Sometimes I forget just how much adulting being an adult actually involves. I know I’m an adult—I’m just still occasionally surprised that apparently this means there are ALWAYS things to do.

Not in the fun “I can drink Coke for breakfast” or “I can heal my inner child however I want” kind of way, but in the very real sense that there are family things, work things, life things, and a never-ending list of things that need planning, deciding, remembering, and occasionally doing, even when I would much rather be... basta, not an adult who has too many responsibilities. :))

Lately, I’ve also been thinking about sharing. Where to post. Whether to post at all. I’m always a little overwhelmed (isn’t this everyone’s default state, lol), and there’s this constant seesaw between I want to share! and actually, maybe I’ll just keep this to myself.

Do I keep updating this Substack? Do I finally, once and for all, move somewhere more streamlined and stick with just one (what am I, a dystopian YA main character about to launch a rebellion?)? I want to keep up with people, but not necessarily in the short-form-everything-is-a-reel kind of way. I miss blogging! I miss rambling.

Anyway, this adult will figure that out.

I’m still settling back in here at home, as I’ve just come from a month-long trip around Northern Luzon and Cebu, mostly for family and assorted Adult Things™. The past week has been chaotic, too—it’s very early Sunday morning as I write this, and I’m about to head out and continue touring some family visitors who are here for Kadayawan. So, yes. Still catching up with myself. O_O

What I do know is that I still get excited when I talk about my ~whimsical, creative life and what I get to do. I see a few of you who feel the same way, and I think that’s worth holding on to. Life gets busy, but there are still things we care enough about to make, finish, share, and celebrate.

And I’m always grateful for that.

Top: The dedication page of Fredrik Backman’s My Friends; bottom: Approaching Davao

So! Two little creative updates from me:

First, I’m happy to share “We Have Just Landed” in Philippine Genre Stories! This is extra special because PGS is featuring contemporary romance for the first time, with Mina V. Esguerra as guest editor.

I wrote this story for myself, for #romanceclass, and for everyone who believes in second chances—in love, friendship, careers, creative work, and elsewhere.

I’ll also have a Q&A on August 30 on the PGS website, where I’ll talk more about the story and the process behind it.

Second, ICYMI, there’s a new OK to BE zine: OK to BE Here! Download your copy.

To my fellow co-adults: I wish us the best. :)) Sometimes I’m not sure whether the world picked the right people for this job, but here we are. Let’s do our thing anyway—and have some fun along the way.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. Talk again soon!

☀️ KB

Previous newsletters

• #051: Focus; you’re not an octopus

• #050: The holiday season we must enjoy

• #049: The wins, big or small, we must celebrate

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons (you help sustain my creative pursuits, and I am forever grateful!), and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Focus feels harder than ever these days. Everyone wants to do all the things—be everywhere, join every group, pop up in every corner. And yeah, I get it (we all do). Exploration matters. Connection matters. Adventure matters. Also, apparently, checking your notifications every three minutes matters.

And yet, some days, focus feels impossible. Days when I scroll my phone like it’s a full-time job (Reddit chismis, hello? :D). Days when a blank page stares back at me like, “O, ano na?” until I shut my laptop. Days when a project I care about just won’t click. Days when life responsibilities pile up, and suddenly I feel like a super octopus, supposed to do it all…and maybe even solve world peace. (Exag, lol! Usahay OA ra jud.)

Here’s what I keep coming back to: sometimes the smartest move isn’t adding more—it’s letting go. Staying low, quiet, slow. Lingering long enough to actually hear my own curiosity and my own voice.

Focusing.

Paying even closer attention to what I actually do well, what I love, and what I want to get better at.

This year, I’m doing that again—staying in my lane, playing to my strengths, putting in the work that counts. Less noise, more breathing space. Exploration, connection, adventure—they’re still here—but they’re in service of the projects I love, the ideas I’m building, and the growth I can truly be proud of.

Because focus isn’t restriction. It’s freedom. It’s choice. It’s depth.

So if you’re feeling like I do sometimes—the day is too long, the world is too loud, or your cats just demanded their eighth treat…apir. Maybe it’s time we focus together—slow down, linger, listen—to see and hear not just ourselves, but everything that actually matters.

If you want a peek at how this focus shows up in my creative life—tiny experiments, behind-the-scenes, and projects I’m actually putting my energy into—I share all of that over on my Patreon.

• #KBookJo Tuesdays: book recs & musings

• Something Wednesdays: life updates & thoughts

• Simple How-To Thursdays: creative guides & worksheets

• Story Sharing Fridays: WIPs, art, fiction, videos, and process insights

• Monthly mini fic/nonfic sneak peek

Plus: vote on future projects, giveaways, share your work, free beta reads, discounted manuscript edits

See you there!

P.S. My Patreon turned seven (!) years old last December! Thank you, patrons. You help make everything happen, and I am forever grateful!

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. Talk again soon!

☀️ KB

Previous newsletters

• #050: The holiday season we must enjoy

• #049: The wins, big or small, we must celebrate

• #048: The real reasons we keep showing up

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

As I once declared in a zine I made a few years ago: it’s OK to be away. (Still true.) I hope you missed me :))

And hello and welcome to you, new subscribers! You’re officially very cool for being here, for supporting my work, and for choosing to read my thoughts ✨

I’ve been quiet, but not idle. After spending a month and so in Japan, I’ve been back home for about two weeks now—gently nursing my post-travel blues and easing myself into this meaningful-and-reflective end-of-year season. Ya know it: slowing down, spending time with everything and everyone that matters, reflecting. (And well, maybe, catching up on my editing gigs :D I’m currently deep in a few manuscripts that I’m excited to see launch into the world next year (future-you, you’re going to love them)

Even so, I wanted to pop in here to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate! I’ll be back soon to properly catch you up on how this year has been—and I’d love to keep hearing stories from you as well. Two-way street lagi, pls!

Before I go into spaghetti-is-forever, este, rest mode, I didn’t come empty-handed. I’m here bearing some gifts:

Read 15 zines for FREE (Until 12/24 only)

Download all 15 zines NOW.

Read them. Enjoy them. Feel them! New zines coming soon~ For more BTS, visit or support me on my Patreon.

In other exciting news!

Thank you for reading and supporting A Quiet Unfolding at the Akdang Pinoy Choice Awards 2025. Our poetry book is one of the finalists in the “Poetry Collection - Backlist” category. On behalf of our a soft landing. community, I’d appreciate it if you could vote for AQU. And your other favorites, too!

Vote for AQU.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. Talk again soon!

☀️ KB

Previous newsletters

• #049: The wins, big or small, we must celebrate

• #048: The real reasons we keep showing up

• #047: The waiting we’ve had to endure

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

I just wanted to celebrate a win with you: After years of putting in the work—trying to be as real and honest as I could—something finally clicked this year. Seriously, God came through on that tracking number—hallelujah! I’m finally doing the creative work I’ve always wanted to do, right here in Davao—the place I was born, grew up in for 15 years, and where my story really began.

Finding my footing again here hasn’t been easy. It’s not that people aren’t kind or supportive—they are! But if you’ve ever moved back to a place that feels familiar but also different, you know what I mean. Breaking into tight-knit communities is like showing up to a book club where everyone already knows the story, and you’re stuck on chapter one. Being born somewhere doesn’t automatically mean you belong.

And as for me? I wasn’t a nepo baby or an heiress. I didn’t have any backups or connections. Sure, I knew some people from my younger years here and from all those times I bounced back and forth between Davao and Luzon, where my other side of the family lives. But differences in values and principles made it difficult to keep some of those connections. People drift apart, and that’s just how it goes.

