On my heart this week. First, I’ve gotta echo the micropodcast and say - thank you so much. I appreciate all the email replies and comments lending a kind word after I mentioned that I was taking a mental health day yesterday. I woke up feeling much more alive and capable this morning and just grateful for the chance to begin again. With all life’s twists, turns and moving parts, care is on my heart this week. So here’s to:Stillness.Taking a break when you need it. Resting when your body signals that it’s time. Exercising the freedom to have it your way. Cherishing moments of being not doing. Deep belly laughter.Long hot baths.Home-cooked meals. And whatever else care might look like for you. Gifts for your growth.🧠 Slow Factory Foundation released the schedule for their Open Edu Summer Camp and it’s fire!This season is focused on the disposable culture of fast fashion. All classes are free to attend (though donations help to keep it that way) and are taught by Black, Brown, Indigenous and minority ethnic scholars, thinkers and educators. Register here.💎 I saw a few clips from author/performer/speaker ALOK’s interview on the Man Enough Podcast a couple days ago and was blown away by how timely and necessary their message was on compassion, humanity and the gender binary. Please carve out time to watch or listen to the full interview when you can.📖 “A Black activist reflects on intergenerational trauma, community, and coming to terms with death in movement building.” Read it here: Grief Belongs in Social Movements. Can We Embrace It? Fuel for the week ahead.🎧 🎶 I think it’s impossible not to get up and dance to this week’s Seven Bops playlist (at least the first half of it). Listen to it on Apple Music. ❤️‍🩹 I tapped the brain trust (aka you and my community on Instagram) and asked: What are some of the ways you care for yourself when you’re feeling out of sorts?⁣ Y’all were super generous with your responses - thank you for weighing in! In case you find yourself feeling vibrationally low this week, as promised, here’s a compilation of some of what you shared… From Instagram:“You know I love to do a good absolutely nothing. Or sleep in the guest room bed with the picture of my granny looking over at me.” - @dr.kholi“Visualization practice always centers me back.” - @saraannkellypr“I just look at the dried herbs and choose 2 to steep with a Lil bit of dried rose. Trusting that spirit will give me the medicine I need. My spirt usually goes to valerian and damiana.” - @notyouraveragehousedyke“When I need to get my thoughts and feels together, I try to do things that bring me joy like clean my house( that’s that 80s baby raising ) a dope playlist, light a candle and just vibe… a delicious meal tops me off. Just reconnecting to real life and having more moments.” - @the_key2style“Taking a step back, exactly like you did. Whether it’s physical and/or emotional needs, the quicker I take a half day or day off to nap, take a bath, some zinc if it’s a cold coming on, a walk, stretch, clean, or do nothing, the quicker I bounce back, instead of pushing too hard and then needing much longer to recover.” - @lizzcozz“For me it’s definitely a solo walk , preferably somewhere green and spacious or if it’s really rainy a drive - both with a heavy dose of music 👌🏻” - @courageandcuriosityAnd in the comments and replies to yesterday’s note I sent out:“When I'm out of sorts, I turn on my meditation music, burn palo santo, cleanse my energy field, and settle into some deep breaths. It's a sensory reset.” - Jamila Reddy “When I’m outta sorts I get still. Ideally I take myself to a piece of nature—by the river, a creek, a fountain, or like today, I sit in the sun. For a minimum of 15 mins, I’m barefoot with my eyes closed and I either do some box breathing or the 6-1-8 breaths.” - Danita R. “My care taking these days always starts with the three following things:Running water over my hands. Cold =  if I need an attitude adjustment, Hot = if I need to feel nourished. Music! I don't know why, but I always forget to infuse my days with music. Doodling.  Somehow, just the act of pen on paper, for no reason, calms my nerves.” - Naomi H.  “When I am feeling drained or confused on my next life steps I play binaural beats from an app or on YouTube I search for 862hz. It's great for calming and relaxing so I can think more clearly.” - SusieI’ll see y’all next Monday.Love always,HMKM Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com

