so fun fact, I consider my birthday as a new year, Samiah New Year was in May. and this is the year of the glo up. Or at least that’s what I’ve intended. And I don’t know what it is about this year, but my life clock struck 27 years and all ze fax went out the window.

 I’ve been working to become closer to my faith, and the concept of setting intentions has become more ingrained in me. In Islam, intention is almost everything. If you intend to do something good, there is a reward in that; if you actually fulfill that intention there’s another reward for that. If you intend to do something good, but the execution is basura, your intention will always save you. I’ve typed the word “intention” so many times in these last few sentences that it doesn’t even look like a word to me anymore. 

so let’s go back and talk about these resolutions. I wanna share what I’m actively working on in year 27 of this series of ridiculous events that make up Samiah. 

1.  Being brave enough to be unapologetically myself, and to stop trying to be perfect all the time.

Guys. this has been my favorite one. I have been my normal vocal, silly, annoying, stupid mistake making, randomly inquisitive, overbearingly loving self.  I live from my heart completely, this means that I occasionally make a damn fool out of myself but that's okay because I am free in my foolishness and fierce in my love. It’s been so freeing. like ripping off your bra after a long day. why the fuck did I wait so long? 

2. To give the most sincere love I can. 

to myself. my mother. the rest of my family. my friends. people I interact with everyday. if I find my person, then to him too. and I wanna talk about what sincere love means to me. it means to make sure Im communicating, being patient and kind, seeing and accepting the ugly, nurturing where I can, not trying to change anyone to what I think they should be. Being my best self.  and most importantly, accepting when someone reciprocates this sincerity, while letting go of those who take this precious love for granted. 

3.  Consistently learning more about my faith,  and practicing what I learn. 

This has been an ongoing one. But I set the intention to get my obligatory and optional prayers as part of my routine. I’m making efforts to read the Quran in English so I am understanding the stories and timelines better; honestly I feel an emotional bond to my holy book because of this. It truly is a book of transformation. I’m learning to listen, to accept, hasbunallah wanikmal wakil. I will say though, I feel myself being tested more, but am becoming more proud of my reactions. inshaAllah, to more growth, knowledge, and unconditional love. May Allah open our doors. 

4. To take care of my body and mind. 

My body is a temple, but I am the architect. this last Ramadan was so transformative. after so many years, I finally feel like myself. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m learning how to balance being giving, while also keeping my cup full. I’ve changed my diet so I’m consuming more of what my body needs and loves, not just sugar and grease and other things that are delicious, but dont need to be part of my everyday. I’m back in the gym regularly again, slowly getting stronger and it’s the bees knees I’ll tell ya. I cut down on the Netflix, and went back to my old habit of snuggling en la guarida de la loba with a good book and getting lost for hours. My current favorite is A Temporary Gift, but warning you will spend the first half of the book sobbing. Currently reading Big Magic, waiting on  The Unfinished Memoirs’ of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to come back in stock cuz I needs to get my hands on it. 

5. Coming back to writing. 

This blog has been one of my favorite projects. I love connecting with you guys. I love hearing how you’re helping children in ICE detention centers reunite with their parents. I wanna help those working to rehabilitate human trafficking victims back to a normal everyday life. I want to spread awareness and support those raising money to help a friend afford their medical procedures. I wanna tell you about how I struggle to stand up for myself because I always fear I’ll be too rough and hurt someone else’s heart. Or how I struggle to let shit go, and to forgive. Or how I am proud of myself for working my ass off and getting myself so far in my career in a short amount of time. you guys are my tribe, ubuntu. 

6.  Stick to my traditions

I am a strong believer in weekly tea dates, pinky promises, and saying good morning/good night. I think the last one means the most to me. I know when I wake up in the morning, I am not guaranteed to be on this earth until the night. And when I go to sleep at night, I know it’s not guaranteed that I will wake up in the morning. Good mornings and good nights are my only guarantee that I’d at least leave the people I care for with 2 sweet words, and the memory of a sweet tradition. 

like I said a lot’s been happening. life is too fucking short to be anything less than happy. to settle for a career that doesnt set your passion ablaze. to hold onto a grudge when ya’ll could just forgive each other and move on. to stay stuck on someone that isn’t matching your vibration. to give up on something that you believe in to you core. take the negative shit with a grain of salt and focus on what makes you smile. and I know, this shit is easier said than done. but be strong and perseverant. focus. stay close to your pack. howl into the night when you need to.

