As a millennial woman writer of color, I have a longing right now to live a more calm, creative, and centered life. It started with an identity crisis, a career pivot, and a reclamation of my poetic writer roots. For a long time, I identified exclusively as a playwright; however, as my roles in life expanded, I found myself needing other expressive outlets. I started blogging in 2017 and in honor of my journey to serene living, titled my blog beat, “Serenity Sunday”. My blog writing helped me delve deeper into authenticity, leading me to new levels of freedom. In almost five years, I have downloaded years-worth of thoughts, personal narratives, and micro memoirs gleaned from my roles as wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, woman, artist, teacher, and colleague. This book is a collection of my most-loved blogs. With revised and extended versions of my popular pieces, it contains courageous and even more vulnerable life experiences too intimate for my blog space.

TheWriteAddiction (TWA) was founded in 2014 by my friend, Marta Collier Youngblood (MartaGwyn). I am so grateful for the vision she had 8 years ago to create a writing community. Had it not been for the TWA blog platform, this book would not be a reality. I knew from the beginning that Marta had to introduce my book project. Expect a very special Foreword from her in the opening pages of Serenity Everyday.

In honor of TWA’s 8th year anniversary, I’d like to share an excerpt from the third blog I ever wrote. It captures my spiritual state during a career pivot and critical time in my life as a creative. This micro memoir will appear in the Serenity Everyday publication:

“My mind was fixed on physical circumstances. I was simply looking for conditions to improve. Perhaps my successes had me ego trippin. I began to turn to my own strategies and (wo)man-made solutions to fill my voids. I was an Elijah. And like Elijah, I deserted my post and ran for my life—seeking refuge—in search of “better conditions….

I was dehydrated from a high-speed agenda, sky-scraping goals, racial realities and social delusions. I was an ambush predator, sitting and waiting for the next opportunity or congratulatory e-mail. And all the while, I could see vultures circling in the sky, patiently waiting for my figurative death….

I desperately needed a radical move and wellspring of hope. I. Ran. For. My. Life.

— Excerpt from the personal narrative, “The Move That Saved Me”, Serenity Everyday

An updated/extended version of this blog from 2017 will be featured in my upcoming book. While this particular narrative was written years ago, I have still found myself on rocky professional pathways. Some paths lead directly to perfect landings and beautiful destinations. Some paths require tough boots to protect my feet. Some paths are made of cobbles and rocks that are sharp, dangerous, and too painful to continue on. I’d literally be a fool, because not only are the feet suffering on these particular pathways; so is the mind.

One thing to note about us new Black women: We are learning when to get off of those venomous, traversing trails, and walk the hell away.