whatever, tatyahna

This was a hard year for me. In fact, all three years SGG has been a thing were hard years for me and that's why it ever became a thing in the first place. This year was the hardest because I really felt like after so long (not really that long though) SGG wasn't at the point where I thought it would be. It isn't making money, it hasn't done the redesign I've been wanting for two years, we hit a readership plateau, etc. That combined with some of the most difficult things I've ever had to overcome in my personal life really made me want to quit the whole thing and go back to being a normal person who only had to focus on normal things.

The crazy thing is that for most of SGG's life I haven't been my full true self. The crazier thing is that SGG has been part of my being able to get back to who I am. I started it as a funny thing to do after I got laid off from the only job that gave me health insurance and while I was dealing with weird drama about someone else’s boyfriend. It was never meant to be what it is now but I’m glad it has become a place where our staff can inspire and advise our readers while they’re figuring out their own shit. The past three years SGG has been my only constant. Every time I am feeling like garbage about whatever thing(s) I’m dealing with I lurk the site, the staff, the readers, everything - and yall always make everything feel better. Even though SGG can be a big stress for me and a lot of times I want to give up, the fact that the community around it is so amazing makes it hard to do anything to get rid of that. This is the first time my anniversary post is on my personal blog instead of the actual site because SGG is way more than me. It’s literally ~all of us~. We have big things coming and will be around for at least two more years. Thank you all for sticking with us. We luv u. Thank you for teaching me so many things.

THINGS I LEARNED FROM SGG STAFF, READERS, AND HATERS:

A Beyoncé gif can make you instantly make you feel just as powerful as Queen Bey herself.

Everyone has the same struggles and everyone can get through them.

Face masks, red wine, and Scandal can cure anything and everything.

You're beautiful even when you think you're grimey also you're funny and clever and smarter than you think you are 100% of the time.

Self love over everything else always.

You have the power to make any change in life that you want to make and you will make it when you need to.

Haters don't actually understand what they're hating on or why they're hating at all.

You can stay supporting people without feeling the need to be their best friend.

You don't have to tone down your crazy if you don't want to, but it's good to take time to reflect on why you're being a little crazy

Things like periods, therapy, eating, bad tv, body hair, sex, abortion, and everything else that people don't like young women to talk about are the things that should be talked about.

Change is scary but if you avoid it for too long you're like a gross flat soda that's been left out so long it starts to congeal.

THANK YOU: