Palabras — chingona

1. Today has been VERY productive!  After a few weeks of being creatively stumped and unable to produce like I usually do, it feels like I finally broke through. It's been a frustrating little while, because although I know I have shows and I have to stay on my social media game (ew, did I just say that?), I've had a crazy ass block. Today was different! I've been working on and off on Mujeres Mercado, making tiles and other cositas for VeryThat, and getting some laundry and cleaning done in between. Yes, I spent the entire day at home; yes, that means I have been in my underwear getting these things done, and yes-- this is my job! 

2. I was thinking about where I was this time last year. Looking for shows to supplement my income, living mostly off my savings, and still unsure about what the future held. This is right around the time where things started coming together for me. For those like me, you know that this is when things get a little crazy- am I ready? I better be! I realize I can no longer remember off the top of my head what events I have coming up, the little teal calendar I carry around has become my lifeline and the next few months are already bananas. THIS MAKES ME HAPPY. 

3. On Tuesday (the 16th) some of us from Mujeres Mercado made our way to Pleasanton for a Diez y Seis event sponsored by their Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. There were 7 of us set up and although it wasn't as busy as some shows are, it was a really nice time to connect with each other. As artists, as locals-never-lived-anywhere-else's and as new-to-SAers. We all sat and had dinner together, learned things about each other than't don't really come up during busy shows. How do we find time to do this when we're not gigging? I would love to figure that out because that time spent together was something I didn't know I needed. 

4. Hitting "add friend" was nerve wrecking twice in the last month. I reconnected with two friends that once meant the world to me. I never thought I'd be the one to make the move, it never crossed my mind that we could one day be okay-- but there it was. Confirmation that things can be moved on from and forgiveness can be real. Maybe we'll never be as close as we were in that era, but knowing they're out there in this big and scary world without me knowing they're okay became too much. I am so grateful they each reached out and seemed genuinely happy to reconnect. 

5. So many things have happened in the last few months and I was reminded of a meeting I was so nervous for earlier this Summer. I remembered my mom's motivational text (verbatim cause she's cute like that), "Tu eres chingona y todo the va a salir como tu quieres te apoyo 100 por ciento i love you."