let’s call these resolutions my intentions instead. hopefully I make it to year 28 with better intentions, and even better actions. May Allah open our doors. 

with love and respect always, 

my favorite place is behind the camera. quick disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form a photographer. this is just a hobby. you’ll probably never see the pictures I’ve snapped, or spent hours developing in a dark room. I have always been a fan of people watching, and I like being able to save candid moments even more. when I was younger I spent all my money on books, bollywood audio cassettes for my walkman, and film for my drug store camera. I captured everything. a cloud that had a little bit of sunlight trickling through, my friends during band practice, the bangles on a bride on her wedding day. it’s kind of like in The Giver, when Jonas starts experiencing color and it jolts him out of his black/white life for a small glimpse of life. that’s what I love about pictures. 

the first camera I ever learned to shoot with was a Minolta x-370 in high school. it was old and the film door wasnt the most secure and ruined my film half the time. but it was my baby (for one semester) and I loved shooting  and watching my photos develop in front of my eyes. just a few years later I came across the same camera, the one in the picture above. this was my dad’s camera. I was so excited to inherit something other than his sarcasm and gapped teeth. now I don’t remember my father much, I don’t remember what he looks like (aside from old photos) I don’t remember what his voice sounds like, I don’t remember anything. but this shared hobby gave me some insight. the photos he used to take share the same intention, that “jolt of life”. catching his daughter’s smirk, his wife’s lively and shy gaze. through the camera lens he snapped his own private world and captured what warmed his heart, and what ripped it apart. I don't know why this story became so focused on my father. recently I've really felt his absence. I was raised by a powerful woman, but different people can bring out different things. my perspective will always be different, and I refuse to apologize for it. certain cultures can be so unforgiving to those who don't have a conventional family structure. Instead of filling voids and cracks with love and nurturing, they're filled with forced pity and criticism adding pressure to each broken seam. With each push I've retreated behind my camera capturing each loving jolt and saving it for myself. life is short and nothing is guaranteed. capture your moments. forgive the overexposed pictures, move on from the ones with no light. let go of everything heavy on your heart, let it float into the stratosphere. love hard and often. cherish every single jolt. 

If metal can be polished to a mirror-like finish, what polishing might the mirror of the heart require? Between the mirror and the heart is this single difference: the heart conceals secrets, while the mirror does not. - Rumi

It's literally recharge time for the soul, but this month requires special preparations. remember when I was planning my finances? I'm all about lists, and writing out plans. if you follow my snaps you know I do my monthly plan/vision board mapping out how my month is going to go. 

A fulfilling Ramadan requires preparation. 

It is important to set your schedule. plan the time you are going to get up to eat. plan the time you will spend on reflection. plan the time you will spend at the mosque after taraweh. plan the days your family will come over to break your fast together. plan what you are going to do for Eid. Set goals for this month. Do you want to read the entire Quran during this month? Do you want to work on your patience? Do you want to have a food marathon and go to every family member’s house in one night for Iftar? Do you want to read ALLLLLL the hadith? set that plan!

let’s talk about one of my favorite things, FOOD. here in the states, Ramadan is right in the middle of spring and summer, meaning hot days, finals, work and all the responsibilities. it is important to stay hydrated.  

Foods you need:

complex carbohydrates are foods that help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting which are in foods such as barley, wheat, oats, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour and basmati rice. you also want to include fiber rich foods that are digested slowly such as bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin on, vegetables such as green beans, and almost all fruit. 

Foods that keep you hydrated

watermelon, and other melons such as honey dew and cantaloupe. Other foods that retain water are celery, cucumbers, strawberries, and lettuce.

I normally like to keep infused waters at hand during Ramadan, especially on the hotter days because they are super refreshing. with the infused waters I have different ways of doing it. most people go with fruit&herbs straight in the water or in an infusion chamber, which I’m all for. another way to do it is with ice cubes, an idea I saw on Khloe Kardashian’s Instagram. 