Still, I kept showing up. Even if it was just for me sometimes. Exploring. Learning. Connecting. Collaborating. Waiting. Hoping. Praying. All the -ings I could do.

At People’s Park Davao

And sometimes, all that effort actually pays off *actual tears* I’m really grateful for that. Today, sitting in church, I prayed extra hard for my creative journey—for clarity, endurance, and humility. For kind people to keep showing up. For protection from all the messy stuff—illness, negativity, bad vibes. And for the grace to be kinder to myself and others, especially on the tough days.

If you’ve been following me here on Substack (or even longer, elsewhere), you’re part of this, too. Thanks for cheering me on and sticking with me—even from miles away :) I’ll keep doing my best, not just for myself, but for all the communities I belong to, inside and outside of Davao.

The communities I belong to, as featured on:

• The Scoop Asia

• Good Fellas

I was also lucky enough to attend the Culture, Arts, and Heritage Summit 2025 last Friday, September 26, and join the conversations about opportunities for the local literary arts scene.

Previous newsletters

• #048: The real reasons we keep showing up

• #047: The waiting we’ve had to endure

• #046: The chances we give ourselves

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Every time Sunday rolls around, I think about this newsletter—and how I haven’t written in a while. Woops.

But hey, I’m here now, so…yay! I owe you quite a few stories. Not that any of you are chasing me down—no “where’s the newsletter?” messages…yet—but I feel the pull. And I’m genuinely grateful that so many of you are still here, still opening these emails (yes, I checked the stats, lol), still hanging out with me in spirit.

The first half of the year has been...a little bit of everything. Wonderful? Yes. A few tiny slices of pain—fun-sized heartbreaks that made me a tad dramatic? Also yes. But what’s life without a few curveballs, right? Mine clearly took that to heart and said, “Okay, you’ve learned the lessons over the past few years—now let’s apply them.” Fair enough, I guess :)) At least now I’ve got a pretty solid ratio: 20% struggle, 80% overcome. Like any functional adult, I wallow on schedule, then get back to work.

Personal stuff aside, doing creative work lately has been equal parts joy, chaos, and, yes…back pain. And community building—at my ripe age of XX (timeless, obvs…just kidding, I love being older)—still takes real effort. If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be starting over again in 2025, doing things I first did in 2010, 2015, and 2021, I probably would’ve laughed and buried myself in my TBR pile and book journals.

And yet, here I am, haha. Because building and creating are part of who I am. Of course I’d end up back here. This isn’t just something I do—it’s kind of…my life’s work.

I wish I could say doing all of this gets easier. But if you’ve ever tried to build a community, you know it’s always harder than it looks. Passion helps, but it doesn’t protect you from the hard days. It’s not just about the events, the sessions, the cute hangouts, the inspiring posts, or the well-edited reels. It’s about showing up—again and again and again—even when no one replies, when the money runs out, when people question your purpose, when folks you counted on…disappear or go quiet. And still, you keep going.

“How do you do it?” That’s a question I get asked a lot, especially to this day, when I meet many new faces. So if I may, here’s what I’ve learned over the past fifteen years:

Community building takes imagination (“what if we try this weird idea?”), timing (knowing when to show up and when to rest), endurance (to keep going even when no one’s watching), the right people (those who show up without needing credit or clout), and real, tangible resources—time, money, energy, and emotional bandwidth. It’s hard. It’s messy. It’s often discouraging.

But if you hang on—really hang on—it’s so, so worth it. The outcomes are real. Sometimes even life-changing. Watching shy newcomers grow into leaders. Seeing wild ideas turn into actual, tangible things. Witnessing people step into spaces they’ve always deserved. It’s incredible. It’s humbling. And it keeps me going.

As I’ve probably said before, I’m incredibly grateful to be in a place where I can continue paying forward the kindness and support I’ve received—and still receive—to this day. I hope to keep finding more ways to offer others what I’ve been given: spaces to grow and simply be, encouragement when it’s needed most, and rooms full of possibility and opportunity.

To everyone who’s been here since Day 1, to my patrons whose pledges help fund my creative projects, to those who believe in my work and hire me for my skills (you help make the community work possible), to the newly subscribed, and to future friends—thank you. For believing in me. For cheering me on.

More stories soon, I promise! :))

📝 Writing

→ I am part of the #romanceclassDavao anthology! Read Mina V. Esguerra’s post here.

Here’s the working blurb:

Sky Dizon and Fox Mapa have three things in common: a love for cute and clever designs, an internship at the city museum shop, and a long-abandoned rivalry that once ruled their high school lives. Now that they’re older (and maybe a little wiser), the pact is simple: no more competing. Ever.

When they’re thrown back together in Abtik Anik’s prestigious Claim to Frame program, an art-world dream neither could resist, the pact is under pressure. Then, suddenly, Sky’s prototypes are going haywire on her, Fox's drafts keep vanishing into the dreaded design void, leaving him stumped, and their perfectly polite small talk is starting to sound a lot like flirting. Or fighting. Or both?

As the deadline looms and the stakes get more personal, their collaborative creative chaos spirals out of control. And their inconvenient feelings for each other? Might just be their biggest challenge of all.

🎨 Creating

→ OK to BE has a page now! And an Instagram account: @ok.to.be. Your feedback and follow would be much appreciated. Visit the page here.

🤝🏼 Collaborating

→ OK to BE

• OK to BE Soft (View all submissions here.)

• Crafting Memories: Junk Journaling and Bookmark Making with Humble Table

• Writing &Matcha with Ria Jose @riajosedavao

• Journals and Fountain Pens with Zelle Pen Journals and Cafe Chalet

→ Bibi Mangki Bookbed

• Journal Hangouts

• “How to” series

• Creative sessions

→ Bookbed

→ Silent Book Club Davao

August marks six months of SBC Davao. Thank you to everyone reading and growing with us!

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. Talk again soon!

☀️ KB

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

“Patient” is not the first thing I would use to describe myself, but I believe I do have to give myself credit for some character development and progress because God has been teaching me patience for a few years now, and if I may, my self-assessment is: I have been learning.

Of course, sometimes I want some things to be instant—as in instantly gone, like my period, bills, and pimples the night before an important event or meeting, or instantly here, like a faster metabolism, my food delivery, and my savings tripling—because that desire just comes naturally. I mean, who said it better than one of our greatest philosophers, Ariana? THANK U, NEXT, right?

The thing is, endurance. Physical, mental, emotional, etc. To know how to endure is to know how to live. And enduring something, especially something important to your goal and growth, teaches you—or at least me—patience. Withstanding certain prolonged [emotions] X number of times can teach anybody that. Enduring can show anybody how to ~face adversity~ more calmly and quietly, and can show anybody that quick acceptance and maximum tolerance are possible.

I’m not totally there yet, but you know, with God’s grace, I’ll keep learning.

If the ampalaya (bitter gourd) from our garden found a way to endure~ until we found it and picked it, we can!

🎨 Creating

Because these boys, their band, have been such an inspiration to me and my creativity and artistic process.

A love letter to Bangtan and ARMY

🤝🏼 Collaborating

Below are a few things I’ve been up to, and I do want to talk more about them in the next issue, so I hope you look forward to that!

• Creative Writing Session on Short Story Writing with the Davao City Library

• Bookbed at the PreLOVED Fair

• OK to BE Soft (Thank you to all who shared their zines!)