On my heart this week. Hello from my final night in New York City! It’s my first time in my hometown since last February and it feels deeply satisfying to be back. There are few places I’ve been that match the energy of this city, especially in the summertime. My wife and I have been in town celebrating a good friend’s birthday, ordering obscene amounts of takeout 🙃, and avoiding crowds. I’ve been basking in high highs since we landed on Saturday but today I found myself haunted by the ghost of relationships past and feeling guilty, melancholic, and disappointed about some of my previously cherished bonds here that haven’t aged well. I sat with the feelings (read: moped around the apartment where we’re staying) and walked through the West Village unpacking them and running through three questions:Does this need to be salvaged?Has it run its course?Can I leave it where it is?Then I decided that instead of losing myself ruminating on what I’d lost, it made far more sense to embrace what I gained and be present to it.As the four-word poem by @dr.kholi goes — Have what has you.Gifts for your growth.💎 Create Dangerously: Albert Camus on the Artist as a Voice of Resistance and an Instrument of Freedom🚜 The team at Saloma Acres is building a dedicated Black equestrian and cultural space in Columbia, SC. They’ve secured 22 acres and are raising funds to cover infrastructure costs ahead of their opening on Small Business Saturday this November. If you ever find yourself daydreaming about safe communal spaces to play and seek refuge, learn more here.Fuel for the week ahead.🖊️ One of my favorite writers, Casey Gerald, penned this gorgeous profile on musician Leon Bridges ahead of the release of his latest album, Gold-Diggers Sound. It is quite possibly the most fantastic prose I’ve read so far this year.🌳 Last Friday I joined CreativeMornings/NYC online for a special immersive event with Pop-up Magazine. They have this dope audio storytelling experience and art project called Field Guide themed around water, trees, and the night sky. 150+ folks gathered on Zoom to meditate on the trees experience together while we walked through our neighborhoods appreciating and sharing views of the trees around us. 10/10 would recommend: check it out.🎧 🎶 This week’s Seven Bops playlist is the soundtrack to my 72-ish hour trip home. It feels like everything I love about summer in NYC. Listen to it on Apple Music. Have a great week y’all ❤️.Love always,HMKM Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com

On my heart this week. “How much harder/less hard does it feel depending on your approach?” My therapist posed this question last week and I stopped her in her tracks so I could write it down. It’s not uncommon for me to yell out “Bars!” or “See? That’s why they pay you the big bucks,” during our sessions. She consistently serves up gems that strike me in the moment or boomerang back in the days that follow. This one was a boomerang.Like I mentioned in today’s micropodcast, I was feeling wildly angsty when I sat down to publish FHWL. From my wife’s parents closing on their home to me starting a new phase of research that I’ve been invested in for years, planning and dreaming about for months, and publicly discussing for weeks — this week feels monumental. But that doesn’t mean it has to be heavy. A few minutes into writing, I heard a voice say - “This is supposed to be fun.” That voice paired with my therapist’s question up there, and our conversation a few Mondays ago about ease were all I needed to change my approach. I took a few deep breaths, drank some water, did some self-soothing (hugging myself and rubbing my lower back works wonders), then burned my favorite heart chakra incense and got back into the groove.All it took was that short regroup moment to remind me that creativity and fun are what fuel this newsletter and my life outside of it. So this week whether I’m freestyling jingles at my desk while I work, riding my bike (affectionately known as Horatio) through Sherwood Forest or making cocktails to commemorate new chapters — I’m committed to having a helluva time. How are you making fun this week? Gifts for your growth. 💡 My latest Skillshare Original class, Leadership Communication for the Future of Work went live last week. I share my philosophy on transformational leadership and how you can identify and lean into your own style of leadership communication across a number of everyday work scenarios. You can enroll here and get a free 30-day trial of Skillshare Premium.💎 Last month on the eve of what would have been Octavia Butler’s 74th birthday, writer and professor Dr. Susana Morris highlighted five lessons that her legacy continues to teach us. Persist is the one I’m holding closest. Fuel for the week ahead.🌐 Shuya Gong reminds us that The internet can be a neighborly Welcoming Place For You, if you find the right space. ⚗️ I rewatched this episode of What’s Underneath this morning and Olu Fann’s reflections on identity, piety, poverty and public acclaim were profoundly resonant. 🧇 🥞 Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day…any time of day. When I found out Gastronomical was dropping a plant based, gluten free (but still delicious) waffle & pancake mix, I damn near cartwheeled 🤸🏾‍♀️ over to the pre-order page. I got two of each (ancestral roots + red velvet). If breakfast is your jam, too, you can order them here.🎧 🎶 We’re a couple days away from Leo season and this week’s Seven Bops playlist will have you channeling your inner lion. It’s waiting for you on Apple Music. See y’all next Monday ✌🏾.Love always,HMKM Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com

