Dear Pennies & Pens,
I cannot believe this day has come. It’s June 10, 2022 – which means it’s been 12 years since I published my first post in de la Pen…All Pen Everything. Happy 12th Anniversary de la Pen…All Pen Everything!
It’s been an absolute rollercoaster writing and publishing my own international and multicultural lifestyle magazine for the past 12 years.
I write and edit all the content, shoot and/or style most of the photos and videos, work on SEO, plan content via The Pen Planner and publish all the content. So with 740 published posts, ya girl has got some serious inkxperience.
That said, today, I just wanted to celebrate the 12th Anniversary of de la Pen’s First Post. In the original June 10, 2010 post, I talk about my personal style. At the time, de la Pen was going to be a fashion blog. However, in the Fall of 2013 when I relocated to Texas from NYC, I decided to turn de la Pen into a lifestyle magazine and cover more than just fashion.
Over the years, I’ve covered so many exclusive events in NYC and Dallas. Events like the Couture Council Luncheon Honoring Valentino, the Daphne Guinness Press Preview at the Museum at FIT, New York Fashion Week, Style.uz Art Week, Charleston Fashion Week, the Affordable Art Fair NYC, the Dallas Art Fair, Artopia, the King & I, Into the Woods, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company at the AT&T Performing Arts Center and so much more.
I have also worked with over 90 brands such as the Andersen Hotel Copenhagen, the Radisson RED in downtown Portland, the Hyatt Regency Birmingham, the Art Institute of Chicago, Ledson Winery, Kieu Hoang Winery and more.
As a Black woman, I feel blessed to know that I’ve had all these amazing experiences. It hasn’t been easy because I’ve been told I’m not good enough more times than I can count. In the past, it was not having enough followers on social media, not enough blog traffic or just being straight up ignored.
I’ll be honest and say that for years all the no’s took a toll on my energy. And even the yeses did too because once I landed projects, I had to execute accordingly. Plus almost all of my blog collaborations have been unpaid – sure, I got free stuff but I’ve never really made any serious money. So blogging has truly been a labor of love.
After all these years, idk why I do it. It’s more of a creative outlet, I guess. A chance to say what the fuck I want, when the fuck I want. And I’m not just talking about cursing as I just did. I mean actually saying something of value.
I just feel like good writing is becoming a lost art because no one reads anymore. That’s why for the first time in a while, I decided not to include a YouTube video with this post. Like people don’t seem to get that the words you use and when you use them matters.
They also don’t get that everything doesn’t need a video – sometimes you can just read it for yourself. And if you won’t/can’t read then therein lies your problem. Because you’re not seeking to expand your mind with reading, you’re allowing yourself to become a basic person.
I know I’m off topic but it feels good to write so freely. Plus I want to inspire you to #Readmoreink, Pennies & Pens. Grab some books from the library, read and expand your vocabulary. Learn about something or someone by reading a book. It’s so good for your mental health! Plus it makes you smarter.
So anyway, it’s been 12 years since I started de la Pen…All Pen Everything and 14 years since I started blogging. And my Pen is still LOUD.
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