• Book launch of ‘A Tale of Mayhem, Myth, and Magic’ by 10-year-old author Sofia Perez

• Open Houses and various creative sessions at Bibi Mangki Bookbed

• The launch and series of reading sessions by Silent Book Club Davao

• World Book Day with the Davao City Library at the Cu Su Gian Home for the Aged

• Morning Musings at the Museum with the National Museum of the Philippines-Davao

• OK to BE: Crafting Memories with Humble Table

• Patron of the Arts in Davao

🎒 Travelling

I flew to Manila to see the sunshinest sunshine, J-hoooooope, enough said. Thank you very much to all who made Hobi con such an amazing experience, esp to Mary!

Flying close to the sun

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

In the middle of a guess-the-world-capitals game with my nieces and nephews, God found a way to remind me of my, ahem, advancing years.

“We know why you know all the capitals,” one of the kids teased. “You were around when they were assigned!”

THESE CHILDREN! My own blood relatives! In the name and honor of my fellow millennials, I croaked out, “Yes, I was. Come kiss my hand in respect.”

The kids in my family recognize and appreciate this kind of humor. My ‘cool’-tita card was not revoked. To their eyes, I was a centenarian BUT with a middle-grader spirit. I was still IN.

“When I get older, will I know everything, too?” another kid asked me with such seriousness that I knew better not to joke around. I had to be honest.

“No, you won’t. Nobody can know everything,” the centenarian in me answered. “But don’t let that stop you from trying. Now, what’s the capital of Finland?”

📚 Reading

I finally got a Kindle! Thank you to everyone who helped me make such a great decision, srsly. I used to read all my ebooks on a hand-me-down mini iPad that was 11 years old (and counting since it’s still alive) and my phone.

Anyway, the Kindle is a godsend; I’m like Sonic the Hedgehog, reader version. As I’m writing this, I’m closer to Book 25 than Book 10. When you’re reading this, I’m probably at Book 30. I’m sure all the Kindle people out there get it.

I still read a lot of physical books, too. And listen to a few audiobooks (I should improve on this). I’m not a purist. It’s not 2005; ‘physical books versus ebooks’ discussions are a fossil.

Titles as shown in the KBookJo (yep, it’s back, lol):

• The Answer Is No by Fredrik Backman

• Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

• The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren (I LOVED this one!)

• Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

• Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

• Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

• Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Her books are a rabbit hole; good for binge reading)

• Happily Ever After & Everything In Between by Debbie Tung (a five-star read; Debbie Tung, a forever fave)

• Heart and Brain: Body Language by Nick Seluk

The next newsletter issue should have a more updated list. Rated any five stars so far? Please recommend!

📝 Writing

→ Last summer (as in April 2024), I wrote a series of children’s poems. Here’s a link I posted on Patreon last year if you want to read them RIGHT NOW. But you can also wait for the day I publish them! Please cheer me on~

→ Let’s count this as writing: the creative writing session I’ll be facilitating on March 1! The Davao City Library invited me to share what I know about writing short stories with kids (10~17 years old). I’m incredibly grateful but also incredibly nervcited. Kids are super smart and sharp. I have to strengthen my centenarian-in-a-middle-grader’s-body mindset!

🎨 Creating

In equally important news, I released the OK to BE Anything Everything cards. Thank you so much to those who already got theirs!

View on Instagram

Get yours

🤝🏼 Collaborating

→ The biggest project I’ve been working on: re-opening Bibi Mangki Bookbed, our private home library with a homestay in Davao City. Thank you so much to those who have been so supportive of this - all the book donations, the visitors, the volunteer promoters :))

Here’s something I wrote from my personal IG account that I want to share here:

You know what I've always wanted? Aside from a lifetime of good health, safe travels, a fast metabolism, and world peace? To build a book cafe 🥹

I'd like to say I've gotten pretty close. Together with @bibimangki, I opened BMB for the first time in 2021. A cozy library and bednbooks—with safety protocols in place, ofc!

But the pandemic. It persisted 🤧 And then different aspects of life needed to be lived.

Fast forward to the second half of 2024, we had the amazing opportunity to rebuild and re-open BMB. Now, it is in an even more special place because that place, even if also small, was where I learned to read, where the reader in me was born 😎 We repaired the place, we painted it, and we assembled the shelves in it.

So a book HOME 📖🏡 BMB is a book home. Sometimes, like in a cafe, there would be cake and coffee and a lot of chitchat. Other times, there would be reading sessions, writing sessions, art sessions, book sales, etc.

But always, there will be books 💯 A diverse range of books that are super loved but are also excited to meet new readers 😍 So I hope more people can visit to fill our book home with even more love for stories and art.

***
What would I ever do without my ever-supportive family and friends; my communities; my patrons; people who have always believed in the delul--este, *dreamer* in me; and above all, God? All my love and forever thanks 💝

Read all about the journey here

Follow Bibi Mangki Bookbed

→ I’ve also started to be more active in a couple of local communities (there’s a massive creative boom atm). I’ll talk about my experiences in the next issue, but I’ll let you know now that it has been wonderful. The world does give us what we need and deserve at the ~right time.

🎒 Travelling

My travel updates are slooooooower than my browser every time an airline launches a ticket sale, but I promise to update soon! In the meantime, please enjoy the videos on my:

YouTube

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

One of the biggest misconceptions about me is that I am an extrovert. I wish I were, but I am not. What probably misleads some people is the fact that when they meet me or spend time with me, I can come across as high-energy, warm, chatty, bubbly, and/or socially confident—things associated with being extroverted. (These are not my claims, btw! These are adjectives I’ve collected from some of my friends and colleagues who first thought I was an extrovert a long, looooong time ago.)

I’m very flattered, thanks. I would love to be an extrovert! But, again, I am an introvert (nope, not an ambivert) and have accepted that I will always be even if I can have some golden retriever traits in my otherwise black-cat aura. My energy is super limited, more so now that I’m older. I select, distribute, and maximize it. Many other times, I would say no, thank you.

Now, I would be lying if I said I don’t wonder about how my life and career could be “better” (whatever “better” means in my imagined world of success at a given moment) if only I were a bit more extroverted. If only!

Thankfully, being older does have its perks—I can reflect and understand why or why not, for one. (I rarely feel FOMO, would be another.) And as I’ve come to learn, there is no greater joy and peace than knowing that I can continue being me and working on myself as I am and many good things will still come my way. And sometimes, good things still come even if I “hide away” from the world (because so many times I JUST TRULY CAN’T).

All that said, I have no serious qualms about being perceived as an extrovert. It only ever matters to me when I’m expected to pour that level of energy or this much investment when I’ve established that I can only do *this*. Boundaries should always be set, upheld, recognized, and respected, regardless of anyone’s personality type anyway.

How’s this very introverted musing for a Christmas greeting? Haha. I hope to talk more about life soon. Happy holidays to all!

The annual Pasko Fiesta in downtown Davao (which imo failed to establish alternative routes for the public, causing a lot of chaos, confusion, and traffic jams that night, lol)

📚 Reading

I worked on a few manuscripts and books this year! Some are still in the works so I can’t share those, but if you think I am missing a title, please let me know.

Featuring the works here so we can support the authors and stories. Thank you for reading local!

• A Quiet Unfolding by Dawn Lanuza, Layla S. Tanjutco, KB Meniado, Allonah Gacutan, Dominique Gonzaga-Sulatra, Kring Talladen, LAKAN TULA, Romy Peña-Cruz

• Haliya: A Moonchild’s Journey by Yna Cabredo Balacano

• Guts and Grit by A.J. Antonio

• Tellurian Dreams by Khiara Laurea

• Entwined by Khiara Laurea and Miel Salva

• Veiled by Khiara Laurea

• A Tale of Mayhem, Myth, and Magic by Sofia Perez

• Bianca and The Portal of the In-Betweens by Faith S. Bullena

• Chasing Mr. Prefect by Katt Briones

  

🎨 Creating

I’ve been working on re-opening Bibi Mangki Bookbed! All posts on my Patreon.