My favorite infused waters are:

- lemon, lime, mint

- lemon, lime, basil

- mint, lemon, grapefruit

Foods to avoid

anything deep fried, high fat and high sugar foods. So as much as we love pakoras, and samosas, and french fries, and jalebis, they hurt you way more than its worth.

Foods to try

So I am all about trying new recipes and I’d like to thank the internet for all of the links and recipes I’ve been able to find. Check some of them out here: 

27 Foods To Eat At Suhoor That Release Energy Throughout The Day During Ramadan

Avocado Juice with Dates

Ramadan Food: When And What To Eat

Celebrating Ramadan

I hope you all get out of Ramadan everything you need. If you have any other tips or questions, you know how to reach me.

 my goal is to pay off my loans within 3 years. but that requires some planning. a few months back I saw a young woman who went to RU with me had just paid her last student loan payment, and all I could think was: “I need to do whatever she did.” when I reached out she told me she followed the plan in Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover", and created an excel sheet for her finances. In her plan she minimized her expenses and dedicated 33% of her income to her student loan payments.

now I had to figure how that works for me. for some time I used Mint.com to help me reach some savings goals. The site and app are super user friendly and secure. I linked it with my bank account, and was able to set up goals and limits on spending. If I went even a penny over my limit for, let's say, coffee for the week, I received an email letting me know of that.  I can even use it to keep an eye on my credit score, and there are tips to improve credit. personally, Mint was a great way to track my spending, and I did reach my savings goal, but this was only one piece of the pie.

so I looked into Dave Ramsey, and was able to find a helpful budgeting guide  and also a link to budgeting worksheets. being the particular person that I am, I used it as a guide to create a pivot table on Excel to calculate my income, expenses, savings, and investments. this took several drafts because every time I set up the budget, I found an expense that I could minimize or cut out all together.

the final breakdown came to Income, Expenses, Savings, Donation, Travel Savings, and Spending. luckily I have a super organized sister who also compiled her own database of our family’s expense and we were able to map our overall finance goals. when you fail to plan, you plan to fail - biggest adult lesson I’ve learned. figuring my finances was super overwhelming when I first started out but with lots or research and a little organization I think I found a good fit. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any help planning towards a finance goal, and click on those links to check out the budgeting worksheets and guide. 

when I met Jesus, we spent the first half hour talking about our hyphenated identities, going from college to our careers, cultural appropriation, issues in the LGBTQ community, ratchet celeb stunts, and our passion projects. no small talk here, only genuine opinions and me cackling to tears because this guy is hilarious. 

Let’s get back to Jesus’ passion project: Sonic Trigger. imagine freezing a moment in time, a feeling, an experience linked to a particular song. the butterflies from an amazing trip with your best friends, the stomach-falling-out-of-your-butt feeling after a break up, the triumphant anthem when you finally graduated. imagine a beautiful collection of all these moments. this is Sonic Trigger.

“I'm always asking people about what music they're listening to because I'm a huge music fan. I get caught up in my music sometimes because I start to remember a lot of vivid memories certain songs bring me back to. That's what sparked the curiosity for Sonic Trigger. I wanted to know other people's stories.”

he put this project together with the intention of keeping it simple and realistic. it’s a wonderful combination of resourceful, creative, and is still people-friendly.  we become so consumed in trying to embrace our own soul stories, sometimes we forget to look around. a spin on “stop and smell the roses” Jesus is creating a sense of community through something we can all vibe to: music. 

Im grateful for the opportunity to be a part of his wall of soul stories. If you want to get involved, e-mail your story and song choice to [email protected]! Include your name and the town you’re from. and keep up on Instagram @sonictrigger

My name is Samiah (sah-me-ya). As you can tell, people normally pronounce my name wrong #ethnicproblems . I’m from North Jersey and I claim that proudly. In terms of my roots, they reach across the Atlantic to Bangladesh, and my heart is in Islam. I really love to cook. And I really love to eat. I am very Bangladeshi, and I am very American. Honestly, to me, being American implies the Bangladeshi, but that’s a whole other conversation. 

I started this blog to connect with other first generationers that face the same things I do: cultural appropriation, clashes, dealing with people in your culture, dealing with people outside of it, family expectations, beauty standards, finding parallels and all that good stuff. I love supporting your philanthropic causes, businesses, projects, and research and want to help you share your stories. 

