jumble podcast

When you go to a predominantly white institution for college as a person of color it’s pretty much a given that you’re gonna stand out everywhere you go. This episode is about the trials and tribulations of trying to find a space where you feel like you can be your true authentic self. You know, bonnet and all. It can be hard to find those people that really get you in college but when you do, it’...

This month I discovered that writing a novel is hard as hell. It’s not necessarily a revolutionary discovery, but it somehow still surprised me when I went to write the first draft of my first novel. In this episode, I talk through the ups, the downs, and the just in the middle feelings of the entire process. Links: Elizabeth Acevedo Pep Talk Jason Reynolds Pep Talk

After completing my first novel length draft, I’ve had some epiphanies about writing characters of color. It’s still difficult to create representation when you’ve consumed media that noticeably lacks diversity for most of your life, but throughout the writing process I’ve finally found ways to portray a character that's dripping in their own unique culture.

We’ve all been there at least once. By yourself on the holiday that reminds you at every turn just how alone you really are. When you’re surrounded by reminders that there’s no one to bring you flowers, is the solution to buy your own flowers? Or is it just to remind yourself that self love is the most important love? I don’t know, but what I do know is that no matter how secure you are in your si...

I wrote 1,667 words everyday for thirty days (or tried to anyway). During my experience of the National Novel Writing Month challenge I recorded everyday through the ups and downs of my first attempt to write a novel length story.

Sometimes people say things that just don’t sit right with me. But I often find myself asking myself: was that actually racist or am I just overanalyzing it? Normally I would just tell myself to trust my gut, but navigating a predominantly white environment in my daily life always leaves me second guessing myself. Links: Microaggressions Chapter: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Tik T...

I tend to stress myself out by worrying about what the future holds. And sometimes, it gets to the point where it becomes unhealthy in the way that it's affecting my life. In this episode I talk about taking life one day at a time and remembering to appreciate the small moments of joy in everyday life.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been recommended to me a million times. And now that I’ve finally picked up my own copy of the famed book, I talk about if this book is worth reading, what excited me about this book, and what made me pause as I read.

Meeting the people that you’ve idolized is a surreal experience that not everyone is lucky enough to have. In this episode, I look back on the past with nostalgia as I reminisce about my experiences meeting authors like Sarah J Maas, Nicola Yoon, Jenny Han, and Kiera Cass.

In this episode, I do some research on where the members of Mindless Behavior, my favorite childhood boyband, are now and I wonder why, more often than not, black boy bands never seem to get the happily ever after that other boy bands get. Links: The Destination For All Things Mindless Behavior: Mindless Behavior Fandom Wiki Article: Where Are Mindless Behavior Now? Tik Tok: Beyonce Being Conceite...

I have a fear of driving. And honestly, it’s embarrassing and I feel kind of ashamed when I think about it. Given that driving is a necessary evil in my life, I’ve had to find my own coping mechanisms to get me to the place where I need to be. But of course, facing this fear doesn’t occur without a few speed bumps along the way.

Kpop and Kdramas have taken the world by storm. And with this influx of Korean content, there is a lot to consider as more and more Black women (including myself) consume this content. How do these dramas portray Black people? How do they portray beauty? And where do Black women fit in this culture, when it sometimes seems like the culture wants nothing to do with them? Links: Korea Now Video: Are...

I love the increased representation that I’ve been seeing in the media lately. From cereal commercials to blockbuster movies, there has been a noticeable movement to feature a greater range of actors with different appearances. But I can’t help but notice the narrow box that Black women keep finding themselves in with the representation of only one kind of Black women. Why does this keep happening...

Being a Black woman is expensive. Especially when it comes to getting your hair done. Let’s talk about the costs of giving our hair the care it demands and the pressures we face to make sure that our hair looks perfect everyday. Links: Tiktok Sound: Embracing Your Hair in its Natural State Elle Article: Natural Hair Shrinkage Hairstylists Mentioned: Faux by Yonnie , Styles by Felicia , Pressed Roo...

I’m finally taking that first step toward my dream of becoming a published author, but lately it seems like I doubt myself at every step of the way. Join me as I begin a journey with a destination that seems more out of my reach than ever.

Fingers trembling, heart hammering, and armpits sweating. Public speaking has no business being as stress-inducing as it is, but past speeches still haunt my memories. Why does public speaking make us feel this way? And how can we make it stop? Links: Glossophobia Article WikiHow Article

I didn’t know how to comb my own natural hair until I was 18. A lot of Black girls can probably relate to the struggle of simultaneously learning to do and learning to love your natural hair. And while I was determined to learn how to take care of my natural curls, it wasn’t an easy road. Find out your hair texture: Hair Texture Quiz

Do I hate my major? Yes. Is it too late to change my major? Also yes, I graduate in six months. Let’s talk about what took me so long to realize that I don’t like the career I chose and the guilty feelings that sometimes go along with changing career paths because you want to make more money. Let’s face the uncertainty together. Tiktok Education Major Funny

If you’ve spent even half a second on booktok, you’ve definitely heard about Colleen Hoover's books. But along with the thousands of fans gushing over the stories that she’s written, there are also a lot of people criticizing her novels. In this episode, we do a deep dive into booktok and the controversies surrounding her work to figure out how the reading community feels about it all. Background...

Thinking about the future stresses me out. And it stresses me out even more when I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach my goals in life. I hope that I’ll be able to achieve some version of success in the future, but the uncertainty of it all less than six months away from graduating college freaks me the hell out. Links: Buzzfeed Quiz: Success Prediction Quiz Zodiac Sign Article: Five Zodiac signs most...

In this episode we explore why writing characters of color can be difficult (even for POC writers). The call for representation of marginalized communities in published books has exponentially increased since 2020. As publishers try to jump on this trend of diversity and inclusion, what are some of the challenges that writers face while attempting to meet this demand? We reflect on the past, prese...

Welcome to my podcast! Jumble is a space for all things that make us pause and ask "what is going on here?" Join me as I figure out things that jumble my thoughts and hopefully we'll be just a little bit closer to un-jumbling our thoughts together.