That said…

🤝🏼 Collaborating

• Bibi Mangki Bookbed, our small but packed library based in Davao City, is now open! This is a collab by, as you can see, Bibi Mangki and Bookbed :)) If you’re ever in the city, visit us! Read all the info by clicking the button below.

Book a visit

• I spent a slow, soul-enriching afternoon at the Offline Hangout last December 15. I was there initially for Bookbed, but really, I was mainly there to have fun and connect in real life. Check out the posts here and here! Special thanks to Loreen, Feminine Sparks Studio, Humble Table, and everyone who participated.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Many thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Note: When I say ‘sick,’ I don’t mean chronic or terminal. Please also remember that I am fully able, hence this perspective.

I rarely get sick. So when I do, I admit I tend to be OA*.

Sure, I have a strong fighting spirit but I have an even stronger ~feeling spirit. I feel it truly, madly, deeply whenever I am sick. Stuffy nose or dry cough? [Expletives]. A slight fever? Omg, I need to stay in bed. Period cramps? I hate the world. Infections? Cause for panic. Granted, the double acute infections I recently recovered from were so painful that they almost knocked me out several times so I guess the OA was merited…?

Whatever way, I think it’s always a BIG DEAL whenever anyone is sick.

And while I’m someone more used to doing things myself and by myself, being unwell is one of the foolproof ways to get me into that vulnerable, let-me-ask-someone state. I’m sure many of you get it—needing someone else to get things done is, so to speak, not always an easy pill to swallow.

But honestly? At this age—I did just have another year added to my life; thank you for all your sweet greetings—sometimes all I want is someone else to do everything for me. Now, I’m not saying nobody does things for me! Really, no offense to my loved ones who kill viruses and bad bacteria, move mountains, and do so much more for me.

What I’m saying is, more than my immune system protecting me and fighting infections for me, I do really see the value of someone else coming in to—well, as an OA person, let’s use this word—rescue me. Heal me. Help me recover, etc. I can just stay still, camp in my room, nourish myself, pray whatever I’m going through won’t k-word me, and let someone else take care of things and me.

So I’d dare say: there’s nothing wrong with being OA when sick. It’s OK to BE OA! :)) Because when we’re OA, we learn better to make way for others to help us, especially when we need it the most.

(All, that said, please take care and stay healthy!)

*OA means Over Acting, a Filipino expression for ~overexaggeration

📚 Reading

702 DZAS - FEBC Radio interviewed me about Bookbed! I asked them how they found me and they said “through research.” How resourceful is that? But if someone out there did recommend me, which is what usually happens, thank you! You can watch it by clicking the image or the button below. I do most of my interviews in English so I really enjoyed speaking a bit of Filipino in this one :)

Watch here

🎨 Creating

Working on OK to BE Free / #OKtoBEZine Issue 21 has been extra special because the goal was to make the zine free. I wanted to showcase not just my work in the best way possible, but also the contributors'. This has always been the goal of the zines, anyway—to share a space and give a spotlight/platform to creators who want to have their work featured. I hope you enjoy!

Download for free

🤝🏼 Collaborating

I was part of the 21st Ateneo National Writers Workshop as a panelist/mentor, in collaboration with romanceclass, a community of romance writers, readers, and creatives I love and support.

Honored and proud to say that I was part of the team that ran the workshop with all those talented fellows softly, lovingly, and freely~ Thank you to Brij, Danice, Layla, Leslie, Ron, and Tara for a fun and food-filled work week! Also to Mina V. Esguerra for inviting me to be part of this, and for all the doors she has helped open for me since.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

You'd be right if you feel I’ve been quiet over here the past few weeks, but obviously, that’s not the case today! How have you been?

Me? I’m a bit overwhelmed by the many things I need and want to get done, especially in my personal and work life. This second half of the year seems to demand a lot from me, but I’m not complaining… Well, I do sometimes, but then I keep moving. And yep, my creative pursuits have taken a backseat but at least they’re still in the car, vehicle, whatever. I’m still here and will always be, even if I’m quieter in the ~online public eye than usual.

So anyway, this is just a quick update! I’ll write again soon. For now, Merry Christmas, happy Jungkook day, and happy first day of school (Daniel Radcliffe wrote HP, thank you very much)!

BTW

I sometimes get surprised to find that there continue to be new people in this community. Welcome! I hope you enjoy my newsletter. Here are some of the readers’ favorites:

View the archive.

📚 Reading

As promised! Here are my recs/Jan~Jun 2024 reads. My reading pace is slower this year as I might have finally, truly morphed into a—🥁—bookworm 🐛 Still, 30 books is 30 books! I have 50 more to go for this year's goal, and I hope to add more diversity to my list—genre-, rep-, theme-, format-wise, etc. All recs welcome!

🐛 Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love by Rashin Kheiriyeh
🐛 The Lucky Red Envelope by Vikki Zhang
🐛 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
🐛 Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan
🤓 A Quiet Unfolding by @asoftlanding_ph
🐛 Alon and Lila's Last Summer Before Doomsday by Ingrid Valenzuela, illustrated by Cyrill Acuña
🐛 A Life Beyond Boundaries: A Memoir by Benedict Anderson
🐛 Oha: A Story Told in One Eternal Second by Krie Reyes Lopez
🐛 Kinship and Marriage: An Anthropological Perspective by Robin Fox
🤓 Who is Aramina Villaroel and Other Life’s Deepest Reflections from A Father and Husband by Francis Evan Manayan
🤓 Haliya: A Moonchild's Journey by Yna Cabredo Balacano
🤓🦋 Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman
🐛 Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific by Robert D. Kaplan
🐛 On the Suffering of the World by Arthur Schopenhauer
🐛 Aung San Suu Kyi: A Portrait in Words and Pictures by Christophe Loviny
🐛 Reportage on the Marcoses by Quijano de Manila, Nick Joaquín
🐛 Dictators in Quotes: Rants and Ravings of Despicable Despots by Ammonite Press
🐛 Katie Goes to KL by Su-May Tan
🐛 How to Make a Book by Becky Davies, illustrated by Patricia Hu
🐛 The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby, illustrated by Charles Santoso
🦋 My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder
🐛 The Last Season: A Team In Search of Its Soul by Phil Jackson
🐛 Rizal in Saga: A Life for Student Fans by Nick Joaquín
🐛 Queridas de Rizal by Ambeth R. Ocampo
🐛 Linamnam: Eating One's Way Around the Philippines by Claude Tayag, Mary Ann Quioc
🐛 Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
🤓 Tellurian Dreams by Khiara Laurea
🤓 Entwined by Miel Salva, Khiara Laurea
🤓 Veiled by Khiara Laurea
🤓🦋 For the Win by Catherine Dellosa

~
🤓 = I'm part of this book / I worked on this book
🦋 = reread

🎨 Creating

Another OK to BE zine is coming our way!

It will be this year's third issue, and the 21st issue overall. Related to my musings about quitting, I also seriously considered going on another OK to BE hiatus. BUT! We are just doing it. Please look forward to the Call for Submissions!

🎨 Collaborating

Photo by Local Project Photography, posted with permission from participants

Some of the Book Writers Club members, the community of young writers aged 18 and below that I work with, flew in so we could organize the Young Writers Conference in my hometown. I’ll share about this in the next issue!