We are a special group. I say that in two senses: 1. We face very specific problems that target our entire identity 2. We are rich in history and culture because of our identity. 

This year I want to do more. This year I promise to be more consistent. This year, we are going to lend a helping hand to many more people. This year, I want to make sure your voices are heard. The First Generationers is a wall of soul stories. Each one inspiring and honest expressions of the human experience. This year I plan on bringing you all more good vibes, more experiences, and more conversation.

with love and respect always,  Samiah

the best cure is always to unplug and go for a hike or spend an entire day diving into my favorite books (aka either Born Confused or The First Muslim). sometimes I just have no idea what to write about. 

you ever think twice about sharing headlines that strike you or the new smoothie that you fell in love with? or is this just an introvert thing? sometimes I just get overwhelmed at the amount of bullshit that comes up on my timeline. like I am so tired of seeing people throwing shade, or the random penis. you know when you’re on Instagram and you look at what your followers are liking and then there’s that one person that only likes picture of porn stars and tries to call them car models? I see ya’ll. 

but back to whatever it is I am saying.  sometimes with social media I end up seeing so many things that I wanna share. did ya’ll hear about when Islamic jihadist attackers stormed a bus in Kenya, and a group of Kenyan Muslims moved to protect the Christian passengers on board? did ya’ll watch Making a Murderer? Did ya’ll see Leo throwing shade at the Golden Globe? How bout that SOTU?

I love social media, but it’s a ride, or many rides...a whole carnival. you gotta unplug and take time to look at the people in front of you. or even the plant in front of you. talk to your mother. refresh. come back and share. 

I was happy to come back to lovely messages from some of you. you are loved, and appreciated. some of you are so funny  end up with the case of the giggles every.single.time. ya’ll are just the best. with that being said, im gonna head back to getting my sh*t together. our first anniversary is coming up and I have something special planned for ya’ll. 

First off, this was a spur of the moment trip that I actually cancelled initially. So happy I changed my mind. I went with the other half of Team Bye Bye, my friend Jasmin (@jasminrahmanmua). We stayed at the beautiful Caribe Hilton in San Juan. 

When I first got to the room, I was so thrilled with our beautiful ocean view that reached all the way to Castillo San Cristobal. By the way, none of my photos from this trip are edited, it is truly just this beautiful. 

As usual, Jasmin and I showed up with a huge chunk of our bucket lists that demanded to be fulfilled. Two important things about this trip: 1. I cannot swim and have an extreme fear of being in the ocean 2. This fear stretches to boats. Now, one might think “how the hell do you do anything on an island that doesn’t include the ocean or boats?”...answer is you can’t do the fun shit so you gotta suck it up and make it work. 

We spent our first day playing on the private beach by the hotel and exploring Old San Juan. Luckily, there was a food festival on Calle Fortaleza, a concert featuring several local salsa groups, and other fun things to see, all kicking off the Christmas season.

wandering the streets striking awkward poses, because I yam what I yam.

Started the trip right with these mofonguitos. Filled with shrimp, conch, and crab yummy in my tummy. 

They had different board alls over with different themes such as love, and happiness, but this was my favorite. 

I was so happy to be able to see an old friend from Rutgers, who pretty much filled me in on everything Old San Juan which definitely helped with my itinerary. On day 2, determined to try something new, we went Snuba diving in the beach by the hotel. Snuba is perfect for people who can’t swim, its a weighted, pressurised helmet that lets you walk on the ocean floor and explore. A huge shout out to our awesome guide Cade, who kept me calm and took some awesome shots of us underwater. When he was explaining the helmets and the excursion I literally thought he was lying and that I was going to drown and die (slightly dramatic). 

I found Patrick.

Ya’ll see that stress in my face? I really didn’t believe him.

On Day 3, we got rained out of one excursion, so we decided to check out the rainforest. The day spent in El Yunque was such an adventure. I spent half the time watching my step so I don’t fall off the side of the mountain, and the other half keeping an eye out for Puerto Rican Boas and rabid mongooses. I knew I was all about wildlife but sheesh. We made our way to the Watchtower to see the rainforest from above. Taino indians believed that the peak of the mountain would take them to heaven because it is hidden in the clouds. We then trekked downhill to reach La Mina waterfalls which was clear and beautiful. After, our group made the journey uphill which was pretty much a constant upward lunge for about a mile. After our hike, I was exhausted, but had the absolute best time with our group. 

