#041: When to be proud, when to be humble
Impostor syndrome, new OK to BE call for submissions, the Asian Festival of Children's Content 2024, and more tiny yet precious life moments
Hey, there! OK to BE is a Sunday newsletter about my adventures in reading, writing stories, creating art, collaborating, and being human. If you want to see more of my creative work, visit my page, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and support me on Patreon. Thanks for reading! ^_^
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:
📚 Reading
Bookbed recommends: ‘Oha: A Story Told in One Eternal Second’ by Krie R. Lopez
Bookbed reviews: ‘Campaigns of Knowledge’ by Malini Johar Schueller
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. :)