🎒 Travelling

Slowly but surely! These Japan vlogs from our winter trip will soon be complete~

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

My dad unearthed a few pages of my mom’s baby journal for me, and I discovered a lot of things about my infant self, such as when I first rode a plane (five months old), when I first crawled (six months old), when I first said ‘mama’ (seven months old). The list went on.

It was my first time seeing that journal, which was heartwarming and funny because that’s a recorded history of me and an actual part of myself that I never got to know until now.

I learned that even before I turned two, I was already a quick study when it came to picking up instructions, learning dances and songs, reciting the ABCs and 123s, reading basic words, and interacting with people. I didn’t realize how happy and interactive of a baby and toddler I was (I mean, what happened? Haha), so I’m grateful to my mom for keeping a journal at the time, and to my dad, for keeping it all these years. (I’m not sharing a photo or scan of the journal pages because they are very dear and personal to me.)

Journaling or keeping a diary was also a habit of mine growing up, which I’m sure was the same for many of my friends (…a.k.a. the origin story of the notebook hoarders). Now that I’m older, I still journal. Just in different ways, times, and media.

The OK to BE zines are also my journals…which I let other people read :))

Memory-keeping, no matter what form, is important to me as an obvious memory hoarder. I like remembering and I like having proof that something did happen. That my life is happening, whether ordinarily or otherwise. Because if I don’t keep track of or record the thing, whether after the fact or during, is the thing really happening? Kind of philosophical in the way that “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” is (or even “pics or it didn’t happen”).

While I do agree that sometimes too much documentation can be a double-edged sword (balancing and boundary-setting is another topic we can discuss), I stand by what I believe about memory-keeping. That is why my journals and platforms remain, why my creative projects are birthed, why my galleries and drives are full, why this OK to BE newsletter lives, and why I will for sure keep diaries for my babies when the time comes.

BTW

There are new people in this community. Welcome! I hope you enjoy my newsletter. Here are some of the readers’ favorites:

View the archive.

📚 Reading

• Bookbed is 14!

• Bookbed reviews: ‘Who is Aramina Villaroel? and Other Life’s Deepest Reflections from a Father and Husband’ by Francis Evan Manayan

• Why Filipinos Should Read in their Regional Languages (Part 1 of 3)

• 3 Lessons on Cultivating Curiosity from the 2024 Asian Festival of Children’s Content

• 8 Books about Philippine Independence for the Filipino

Next issue: My Jan~Jun 2024 reading list!

🎨 Creating

• OK to BE Older (#OKTOBEZINE Issue 20) is now available.

Get a copy

View all zines on Gumroad.

• I’m updating my creative guides (to beta reading, self-editing, etc.) so if you’re interested, please look forward to the next issue!

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Impostor syndrome plagues us all, and studies, reports (like this), and experiences say that it occurs more often in women. As a woman, I don’t disagree. The pressure of proving that I deserve my seat at the table remains present, if not high, whether in my professional life or in the things I do for my personal development (advocacy, creative work, and other interests).

Insightful posters at the printing shop :))

But if there is one crucial thing I’ve learned from looking at women who have broken the glass ceilings in their chosen spaces, it is the importance of focusing on one’s lane and staying humble. Mansplainers and other detractors, who? These women don’t have much time for those because they are busy putting in the work, doing things right (for what is a win if wrongfully won?), respecting what has been done before them and by others, valuing the people they work with and the spaces they move in, and giving their best and beyond to prove they deserve their seats at the table.

The successes of these women also remind me that it is okay to celebrate my own wins, big or small. Quietly or loudly, it doesn’t matter as long as the celebration happens, impostor syndrome be damned. Plenty of great things in the world won’t be such without us women, so I hope that if and when we ever feel self-doubt or someone dares tell us we don’t belong or don’t deserve, we remember that we have what it takes to build a new table.

BTW

There are new people in this community. Welcome! I hope you enjoy my newsletter. Here are some of the readers’ recent favorites:

View the archive.

📚 Reading

• Bookbed recommends: ‘Oha: A Story Told in One Eternal Second’ by Krie R. Lopez

• Bookbed reviews: ‘Campaigns of Knowledge’ by Malini Johar Schueller

• Why Filipinos Should Read: ‘Wisdom from a Rainforest: The Spiritual Journey of an Anthropologist’ by Stuart A. Schlegel

Also, surprise: I still read! I’ll share my Jan~Jun 2024 reading list soon. I hope we can compare notes! ^_^

🎨 Creating

• Call for submissions to OK to BE zine Issue 20 is ongoing! Submit on or before June 10. A few people have asked me for an extension. Let me know if you need it! For more info, click here or the image or the button below.

• Something creative Part 1: 2024 OK to BE Calendar ~ Product + Process

• Something creative Part 2: OK to BE Reading Journal ~ Product + Process

🎒 Travelling

• I was part of the Philippine delegation to the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore. I’ll talk about the experience in a separate post, so in the meantime, feel free to check out these snaps from the fest:

• I will continue the Japan 2024 vlog series on YouTube! In the meantime, check out my most recent uploads:

• I also recently traveled to a few Philippine provinces, including Cebu, where my grandfather’s side of the family comes from. It has been a decade since I last visited, and as usual, I would love to share that experience with you.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Have you seen that new docuseries about Moses? I thought it was perfect to watch during the Holy Week, so I did. It reminded me of how Moses was easily one of my favorite Bible characters when I was a kid, thanks to Sunday school and "The Prince of Egypt."

Over the years, I've learned more about the Book of Exodus and the Bible and some things that would make an average young believer, be that in actual age or growing faith, go, "Wait, what?" IYKYK!

Early blooms in Hiroshima! So pretty.

(Sidenote: The Scripture is difficult to read and comprehend. So as God has continuously done for me, I will always give myself a bit of grace. Reading the Bible takes a lot of spiritual strength and guidance, and I admit I don't always have it. And even if I did, I don't think I or anyone could ever truly comprehend everything, including all those so-called hidden books and secrets, etc.)

Regardless of the many Bible characters I've "met" (and tbh, forgotten. Woops), Moses remains a fave. What probably makes him so relatable to me is his feeling of unworthiness of being chosen or called.

In Chapter 3 of Exodus, Moses told God, "Who am I, I don't have the ability..." He had a point—he was a former prince of Egypt and a murderer, among other things. But God calls whoever He wants, and as biblical history would have it, Moses delivered.

Such is one of the reasons my belief in "When God wills it, then it will be" is steadfast. In other words, and as my friend Drei would say, "At the end of the day, God has the final say." No Pharaoh, no Red Sea can stop it!

Happy Resurrection Sunday to all.

Related reads, especially when it comes to the topic of faith and beliefs:

• #029: Let's go with the flow

• #013: How do we hope?

• #008: How do we choose what to believe?

Results of last issue’s poll

Topic requests!

1. Love and relationships - 70%

2. Career - 10%

3. Health - 10%

4. Creative work - 10%

5. Others - nil

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I will try discussing love and relationships in the next issues, but this newsletter will always be about my creative work as a reader, creator, and editor. If there’s something else you’d like me to talk about, let me know and I’ll cover it in the future.

📚 Reading

1. “Why Filipinos Should Read: ‘Infidel: My Life’ by Ayaan Hirsi Ali” (HAPPY WOMEN’S MONTH!)

2. “Poetry Submission: ‘Atonement’ by Ashley Robyn Alvarez”

3. “Visiting the ‘If Trees Could Talk’ International Art Biennale 2024”

4. These books are now available in print and digital. Let’s read our local authors!

Full disclosure: I worked on these books. I appreciate your support! Hire me as editor.

• Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman

• A Quiet Unfolding by Dawn Lanuza, Layla S. Tanjutco, KB Meniado (yours truly!), Allonah Gacutan, Dominique Gonzaga-Sulatra, Kring Talladen, LAKAN TULA, and Romy Peña Cruz

• Who is Aramina Villaroel and Other Life’s Deep Reflections from A Father and A Husband by Francis Evan L. Manayan

🎨 Creating

OK to BE zine is returning this April 2024 with its first quarterly issue. Please look forward to it! For more updates, join my Patreon.

🎒 Travelling

Japan is not only one of my favorite countries to visit but also a country that means a lot to me. Even more so now that my brother lives there. That said, my family and I took a holiday to visit him, and to travel, of course. It was our second time in Fukuoka, and our first time exploring more of Kyushu (Kumamoto, Kagoshima). We did take a detour (and quite a detour) to Hiroshima, so I’m sharing that trip first (see the second video below; more to come). Enjoy! To watch more, subscribe to my YouTube.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

View the archive.

One of the most important things any friend knows or needs to know about me is that I usually keep most things close to my chest, especially when it comes to plans or stuff that have uncertain permanence. I guess there seems to be something in my brain—anxiety or superstition, maybe both—that makes me a little hesitant to spill the beans, so to speak. I answer when somebody asks, of course, but my preference is to share good news—or any news, really—either after the fact or once it's 100% a done deal.

This is why this OK to BE newsletter has been a great exercise for me. Sharing what's going on in my creative world, what I'm doing, if I'm doing it well or otherwise, how I'm feeling about this or that, interacting with some of you who never tire to comment or email me to respond (thank you for letting me know somebody's always listening/reading!)—all of that has helped flex my vulnerability muscle (at least I'm getting some good exercise, hah). I'm learning more and more that I deserve to celebrate every growth and recognize even the missteps. All part of the journey, right??

Orange and Flash impatiently listening to me talk about them learning to share food :)))

By the way, I’ve actually received a few topic requests from some of the newsletter readers (many of them my friends), which include more personal life matters, such as conversations about love (the romantic kind), career directions (and misdirections), and even health (because 30s be roaring).

If there’s something else you’d like me to talk about, let me know and I’ll cover it in one of the next issues.

🎨 Creating, Collaborating

→ OK to BE zine is back! We’re returning to our collaborative roots, and this time, the call for submissions, with MAGIC as the theme, is open to fiction and creative nonfiction. Submit on or before February 29.

For more info, click here or the image or the button below.

Contribute

→ A Quiet Unfolding, out 02.24.24. Both print and digital pre-orders now available! Pre-orders help books and authors succeed! Thank you for your support.

Pre-order digital

Pre-order print

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

View the archive.

My younger self once or twice believed that to have a fulfilling life (define!), one must always be going at full speed. One must always have their plate full. One must always have a full schedule. Something should always be happening!

We all know that's bullsht, especially with the fact that with age comes less energy. As an *ahem* older person (amen), I now not only believe but also strongly recommend that we need to hit the brakes and park. We also need to fast and reflect (for gut and mental health because Googling 'why does my back hurt' at midnight shouldn't be a habit). Heck, sometimes, we do need to forget calendars and reminders even exist (notifs turned off indefinitely)!

In contrast to what the boss/multitasker energy of the 2010s had tried to mold me and my batchmates, slowly has proven to be the fastest way to get anywhere truly fulfilling. Slowness requires a lot of care, thoughtfulness, and softness. But, to me, if the celebrated "full" fulfilling life does not include those, what would be the point?

Finally set my goals for this year! May they all come true; may I always have the grace to accept what is meant for me~

📚 Reading

→ So far, I’ve finished nine (9) books out of my goal of 80 for 2024. Add me on Goodreads and Storygraph. Reminder: Reading is not ultimately about quantity. I just happen to pick up more than the average because I also work as a book editor. Work with me.

1. Rumi–Poet of Joy and Love by Rashin Kheiriyeh, Rumi

2. The Lucky Red Envelope: A Lift-the-flap Lunar New Year Celebration by Vikki Zhang

3. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

4. Being Toffee by Sarah Crossan

5. Alon and Lila's Last Summer Before Doomsday by Ingrid Valenzuela

6. A Life Beyond Boundaries A Memoir by Benedict Anderson

7. Oha by Krie R. Lopez (sent to me by publisher so I'll have to read it for Bookbed!)

8. Kinship and Marriage by Robin Fox

9. A Quiet Unfolding by Dawn Lanuza, Layla S. Tanjutco, Allonah Gacutan, Dominique Gonzaga-Sulatra, Kring Talladen, LAKAN TULA, Romy Peña Cruz, and yours trulyyy

Pre-order a copy

📝 Writing, Editing

→ I offer beta reading, editing, and other creative services, and I can accommodate a few clients at this time. So, tara na! Haha. Work with me.

🎨 Creating, Collaborating

→ OK to BE Calendar* and OK to BE Reading journal - Thanks to Mikki of Xiaomei by Milish for making my ideas into reality! Prototypes below. Final products will be available for all soon.

*Digital/Printable: Download Jan~Mar for FREE here. Get the full version here.

→ A Quiet Unfolding, out 02.24.24.

Pre-order a copy

🎒 Travelling

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

View the archive.

As my NY gift to you and myself, I’ll keep this 2023 reflection essay simple:

It was a year of going with the calmer flow. I treasured my peace and enjoyed how many precious answers, opportunities, and lessons I found in the quiet. Of course, the dreamer in me continued to gaze at the sky, my desire to soar rippling under my skin, but 2023 pulled me back and rooted me to the ground, saying, “Pace yourself.” It taught me to tread more carefully and pay closer attention without having to put myself in the middle of everything. 2023 once again reminded me that life isn’t a race but a series of journeys, and indeed, it gave me the journey of stillness.

Did we have the same 2023 journey? Let me know!

Now that that season is finished, I’m pulling you along to the next. So: Happy New Year! How is your 2024 so far? Will it be your going-with-the-flow year, or are you the kind of person to set goals? Because ta-da! Tis the season of goal setting.

For the first time in the past *exaggerated gasp* decade, I missed setting my goals at the start of 2023. I usually use my past year’s list to help me build my new year’s one, so with the 2023 list being MIA, the 2024 list is truly a clean slate. Which is intimidating in a way, after the calm 2023 that was. Should I continue being rooted to the ground, or is it time to soar once again?

But I can always do both, right?

Yes, absolutely.

Not just me but also you. Whatever our goals (or not-goals) may be, may we have a happier and healthier 2024!

📚 Reading

→ I finished 92+ books in 2023. This 2024, I want to read 80. Add me on Goodreads and Storygraph.

For those new here, hello! This is a reminder that reading is not ultimately about quantity. I just happen to pick up more than the average because I also work as a book editor. Work with me.

📝 Writing, Editing

→ More smorgasbord, a poem

→ Mango [working title]

🎨 Creating, Collaborating

Thank you for your participation in this poll. You wanted it, you got it!

→ 2024 OK to BE Calendar

• Digital/Printable: Download Jan~Mar for FREE here. Get the full version here.

• Print: TBA

→ 2024 OK to BE Reading journal [TBA]

→ OK to BE zines

Gumroad

→ a soft landing.

🎒 Travelling

→ Holidays in the city and the province! Being at the beach was so nice. I love the water.

→ Also been putting together photo galleries of trips from decades ago, haha. Exhibit A: Seoul.

More videos of:

• Philippines

• Asia

• Australia

Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

View the archive.

Breaking can go many ways—breakdown, breakthrough, break free, break in, and what might be the most favorite of all, break...fast? (Well, I know it's one of mine, at least!)