The best hiking crew in the rainforest.

And lucky us, we even caught a double rainbow later that day

On Day 4, we went island hopping. We started our trip in Fajardo, then set sail to Icacos a deserted island. This is where things got fun. Speed boat was roaring and bouncing around on the water, while I was sitting as still as I could praying because boats were not yet my friend. The crew was so crazy friendly and caring. Tito, Chris, Levi, and especially Michael, ya’ll are the best. Because I was just way too scared to actually swim around and snorkel, they let me try floating around near the boat, and they brought the fish close enough for me to see. Next stop was Palominito. I cannot put into words how beautiful this place is. I was so scared to get in the water, Michael literally had to drag me to the beach at Palominito. But I’m happy he did. I really don’t have too many pictures from this day because I spent most of the time falling in love with boating and frolicking on the beach like the happiest little junglebaby.

On our last full day, we stayed on land to explore Old San Juan. We started with a yummy brunch at Caficultura and headed to Castillo San Cristobal. From there we headed to El Morro. I wanted to get lost in that beautiful city, immersing myself in the sights and the history.

On the morning before our flight, I had one last thing I had to do. One of my bucket list items was to be able to pray on the beach, it was actually the one thing that meant the most to me. And I’m blessed to say that I did it. Earlier in the morning, while the sun was still rising up to kiss the sky, we made our way to the beach to let the ocean wash away all of the bad feelings and sadness that we may have had when we got there.

I’m so happy to say that this trip brought out the old me. I’ve spent some time with people and things that did not bring out the best in me, that made me feel hard to love, which is the complete opposite of how I live my life. I spent this trip in such an enchanting, and happy place. I came back with a new sense of gratitude, for my blessings, for the person I truly am. 

Build a life that you are passionately and totally in love with. 

(source: Instagram @spiritualstoner)

when you ask my friends about me, they will tell you I have a loud laugh, I’m fluent in sarcasm, and can sometimes act bat-shit insane*. You’ll hear that I am passionate and vocal about it, and I don’t have much of an attention span for gossip, or people who tend to create problems out of thin air. when you ask acquaintances about me, they will tell you I am kind, that I am helpful, “not a social butterfly”. and then you’ll have the random person who says I’m mean because I’m not super chatty with them and apparently they’re entitled to a conversation.

I come from a culture that doesn’t believe in personal space, but thrives off of high expectations of others. or you can just say my culture consists of everyone in everyone else’s business, and people are quick to tell you that your hands are dirty when they need some soap and warm water themselves.  normally my introvert behavior doesn’t become apparent until a big family event when everyone is in everyone else’s business, ie Thanksgiving.

introvert does not mean anti-social. introvert does not mean snobby or mean or anti-social. it’s more like, social butterfly to a select few. and that’s okay. give yourself space when you need it. learn how to care for and accept your level of introvert.

soo, how do we deal with the “how’s school? what’s your next steps? y tu novio?” season? How do we avoid the match-making auntie, or the perverted uncle that keeps marveling at “what a young woman you’ve become”? 

Stuff your mouth with food! you wouldn’t want people to think your parents didn’t teach you not to talk with your mouth full. Act very busy! run back and forth and pretend you’re attending to other’s needs. avoid unnecessary conversations, get some cardio between helpings, and you look like an amazing host. Distract them! light something on fire that will definitely take the attention off of you. Answer every question with a question! people love asking but most don’t like being asked. okay so maybe not the last one, this isn’t the asshole’s guide to Thanksgiving. 

the only major tip I have when it comes to dealing with bustling holiday gatherings is: don’t force yourself to be an extrovert. have fun, and take the time to recharge. answer the questions you want to answer, and enjoy the time with your family that’s as bat-shit insane* as you are (on the inside where no one can see). all else fails, pile up your plate with food and hide in a corner.

