I am here, again.

Living with grief… but still showing up.

I had to take a moment this past Sunday and just cry… and process what is happening.

My family and I are once again mourning one of our loved ones. My cousin Crystal has transitioned to join Mama and Mami in heaven. The last two weeks have been incredible hard to navigate. I know that this newsletter is about creativity and sustainability as a creator, community builder and a business owner but I want to talk about grief, because it is something we all experience. If you are a creative… grief can kill momentum and really impact your overall mental health.

When grief hits, everything can feel like it’s slipping out of place… your routines, your voice, your energy.

As someone who lives and builds in public, I had to find a way to still be me without pretending everything was okay.

After Mami passed, I decided to document how I deal with grief on advice from my therapist.

That said, I thought I would dig in my drafts and apply my signature framework to Audit, Align & Amplify—to my grief.

My cousins sudden passing has broken me all over again. I grabbed a blank journal to follow this model… the difference, is I am sharing this with you so that you can to.

Remember… I am applying it to protect my creativity and my desire to serve my community so that is how it is written. You make whatever changes to the wording to fit the thing that matters most to you.

AUDIT: Check in with your emotional bandwidth.

Ask:

• What emotions are loudest right now? (Sadness? Anger? Numbness?)

• What creative or business tasks feel impossible—and which ones bring comfort?

• Am I pretending to be okay just to “keep up”?

This isn’t about being “productive.” It’s about being honest.

Try this:
List your current responsibilities. Label them: Keep, Pause, or Outsource.
Audit your habits. Are they supporting your healing… or just distracting you from it?

You can't heal what you won't name. This is also very fluid and will change, so do this as often as you need to address whats in front of you.

ALIGN: Realign your energy with your capacity.

Grief changes you. Let it change the way you move.

Ask:

• How can I make space for both grief and creativity?

• What do I need to feel emotionally safer right now—boundaries, silence, connection?

• What rituals can I add that feel like love and remembrance?

Try this:

• Schedule “grief blocks” in your day: time to cry, pray, journal, or walk.

• Set boundaries with your audience or clients: “I’m still here, just softer.”

• Reconnect with purpose: How can your story serve others without draining you?

Grief asks you to move slower—but deeper.

AMPLIFY: Channel the love into legacy.

You’re still here. And your voice still matters—even when it shakes.

Ask:

• What can I share that’s real, not polished?

• Who else is grieving and needs to hear that they’re not alone?

• What message do I want to amplify in honor of the person I lost?

Try this:

• Create something small that carries their memory: a poem, post, photo, playlist.

• Talk openly about what grief really looks like to you.

• Amplify hope—because it still exists, even in mourning.

Here is my example of this in practice…

click on the photo to read

This isn’t about “getting back to work.
It’s about showing up with truth and tenderness.

Last but not least, consider talking to a professional that will equip you with proven tools to help, I have shared some resources below

I’m doing this in real time… alongside you.

Grieving my cousin Crystalito.
Missing her deeply.
Saying TANTO out loud as often as I need to.

And somehow…
Still creating.
Still healing.
Still here.

You can be, too.

If you’re grieving while building, I see you.
You’re not behind. You’re not broken.
You’re human.

I hope to be back on Sunday…. with all the things you look forward to in the next newsletter.

Thank you for giving me the space to mourn…

Immediate Crisis Support:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for immediate help in a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis. 

Grief Support Groups and Counseling:

• SAMHSA National Helpline:

  Connect with SAMHSA's National Helpline by calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or texting your 5-digit ZIP Code to 435748 (HELP4U). 

• The Dougy Center:

  Offers online resources and support for grieving children, teens, young adults, and their caregivers. click here

• SADS Foundation:

  Provides grief resources for individuals of all ages, including support for families. click here