While I won't say all hell ~broke loose in November, last month did have me go through a lot of breaks. I was down with this infamous super flu for about two weeks, and I spent the rest focusing on regaining my good health. I had to let go of work for a bit, whatever social life I had going on, and some other things I enjoyed but couldn't muster up the energy for.

Later, I learned that many people I know took two to three months to recover from this mighty flu. Like breaking, I went many ways—from dealing with anxiety and surrendering to nonchalance to establishing mental calm and giving myself more patience to be myself again.

Morning sky; literally no filter

It has been quite a challenge. Some days, I'd be so energized, ticking off every item on my to-do list; other days, I'd feel so exhausted that it could take me an hour to get out of bed. My friends and I would talk about "post-pandemic burnout" (if we're even post-pandemic yet), and how we and our bodies have become so different. It's kind of sad, but it is what it is. The most important thing is that I'm alive, we're alive. Breaks are part of life, that's all.

What kind of break have you been dealing with recently?

🎨 Creating

→ I have some of my ~creative energy~ back and have been using it in making things up for release by the new year. Patrons will be the first ones to receive as always! Join my Patreon here.

I want YOU in on these projects as well, so vote below! sticker

→ The Christmas tree at home is up, after some goad—encouragement from friends who had been asking what colors were on our tree, lol. Went shopping at the discount store for new decor, which is where the photo below was taken.

Do you put up a tree as well?

Byron and Hobi helped me pick out the sparkliest things (not pictured)

🎒 Travelling

→ Drove to the next province for some work errands. Seeing Mt. Apo from another angle is always nice.

→ I watched tons of travel vlogs as I recovered. Because of that, I’ve added Bhutan (this one, I enjoyed), Kazakhstan, and Oman to my want-to-visit list. Hehe!

What destinations are on your must-travel-to list?

→ Does anybody else here watch JM Banquicio on YouTube? Love his content; the entire household follows his adventures.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. 

If you have any questions, suggestions, or nice things to say (hehe), type them in the comments section below or reply to the email. You can also always join my Patreon and the OK to BE Discord, revisit the OK to BE Newsletter Archive, and visit my page. 

See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Latest

• OK to BE Newsletter: #035: What about the things waiting to unfold?

• Patreon

  • Guide to Beta Reading (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4)

  • Download free worksheets, guides, and more

  • Enjoy a free seven-day trial on my Patreon

• Bookbed

  • Bookbed recommends: ‘Cigarette Girl’ by Ratih Kumala

  • Book Journaling: ‘Isabel in Bloom’ by Mae Respicio

Huge thanks to this newsletter’s readers, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

I've had a lot of big days in the past weeks, but one that's worth mentioning above all is that I celebrated my birthday. BLESS! Amen for my cute and healthy self and this simple and happy life.

My birthday is just the right amount of deal for me. As usual, I enjoyed simple celebrations with family, friends, and loved ones—face-to-face, long-distance, and messages all included. Anyway, the cakes I had were yummy, which I feel is important to note, especially for people like me whose love language is...well, cake. (Much love to my cakegivers, btw.)

This was the most delicious mango brulee EVER

Being pensive about turning a year older...I guess birthdays can do that to some people, yes? I’m most certainly not immune to it. I thought a lot about myself and my life days before. Then I also thought about everything that was happening around me. And then everything that was happening in the world.

I know I don't have much, if at all, control over things like wars and corruption and injustice but that doesn't stop me from feeling. It's good and healthy to let all sorts of emotions be, and sometimes to let some of them out every now and then. That's one of the great things about getting older, if I may so: self-attunement. I now know what things work or align better for me.

Well, some of them, at least. And that’s why we need more birthdays! (And cakes.)

That said, I want to share with you this list of my favorite messages from myself to myself from the year before. I plan to bring them along to this newly added year of my life. These have helped me tread this fun, chaotic lyf, and so I hope at least one does the same for you.

• Be kind to yourself, and to others, even when others aren't.

• If you've got nothing good or beneficial to say, it's okay to just listen.

• Let the good things and good people come to you. Let them in.

• When people show you who they are for the first time and they disappoint you, make a mental note to give them another chance in the future.

• Keep trying, keep going, even if you feel like you're the only one who believes in what you do.

• Spend happy and meaningful times with your parents and family. You will never regret any of it.

• Strive for a healthier you. Always.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and life, reader!

📚 Reading

A couple of books here, as you may have noticed, I’ve had for a looooong time in my Current Reads; one even made a comeback. Good thing some books are timeless. Haha!

📝 Writing

→ More smorgasbord, a poem

→ Mango [working title]

🎨 Creating

→ How to make art on Canva / How to make a zine on Canva - YouTube

→ Zine flip through | OK to BE Lost (#OKtoBEzine Issue 17) - YouTube

→ Zine flip through | OK to BE Seen (#OKtoBEzine Issue 18) - YouTube

🎨 Collaborating

→ a soft landing. is landing softly soon. Dawn, Layla, and each and every one of the poets in this first collection have all just been a gift to work with. So honored to be part of this! I hope you look forward to the launch! Follow @asoftlanding_ph for updates.

🎒 Travelling

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. 

If you have any questions, suggestions, or nice things to say (hehe), type them in the comments section below or reply to the email. You can also always join my Patreon and the OK to BE Discord, revisit the OK to BE Newsletter Archive, and visit my page. 

See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Latest

• OK to BE Newsletter: #034: What about the things that make our hearts soar?

• Patreon

  • #KBookJo: Reading 'On Palestine'

  • Story Sharing: Smorgasbord, poetry, and a soft landing.

  • Simple How-To: Guide to Beta Reading, Part 3

• Bookbed: Bookbed reviews: ‘Of Myths and Men,’ ‘Of Life and Lies’ by Catherine Dellosa

JUST FOR YOU

• LIMITED OFFER: Free beta reading services for your story! Maximum of 3,000 words. Can be any of these: fiction for younger readers (children’s, YA), contemporary fiction, romance fiction, fantasy fiction. Please note that I reserve the right to refuse, thank you.

• Download free worksheets, guides, and more

• Enjoy a free seven-day trial on my Patreon

Huge thanks to all the readers of this newsletter, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Balancing honoring one's pace and pushing oneself can still be tricky to this day. One day, I'd be feeling proud of myself for accomplishing even the littlest tasks; the other, I'd be feeling so down and low for not having done this or that. And that doesn't apply to creative work alone, but to many aspects of life, obvs.

But in reality and the grand scheme of things, I realize every baby step is a win I can always claim. And it's nice that I can conk myself in the head mentally, so I remember what's more important. That is, I DID A THING. Regardless of the circumstances or resources, I DID A THING FOR MYSELF.

I'm sharing that thought with you in case your mind is on the 'down and low' side. Remember, there is always at least one other person out there excited for you and what you do! I should know. I see you being here for me. Thank you!

What was something you did for yourself this week and how did you feel about it?

📚 Reading

I was a child reader so, as far as I remember, books have always been a part of my life. Writing, too, as that and reading usually go together.

What I didn't realize was that alongside reading and writing, I was nurturing my passion for writing about reading. Thanks to book reports and school paper things, I guess? Then, of course, I took up journalism in college, where we were taught to write about things. And things sure included books.

Now I didn't get to start a career out of writing about books, although I did try. Before Bookbed was even born, I was fortunate enough to already be writing about books for a few publishers.

But in 2010, that idea wasn't my first thought when I did finally build Bookbed. Bookbed, in contrast to what it is mainly now, was an online secondhand bookstore set up on a shopping website. There, I would sell the books I had and then offer book-hunting services for friends to primarily fund my book budget.