Happy Holidays ya’ll

with love and respect always, samiah

But in the last few years due to advances in technology, we are UNABLE TO IGNORE the reality that the black community faces every single day, and had been facing for years. What we are seeing in the news, the shootings, the unwarranted arrests, our young men and women being terrorized just for existing is not a new phenomena. Yes all lives matter, but in many communities of the US it is our black brothers and sisters whose race places them in constant danger, as if it is a huge target on their back. This is not something you see as prevalently within the Latino, Asian, South Asian, or European community. I cannot tolerate someone trying to take away the value of #blacklivesmatter, just so they can jump in the limelight and gain some sort of cultural validation they think they are entitled to. Stop trying to equalize the struggle of the black men and women of this country, when you aren’t willing to share their experience. Imagine living a life where you have to take separate efforts to make people understand that your life matters, too. Where you are constantly scrutinized because of the color of your skin. Then come try to preach “all lives matter”. 

I just read something today about a white man letting his child die because he did not want treatment from a black nurse who was qualified and experienced in treating his infant’s condition. Even though her supervisor protested that she would be the most qualified, the one who could save his child. “No nigger nurses” he said. The young woman tried to force her way into the room to save his child, her sense of humanity and her duty to her profession overcame the hate from the father. He let his child die because of his disgusting prejudice. Black lives matter because they believe all lives matter. 

Yes all lives matter, but right now we’re focusing on black lives. Our brothers and sisters. Our men and women. Our scholars, our artists, our professional, our spiritual leaders. Solidarity. If we want to make all lives matter we sure as all better make sure that black lives matter first.  

1. get rid of my cell phone for one solid week. no technology. just the people in front of me.

2. learn to swim

3. learn to ride a motorcycle.

4. learning to drive stick.

5. get over my fear of boats

6. get over my fear of dogs

7. get over my fear of being insanely in love with someone I can spend the rest of my life with

8. learn 1 language every year

9. finally learn to play my guitar that is collecting dust in my attic

10. send my mother to hajj

11. learn to read and write bangla so my kids will have a solid foundation of their mother tongue

12. have a tea and hookah room in my house

13. sponsor a child from my old neighborhood to go to private high school/college 

14. memorize the Qur’an 

15. take a DJ class 

16. scuba dive 

17. play with a tiger

18. play with an elephant 

19. help someone in a way that completely changes their life 

20. stop cursing so much

Growing up in the transition generation when the internet became more accessible, and visual campaigns could reach a vast audience, we saw the change in the way beauty is portrayed. Body types actually mattered, outside of health reasons. Women went from fat and skinny to man shoulders, cankles, and too much booty (or too little). I see so many social media accounts where women dedicate themselves to being sexual eye candy, and you have young girls looking up to that thinking that is the only way they can be beautiful. Now to each their own, if being scantily clad on social media makes you feel beautiful, that is your prerogative, but my point here is that there is so much more to you.

  I was curious to see how people around me viewed beauty. So I decided to ask some of my friends what do they think makes them beautiful. I got responses about hair, and flat stomach, and curves, and smile. I got other responses about resilience, patience, and the ability to unconditionally love. That’s when I decided to reach out to you all, and I’ve got to say the response was amazing. I figured let’s make a movement of it, no matter how small.

A beautiful woman is whatever the hell she wants to be. She is curvy, she is skinny, she has long hair that she got from her mother, or gorgeous curls. She is confident in herself, and does good for others. She loves and she is fierce. 

 It is important for you to find beauty, peace, and happiness from yourself. You have to get validation from yourself.  It’s important for a queen to realize her crown.

Hey ya’ll! I hope this Wednesday has been short, sweet, and sunny. For those still stuck in the mid-week hump, this post is for you. I got to sit down with the brains and brawn behind Majiq Productions, my good friend Lisa “Majiq” Farrar. 

Lisa is 24 years wise,a local to northern New Jersey, a Patersonian at heart. She is art in the form of an artist. Lisa is simultaneously building a brand, working with the community, and perfecting her art.  She studied at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers and continued her education at William Paterson University. 

Lisa was born an artist, with a resilient heart. From a young age she fell in love with painting, and that then moved to an interest in acting. This brought her to the technological logistics behind the scenes. This love for performing branched out to her musical talents, as one of my favorite female rappers, Majiq. 

| Check out some of her tracks from her SoundCloud here |

With influences such as Spike Lee, P. Diddy, and Beyonce, she is currently working to build an empire that is culturally aware, and that can benefit her community. 

