My friends and I have all been super motivated to work and to do the work that we need to and want to and think should be in the world.

We kind of have to rewrite our own stories and our own ways of being free.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm trying to take a hit for the team so that other people then can move forward. I'm like, "Look, I just laid out all of my stuff, so what's the worst that can happen?".

There's so much about the strong black woman stereotype that makes us forget that we do need and deserve help and care.

Where I would usually backspace, I stop and say, "You know what? This is important, that I say how I feel and don't sugarcoat it, and don't avoid it."

So much of my writing process is trying to eliminate any kind of shame or fear of the thoughts that I'm having. Where I would usually backspace, I stop and say, "You know what? This is important, that I say how I feel and don't sugarcoat it, and don't avoid it." In my experience when I do try to avoid something, it makes its way into the work anyway. To be in front of it and just make friends with it is easier for me.

I think that we need to make it our goal to define freedom for ourselves.