To make the long story short, Bookbed was so much fun and it led me to a lot of people, opportunities, and lessons. So in 2014, I invited friends to help me transform it into a community. (Allana, Kach, Elaine, Hazel, L, Cake—the first ones to believe in Bookbed, thank you.) The idea was to make it home to readers, writers, and other kinds of creators. It would also be home to book reviews, features, and original creative work. Very bookish, very journalistic.

At the time, blogging was queen so Bookbed's main thing was a website. And it thrived. Bookbed had members, writers, a network of authors, communities, and publishers, and a stellar readership.

But websites can be hard to maintain, and volunteer communities like Bookbed even more so. Life was happening for me and the rest of the team. Most of us were in our 20s and were starting to build our careers and selves. It was difficult to balance all that with the demands of a growing community and the growing online world. Social media was then overtaking, and it was a quantity and popularity game, to which Bookbed didn't and couldn't pay much attention.

So compared to our first four years, Bookbed's presence and activity dwindled as the years flew. Fewer posts and writers, fewer community activities and collaborations. I didn't mind that much because I could see how the online book world was booming even without Bookbed's contribution. Readers became more visible, more active, and more relevant.

Given that, the thought of putting Bookbed to, well, bed crossed my mind plenty of times. Readers, after all, had become empowered and could do things independently. I almost led myself to believe that there was little need for book communities and book-reviewing groups like Bookbed.

But every time Bookbed would start to doze off, somebody would come knocking on the door, so to speak. I realized there were and are still people out there who need spaces like Bookbed.

And it's not just a figment of my dream or imagination. I do see it in the readers and communities I talk to, the creators and publishers I meet, and the events I attend. So if Bookbed can continue helping in any way and even only one other person, then that should be enough to keep it awake and going.

I have a lot more to say but for now, I want to wrap up all this with: Bookbed is precious to me. Bookbed is also precious to many people, whether they admit it or not. A lot of readers, writers, authors, artists, publishers, communities, and other creators started here, learned from here, and grew up here. And so Bookbed will always be home to them like it is for me, and especially to those who love to write about books. Bookbed will keep its lights on and its eyes open, all in support of a reading nation.

This piece was originally published on my Patreon. You can access all my free-access posts like this one here.

📝 Writing

→ Did I mention I returned to writing fiction? I’ve been sharing on my Patreon a short story I finished last month.

→ Speaking of which, I started OK to BE Writing. It's easy: Give me any word, and I'll use it in a story. I’m churning some things out of two words that were sent to me, and I hope I complete them.

→ We can buddy write, too! Let me know if you want a word or prompt from me.

🎨 Creating

→ …Or more like re-creating. I've been working on my page and would love some feedback! What I'm looking for:

• what you like

• what you think needs improvement

I've already incorporated suggestions from a few friends but curious to know what else I need to see or change. Here’s the link:

heykebe

Btw, I’m not looking for comments about domains. I'm OK with the bit.ly link I currently use.

I appreciate your time and willingness to help!

🎨 Collaborating

→ There is an ongoing dugtungan on the OK to BE Discord! Just hop on to #creators-club. Shout-out to Arli, Bea, and Joy; we’ve been writing bits of a story together!

→ Finished Cycle 3 of the Southeast Asian Creators Club last weekend. I’ll talk more about this soon!

🎒 Travelling

→ Mindanao Art Fair 2023! The last one I went to was in 2021 in Poblacion Market Central. It was an awesome exhibit but I also have to admit I liked the fact that this time they went with a relatively more accessible space where foot traffic was much higher.

✨ More Being Human

→ It’s birthday season for two of the best men in my life—my dad and my brother! Distance who? Near or far, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that there are cakes to be nomnom-ed! Happy birthday as well to those celebrating theirs this wonderful ~Libra season.

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. 

If you have any questions, suggestions, or nice things to say (hehe), type them in the comments section below or reply to the email. You can also always join my Patreon and the OK to BE Discord, revisit the OK to BE Newsletter Archive, and visit my page. 

See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Latest

• OK to BE Newsletter: #033: Let yourself be seen

• Patreon

  • Something blooming

  • #KBookJo: Writing about books, art, and stories

  • Story Sharing: Club sessions, fics, WIPs

  • Story Sharing: [Mango] Preview (FULL)

  • OK to BE Writing: Let's begin!

  • #KBookJo 2023: August + Current Reads

  • Your free access to OK to BE Seen (Issue #18)

• Bookbed: Why Filipinos Should Read Manga

JUST FOR YOU

• LIMITED OFFER: Free beta reading services for your story! Maximum of 3,000 words. Can be any of these: fiction for younger readers (children’s, YA), contemporary fiction, romance fiction, fantasy fiction. Please note that I reserve the right to refuse, thank you.

• Download free worksheets, guides, and more

• Enjoy a free seven-day trial on my Patreon

Huge thanks to all the readers of this newsletter, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)

Share OK to BE

“How do you just do it, KB?”

“What motivates you to keep doing things?”

“What’s in it for you, KB?”

Self-doubt has become a friend over the years. Sure, I have had my fair share of ~bad days of feeling “not good enough,” especially in my teenage years and in my 20s, but if those days ever taught me anything, it was this: not good enough. Enough with the fear, enough with that self-pity, enough with feeling inadequate or not fit for this and that.

Of course, I can say this because I’m older now, lol, and life has taught me a bit of this and some of that. But the gift of growing is that sometimes, if I want to do something, then I do it and fck everything else! As long as I’m happy and learning, and I’m not hurting anyone, then why would I choose to sulk in a corner and hide away from who I could be, and what I can do?

Sounds a bit cocky? If so, then it’s your perspective projecting. Hahaha! I’m kidding but I’m also not. The time to believe in myself—ourselves—was really yesterday. And if you think it was easy for me to get here, meet my anxiety-ridden brain. Retraining my brain was and is still like an Olympic sport. But I had to do it for my sake, or I will get nowhere, do nothing. So every time I have a goal, I ask myself: If I don’t think I’m enough to be the person to do this task or job, then when will I ever be if I don’t try?

So I just do it. And I take pride in my courage (and delulu-ness, lol). I work hard at it. But I also don’t forget that the final push to get me where I want to be is the grace, encouragement, and inspiration of the people around me. Therefore, I’m in it for myself first, and then I’m in it for those who believe and find inspiration in me.

From OK to BE Seen (#OKtoBEzine Issue 18)

***

📚 Reading

→ I went to the Philippine Book Festival with Peyps the monkey!

📝 Editing

→ Working on a soft landing. with Dawn Lanuza and Layla S. Tanjutco!

🎨 Creating

→ This OK to BE newsletter is an extension of my OK to BE zines. The first OK to BE zine was released in July 2021. Today, we have 18 zines. These zines are dear to my heart because they are not only mine. They are yours, too. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

Patreon

Gumroad

→ Guides to Beta Reading, available on my Patreon.

Guide to Beta Reading, Part 1

Guide to Beta Reading, Part 2

🎒 Travelling

***

That’s all for now! I hope you picked up something fun or useful. 

If you have any questions, suggestions, or nice things to say (hehe), type them in the comments section below or reply to the email. You can also always join my Patreon and/or the OK to BE Discord, and visit my page. 

See you in the next one!

☀️ KB

Latest

• OK to BE Newsletter: #032: Let it

• Discord: OK to BE creative sessions

• Patreon: All the free-access posts you can read! Click here to enjoy a free seven-day trial.

To see more of my work, visit my page.

Huge thanks to all the readers of this newsletter, my patrons, and the OK to BE Discord community! If you enjoyed this, you can help me keep the newsletter going by buying me a coffee. :)