One of the many things I admire about Lisa is her honesty in her process. Right now she is in a transition phase where is is learning techniques, learning how to use different equipment, and starting to brand herself. She is throwing herself into every opportunity that she vibes with. Her work ethic is unparalleled. And you’ve got to respect her confidence and faith in her brand. A huge challenge as an artist is not necessarily the hard work and practice of the craft itself, but the way your art is perceived. Your skill can be monetized. This does not make you a sell out, nor does it dilute the quality or expression. 

In her efforts to brand herself, she has also come across those who expect the “friend discount”, or the “hook up”.  She also has come across individuals that assume that her brand revolves around them. As hard as she works, this artist has gotta eat, too. She’s a one woman team, but don’t be fooled, she holds her own. Right now, she is keeping her opportunities diverse, whether it is a music show, or a museum opening, or a family event. 

Lisa is planning to branch out this endeavor into a multimedia conglomerate giving other artists a safehouse to develop their skills and grow into the best versions of themselves. 

 There are the people to the left that are raised and live their life according to their origin, and being in another country is just a matter of location. There’s the group all the way to the right who have immersed themselves in the melting pot and all of its opportunities, and their origin is just a part of the past. Then there is the middle. The hyphen.  This is the group of people who are too American for their motherland, and too ethnic for Americans. They hide out in the hyphen because it is a neutral space where they can hide cuz they love both their origin and their current home and identify with both simultaneously. But it’s in the hyphen where a lot of the issues are born. It goes from being a balancing act to a tug-of-war of cultures, and you’re in the middle.

This hyphen should be a bridge, not a hideout. With the changing times, how can there be room anymore to accept scrutiny for being blessed with two homes? We are reaching a point where the second-generation is starting to become the majority.  In a time where we have women in high ranking government positions, and gay marriage has been legalized, you can’t tell me there are people who still have an issue with my masala mac and cheese. It isn’t acceptable that someone is failing out of college and miserable struggling to succeed in a major that will “uphold the family honor”. It isn’t acceptable to think less of someone with an accent, or someone that happens to have more melanin in their skin than you. It does not make sense to call someone a sell out because they prefer to speak a certain way that fits them best.  

Build a bridge, not a barrier.

Ignorance is no longer an excuse, it is an effort. You have to make the effort to try to close your eyes to the changes in society. And it’s an uphill battle. I commend those who are able to maintain the culture of their country of origin and remain rooted. I applaud those who take the influence from their motherland and evolve it into something new and beautiful. Both sides are necessary. There is no need to choose one side of the hyphen.

You are beautiful harmony. You are safekeeping for stories of different lands and seas.   You broke the ocean in half, but you must remain whole.

There’s a lot of lessons that I have learned through the years that have allowed me to keep my sanity and grow into who I am today.

+ Love yourself first.

You are so important. You are so beautiful, and strong, and grand. The energy you put out is what you receive. I spent so many years focusing on every single flaw, hating myself for it. And the universe returned the sentiment. The moment I put faith in myself, and put love and acceptance into every effort I made to be better, I began to see a difference. Even when I made a mistake, I forgave myself, and the universe did the same. I gave myself a second chance, and so did everyone around me. I gave myself respect, and I was surrounded by those who did the same. The more I show myself love, the more I can give it.  

+ Don’t half ass anything, do everything with your full ass.

Being apathetic means you don’t stand for anything. Care about yourself, about nature, about current events, about other people. The more you care, the more you can invest yourself and help others. When you put half your effort, you’re giving yourself half the experience.

+ People are weird.

Never take it personally if someone does something negative to you. Sometimes people don’t see it as negative because of their own experiences. Sometimes people don’t know how to be better, even if you do. People are people, keep strong to who you are no matter what happens to you. Don’t compromise your morals because of your ego.

+ You need the dark as much as you need the light. 

With every challenge you face, focus on being stronger and putting your faith first. Every time you are tested it means you are getting better, reaching a new level in your ability and in your character.  There is always something good that comes from the bad. Be grateful for both.

+ Never say no to dessert. Or pizza. Especially pizza.

Always take the time to treat yourself. It’s great to be dedicated and work hard, but it’s also great to eat pizza. Reward yourself. You deserve it.

+ Always value yourself by being yourself.

