out of me. I’ve sometimes felt lost and unsteady. Oh, and I also broke up with my mother. It’s been a lot.

A few months back, after meeting @ohmygoshitsjackie at an event and hearing her talk about Baggage Reclaim’s impact, it really hit me that I couldn’t let this milestone anniversary go without celebration. I booked a venue @up_brixton and this past weekend, I *celebrated* with a host of family, friends, readers and listeners 🎉🎉🎉 We know how to rave!

Thank you to everyone who’s supported me over the years. 🙏🏾🙏🏾

So many of us struggle with feelings of abandonment, rejection, feeling not good enough, and people pleasing with emotionally unavailable and shady folks. We’ve been scared of boundaries, expressing our needs, being less than perfect, and becoming more of who we are, and so we settle for crumbs and abandon and hurt ourselves in the process.

My intention has and always will be to help people overcome the emotional baggage that creates these patterns so that we enjoy more love, care, trust and respect and break these generational patterns.

Peeps, don’t wait to be picked or for others to celebrate you, and please don’t burn yourself out trying to please others. Take care of you.

#baggagereclaim #recoveringpeoplepleaser #healthyboundaries ...

Sometimes when we realise that we’re not being treated right despite not having done anything wrong and all our pleasing effort, we hang around waiting for the other party to see the error of their ways. It’s as if we hope we’ll create a tipping point of people pleasing where they spontaneously combust into someone else. But waiting around for someone to do the right thing causes us to do the wrong thing by and to ourselves. Instead of waiting, we can say no to anymore of their shenanigans and choose love, care, trust and respect for ourselves in the process.

📖 The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want is out now. ...