#048: The real reasons we keep showing up
Creative community building, vulnerability, gratitude, and more tiny yet precious life moments
Hey, there! OK to BE is a Sunday newsletter about 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! ^_^
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. :)
Grabe so many exciting things happening and I'm so happy to witness you thrive and lead these community ganaps, KB! ❤️ Love you!