Celebrate the parts of you that no one applauds. Always be true to what you want from life, no matter what your family, or friends, or significant other say. Fighting your purpose is the worst thing you can do to yourself, and by the way, your purpose will always win. Let the universe run its course. Stay honest, stay loving, stay golden.

 On April 25th 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the west of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The effects were felt in neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, India, and China. Since then, the death toll has reached above 4800 people, with many others left homeless, or too scared to return to their homes that are vulnerable to aftershock.

On April 27th, riots and looting ensued after the funeral of Freddie Gray. Gray was stopped by police two weeks ago for unspecified reasons; during the ensuing police ride his spine was “virtually” severed, and he died from the injury last weekend. No explanation has been given for how Gray received the injury; the police officers involved have been suspended pending an investigation. 

A photo posted by KnownNobody ◼️◾️▪️ (@bydvnlln) on Apr 27, 2015 at 4:34pm PDT

The friends and family of #freddygray have been peaceful since day one i saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears :::: respect ::::plz don't tarnish that :::: #ripfreddygray #prayforbaltimore ::::#DVNLLN

Both of these events have been part of an awakening. A break from the moral disconnect that seems to be prevalent in our first world society, where the release of the Apple watch is more important than the triumph of another human being. What has been significant to me about these two particular events is the increase in participation. And by participation I am not referring to the group of rioters, rather the majority of those who chose to pursue peaceful protests and gatherings. The looting and destruction are NOT a reflection of the cause, do not believe the hype.

“Don’t raise your voice. Improve your argument. Good sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always the best arbiter of what is right.” - D.T.

The media focuses on the spectacle rather than the substance to put on a show, to entertain. But this is no game, and this is absolutely real. Lives are being lost due to prejudice. Sickness and world disasters aren't the biggest threat to a human life, the biggest threat is another human being.  And I understand the peace has to start inside of us, and our communities. 

A photo posted by KnownNobody ◼️◾️▪️ (@bydvnlln) on Apr 27, 2015 at 6:53am PDT

Yes random people were hurt, Yes a peaceful protest did get rough :::: But stop thinking it was everyone Out of about 1000+ people only 50-100 lost control ::: but best believe our people were not only trying to stop the acts of violence, but also saving and helping those in need :::: Things the Media wont show you :::: #ripfreddiegray#baltimore ::: #DVNLLN

“A person is only a person in the context of other persons: my humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.” D. T. 

The police officers that take part in senseless killing over race and prejudice need to understand that the life that they ended affects them and is a part of them. The rioters that took to violence and hurt police officers and other citizens need to understand that those that they hurt are a part of them. 

A photo posted by @savannahkessel on Apr 29, 2015 at 12:18pm PDT

This summer will mark two years since my incredible adventure in Nepal. I feel so lucky to have experienced the amazing Nepali heritage, culture & people! Luckily all of my friends are accounted for and safe and sound however the country is in deep need for supplies such as food and medicine. I urge you to donated through the below link. I have personally worked with the organization at hand and know for a fact that your donation will be used towards supporting the small villages hit by the quake.#prayfornepal http://jginepal.org/donate.php

We need to understand that our brothers and sisters in Nepal that have lost there homes and families and limbs and lives affect us. Their tribulations are our tribulations, and their successes are OUR successes. There is no room for ego when you want change. There is no room for selfishness, only self-worth. 

I am so proud to see that so many people are coming together, discussing, learning about this issues that affect communities outside their own. Broaden your horizons. We have so many ways to get the word out, to communicate and educate. We need to keep building to be rid of that moral disconnect. 

A photo posted by Stokey Cannady (@thestokeyproject) on Apr 30, 2015 at 8:51am PDT

If you missed Tuesday's block party and March, trust me you don't wan to miss out on today's unity march at 4pm. I'm calling all of Baltimore- both the east side and the west side to join the movement.#ILoveBaltimore #WeWantPeace #BMoreNotLess

I encourage you to keep your ears and eyes open. I encourage you to speak words that are wholesome, and just, and necessary, and not for the sake of noise. Noise drowns out the message, but a strong unified voice allows you to be heard. Continue to pray. #PrayforBaltimore #PrayforNepal #PrayforAll 

With love and respect always, Samiah