On my heart this week. Me enthusiastically making my way through customs at JFK.Last Wednesday I got back from my 3-week trip to Amsterdam and it feels so good to be home and jet lag free! Travel always has a way of expanding my consciousness and I was telling my therapist this afternoon that this trip (my first time on a plane in 16 months) felt like expansion to the 1000th power. While I was away I ate my weight in tacos, had an intimate relationship implode (it was time), got to know and understand shadowy sides of myself that I’ve long avoided, and grew an even fonder appreciation for the haven my wife and I are co-creating here in Winston Salem, NC.My greatest takeaway? A renewed commitment to truth-telling. In the shadows I realized how many wounds I’d patched with half truths and white lies out of fear of being seen, a refusal to own up to actions that harmed others, resistance to endings, and discomfort with having what I desire. When I revisited all those places, it may have stung a little, but the balm of truth mended me in ways that my fabrications had tried and failed at for years.And you know what? I love it here. So the rest of this week’s offerings come with the intention of helping you find and maintain your own truth for healing.Gifts for your growth.♋ My favorite vocational & business astrologer, Ashleigh D. Jay taught me that New Moons offer us a chance to plant seeds in dark, rich soil for the things we want to grow and manifest in the area of our lives where it lands. This past Friday ushered in a New Moon in the sign of Cancer and I used these affirmation-style horoscopes from Chani Nicholas to help me set some clear intentions for the cycle ahead. ✨ If you’re interested in understanding the cosmos a little better, I wrote this essay on astrology as a gateway to fulfilling your creative potential.Fuel for the week ahead.💎 I’m still in awe of this stunning profile Saint Heron put together on the story of Linda and Cecil Womack. It’s such a beautiful possibility model for liberated family structures and uninhibited living. The storytelling, creative direction, overall execution — it’s fantastic, y’all! Savor it here 👉🏾 “The Womack Originals”🎧 🎶 This week’s Seven Bops playlist is worthy of a good cocktail or (mocktail)under the sun with your feet kicked up. Find it on Apple Music and enjoy. That’s all for now. Be good to yourselves and I’ll see you next Monday.Love always,HMKM Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com

On my heart this week. Like I mentioned in today’s micropodcast, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what work means to me and I recently wrote out a definition that feels good: Work is a lifelong body of productive contribution and devotion to the liberation and transcendence of myself, my family, my community, and society at large.What that contribution looks like shifts over time and the actions (or inaction) within those contributions can be grand gestures or small, simple deeds.I’ve been using this language as my guiding compass, especially since my masters dissertation is focused on the future of work. Zooming in on historically marginalized creative professionals across disciplines who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color or QTPOC, I’m exploring:What personal, professional and talent development support we need to thrive,Where those needs are being met now and what barriers are in the way, and How we can create sustainable conditions, spaces and systems of communal learning that empower us to live rich, fulfilling lives and produce profound bodies of work in tandem.I’m scheduling interviews and community forums all throughout this month so if you’d like to participate (I’d love your insight!), keep an eye out for a separate post toward the end of this week with more details. In the meantime, how are you defining work these days?Gifts for your growth.