Welcome to the Meraki Muse!

Introducing "Renaissentials" - Keys for Self-Renewal and Creative Living in Turbulent Times

How to start…

I am now, thankfully, past almost four decades of having a work identity as a corporate attorney and officer in several publicly-held companies. I now reside in another Act of my Life — more undefined and yet more satisfying. Now, I aspire to be a wise woman and value all my experiences and learnings with grace and share them.

I am a Compassionate Elder of Color championing the right for the sensitives among us to self-express in the ways that matter most to us. I represent a mixture of African, European/White and Native American couplings over a few hundred years. I also count myself within the tribes of Sensitives, Introverts, Aesthetes, Creatives, Independent Individualists and Pet Parents.— tender hearted seeking quiet spaces over the noise. We are also committed to remaining masters of our minds and consciousness — so we are also strong and resilient. We carry hope and believe in the power of love.

Now, I’m simply here for you. Just a voice in the darkness with a lit candle.

I’m also here for me, for authentic connections with kindred souls mean everything.

I stand for our Illumination, Self-Empowerment and Self-Actualization.

Now, I’ve had trouble sleeping during these dark days of this ongoing “coup” and the attempts to dismantle our democracy and our Federal government. I awaken in the darkness, having lived during decades where much has been more progressive than erosive with respect to the march toward full and equal civil rights for all. A child of the 60’s, I’ve seen a lot. Our country has devolved into a wasteland seemingly overrun by self-serving billionaires, along with a new federal government actively displaying and executing upon nihilistic, homophobic, misogynist and supremacist mindsets.

Despite the madness going on in this country and in this world, we must never stop seeking to nurture our souls, care for our health, buttress our faith and manifest our dreams and destinies. The obstacles, oppressions, hatreds, violence and inequities are part of the consciousness of this very human race, but there are also love-based openings, opportunities, transformations, generosity and compassionate behaviors. The history of our world has all these ingredients and the pendulum of good to bad never stops swinging. If there are people who cannot and are not allowed to fully express themselves by oppressors and dominants, we must do it for them, and hold that promise for them and their progeny.

We are here to be strong, resilient and to Become What We Are Meant to Be. We are here not to shrink but to expand ourselves. We are here NOT to suppress our identities, but to fully embody them.

We are each much more than our reactions to the mayhem. Let’s not forget the oceans of people on the globe who do operate according to the genuine tenets of equity, support, empathy and caring. Let’s not forget non-Americans who are counting on our hearts and leadership to do the right thing.

We each have a voice, a purpose and we each have a right to exist and thrive. We are not giving up on democracy. We must continue to engage by ensuring we express ourselves and participate in creating the tapestry of the soon to be history of our times.

Among others, a critical brand of activism is standing up for your right to pursue your happiness, a quintessential and key principle under our Constitution.

Let No One Steal Your Joy!

“Meraki” means infusing whatever you do with the true essence and soul of who you really are, and to do so with love. The Meraki Muse is here to direct sharings and stirrings to kindred souls – including Sensitives, Introverts, Seekers and Creatives with Tender Hearts, Aesthetic Sensibilities and Vibrant Imaginations, wherever you are on your Life’s Journey. It’s also for those of you who feel “closeted” and long for more self-expression. This is especially for those of you who strive to see the beauty there is in everything. Younger, Older, whomever, whether you are of Color or not, you are welcome here to build community and infuse gratitude for one another.

This “Renaissentials” Newsletter is inspired by and dedicated to all the brave and bold contributors to the Harlem Renaissance. I’ve long been drawn to and reminded of the resoluteness of Black activists, artists, writers, journalists, publishers, photographers, musicians, performers, educators, entrepreneurs and other creators to self-express.

Despite the dark times of horrid racial bigotry and violence, Blacks migrated and gathered together to ensure their voices were not quelled or suppressed, and many white allies joined in support. World War I and the domestic race riots during the late teens of the 20th century both inspired and buttressed a deep determination that we deserved and earned so much more than the then society was willing to give. The victories of the Harlem Renaissance created a place in our history that cannot be erased.

The brilliant creations still stand and shine to inspire us. The commitment to align together, across color lines, is especially important. We are a country of a beautiful range of cultures and colors.

Now, we are facing bigger risks to our freedom of self-expression and democratic principles. We need to create our own lasting Renaissance and keep renewing ourselves despite the dark eclipses we face. “Renaissentials” are the lessons learned and new inspirations that seek to inspirit you with illumination and confidence in your ability to contribute to this world in your own meaning-making way.

Please continue to pursue your dreams, write your words, film your visions, invent your ideas, paint your canvases and execute your talents. In whatever work you do, find ways to let your own Light shine. Let your Life’s Art co-create our future, drawing on our histories of resilience, courage and strength. Memorialize what’s important to you. The history being created now must include your voice and your contributions.

This “Meraki Muse” Substack is intended to be an inspirited community to come to get fortified, motivated, inspired and soothed. This is a place to remember how much you matter and that you can be and do what you’re meant to be and do.

So, in addition to raising your vibrations, I’ll also write about the issues we have to grapple with (and the new opportunities) during the day- to-day of our lives. I will, more often than not, filter these musings through my personal memories and experiences. I will also repost and convert as “Renaissentials” some of my writings virtually no one has seen while they were sitting on a site no one knew was there. Substack allows me bring them to life again and find their way to you.

When we seek self-awareness, calm, centeredness and especially creativity, we can fortify and strengthen ourselves to better deal with the madness around us. We all need to build inner resilience and blow open every drop of our faith in the higher power of full Self-Realization within us, individually and as global citizens.