Birthdays, Sabbatical, and Patreon - Oh My!!!

Happy May Everyone!!!May is my favorite month and the reasons for it being so are completely chocked full of bias. This is the month in which I was born (#taurusseason) AND the month that I became the co-founder of my nonprofit, Center for Inclusivity (CFI).To honor my 32nd birthday and CFI's 3rd anniversary, I'm taking a mini sabbatical! With the exception of hosting CFI's 2 monthly events and taking care of some time sensitive things related to this year's #MakeLoveLouder campaign, I'm pressing pause on my work until June. I'm doing this because I wanted to gift myself with two things my soul is craving: rest and time to create.Y'all...I'm tired. Life is hard, has been hard, and will continue to be hard but I know that in order for me to be well, I need to figure out what the heck rest looks like for me. I've spent the last 3 years being multi-vocational, going to then graduating from school, and straight hustling so that I can stay committed to work I feel is meaningful and survive while doing it. That added to navigating personal stuff + working on my healing + dealing with the dumpster fire that is the US' social context has me running on E and I need to recharge.This is where engaging my creative voice comes into play!Ever since I was a little girl, writing has been cathartic for me. I feel like I can catch my breath when I empty myself of the words and ideas that build up inside of me. So with that in mind, I'm gonna write whenever the mood strikes because I've set this month up so I can do just that. And then I'm gonna write even when I don't feel like it because I get that my words aren't always for me...a fact that a number of you have reminded me of over the years as you share how my writing speaks to you.Here's the super cool thing about this writing sabbatical gift...IT'S MULTIFACETED!!! I'm practical AF (again, #teamtaurus) so I believe in making the most of a thing. That said, I'll be writing things that I'll share here but also creating content that will be featured on CFI's forthcoming blog and on my *insert trumpets here* brand new website.I'll likely share more on this soon but this is the year that I bring all my projects together and launch a full website complete with blog, podcast, and information on how folks can contact me for collaborative and contracted work. The domain is secured but pulling all the bits together is going to take some time.If you want a sneak peak into what I'm talking about or want to support me as I do what I do, check out my recently launched Patreon page for more info. I share some of the thought process behind the development of that site and integration of my work there.The month of May is one that has long represented life and opportunity for me and this year feels like more of the same. I'm so excited about what lies ahead and am looking forward to the rest and creative engagement that I'll enter into during my favorite time of year.