💡 I have a new class on Skillshare: Advocating for Ideas and Opportunities in the Workplace. I break down my approach to capturing big ideas, communicating them in accessible ways, and rallying the right people to help them materialize. Follow this link to enroll and you’ll get a free 1-month trial of Skillshare Premium.✨The Ancestor Project has a dope new series in their mystery school called Psychedelic Emancipation. It covers the history of psychedelics used by indigenous people of Africa, their varying applications in the context of spiritual and community development, and how it’s tied to our own liberation today.🤔 What to do when you come across a page that has stolen your work.Fuel for the week ahead.💎 Last year my friend Adrian introduced me to Rev. Dr. Cheryl Ward's Oath of Manifestation. He and I read it aloud together every Monday and I recite it daily after my morning prayers or at some point before bed. Since I made it a part of my ritual, so many doors, windows, and ceilings have opened up for me in the form of material and immaterial blessings. Give it a try this week and let me know what shifts for you. 👩🏾‍🍳 Eating, watching people cook, and cooking are my favorite pastimes. So when my wife told me that the Hella Black Brunch team was releasing this new spice blend in honor of Juneteenth, I was AMPED. I got to sample it a few weeks ago and it’s slammin’! It’s great as a marinade for meats and veggies or a seasoning to add a little kick to a dish that’s missing something.🎧 🎶 This week’s Seven Bops playlist is a mix of jazz samba, soul, hip-hop, and alternative. I was dancing in the streets (and on the train platform) listening to it on my commute today. You can dance along with me on Apple Music. Wishing y’all an abundant week ahead!Love always,HMKM Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com

On my heart this week. “I only add my talents to the most satiating of situations.” - Chani Nicholas’ Taurus New Moon horoscope for Leo and Leo RisingSatiating is my favorite word of the moment. I use it as a filter for decision making and it works wonders. Satisfaction doesn’t have to be negotiable. I kept that in mind when I decided to revive this newsletter. It’s been 6 months since we last spoke and after racking my brain about how to return in a way that feels enjoyable to execute, authentic to me and useful to you, I’m back with a new perspective and format. Audio meets written. My goal is to offer insights, resources and inspiration for becoming who you are while creating work you love. So every Monday (starting today), I’ll share:A micropodcast of what’s on my heart and elaborate on it here (insights), A hodgepodge of goodies for enriching your creative practice and/or personal development (resources), and Some creative fuel to help you maneuver the week with more joy (inspiration). If you haven’t already, press play on the first micropodcast up there ☝🏾.Gifts for your growth.🤔 Three Habits That Make Things Complicated📚 I’m starting my dissertation research in a few days and my friend Tamika put me on to this book called, Research For People Who (Think They) Would Rather Create. It’s a visual guide to thoughtfully approaching and compellingly presenting research. If you’re interested, check it out. 🔑 Last week on Instagram, I celebrated my career development Skillshare class reaching over 10K students and I shared five keys for shaping a Divinely aligned career. Here they are.Fuel for the week ahead.Creativity is not coming out of you. Creativity is the work of the Universe. The Universe is a library. All we're doing is checking ideas out…And what you would’ve checked out on one day, might not be what you would check out on the next day...When you got a library card that works, you use that card every day. - Pharrell Williams in conversation with Steve Stoute💎 Please take some time out to watch this convo ☝🏾. I’m still marinating on all the gems Pharrell dropped about exercising creativity and answering your calling.😍 I’m usually an incense girl but I’m in love with this new all-natural candle company, Zeen. Whether I'm working or kicking back at home, the Cohiba joint is my go to fragrance for setting the mood. And the burn time is clutch! Check out their SS ‘21 collection here.🎧 🎶 I listen to music and exchange songs and albums with my friend Adrian religiously, so recently I started curating these short playlists of my favorite daily songs for the week. I call it Seven Bops. You can vibe to this week’s installment on Apple Music. Ok that’s all for now. I’ll see y’all next Monday! Love always,HMKMP.S - Leave a comment and let me know how you feel about the new format. Are there any topics related to personal development, creative practice or career building that you’d like me to talk more about? Get on the email list at fhwl.substack.com