Monthly Archives: March 2022

How I created my Island in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Blog Post

During the pandemic animal crossing new horizon or ACNH, helped fill the void of being at home all day. It is the ultimate great escape, where I invited cute animal friends and chilled on the island beach for hours.

If you don’t know what ACNH is, it is a simulation game, where you can save money, collect materials, make friends with adorable characters, and basically forget about reality. The first Animal crossing was released in 2001 for game cube and Nintendo DS. The latest version, New Horizons launched in 2020 with unique gameplay. This included experiencing four seasons and DIY materials. It has been super successful, creating a community of gamers who spotlight ACNH builds.

It took me almost a year to finally have an Island that I was happy with, and I am excited to highlight some of my favourite spots from my Island in this blog.

Something I found useful when starting to build my Island was having a theme. Having a theme guided me in my builds, as I had a direction. Im a big believer in Island themes as they make things grounded, but if you want to mix it up, why not! My initial theme for my island was a haunted Totoro forest, but it has grown into celebrating island living and Asian culture.

Otherwise, just have fun with it! I hope you enjoy and get inspiration for your builds from these pictures I took from my ACNH Island

-B

 Welcome to Isle Bell

Creative Project – Revamping my space

Read Time:2 Minute, 9 Second

This week, I chose to redecorate my bedroom completely, and it felt wonderful. I think I was desperate for some change to start moving differently. Maybe this is not the best mentality. I know change truly comes from within, but gosh, is it nice to have a fresh start.


Some backstory, I moved into a new bedroom at the start of my Zoom university experience, and I painted the back wall red/maroon.

After looking at this old photo, I see how great the room looks. I loved this room. Someone close to me was helping me buy the matching pillows and everything along with it to make sure I liked how my room turned out. I vividly remember sitting on my bed with the paint drying, planning out my whole schedule for my first classes for uni. Maybe it was the school nerves, but I actually followed through with the goals I set for myself. Heck, I even got my first job in the same timeframe. These accomplishments and a lot more followed with this red paint, and I am proud of my growth. However, there were some bad times, and I don’t think the red was helping my mood at all. I would walk into my bedroom to relax, but I encountered stress. Sometimes, the momentum from stress was what I needed to catalyze my hustle mentality, but soon things got toxic. Who knew something as simple as a color could impact my mental health so astonishingly. This red room held onto so many past experiences, and some of those values no longer align with me. Therefore, it was finally time to move on.

Today, my room is light beige, and I plan to plaster my wall with old book pages and inspiring words. What’s funny is that the room aesthetic matches the aesthetic of this blog and the @nimras.canvas Instagram page (I know, shocker!). Now the room is calmer when I walk into it. When I was in my kitchen doing some work today, I took a break and walked back into my room, and for once, it felt safe again. As I am sitting typing this, I have my skincare on my face and am vibing to Lofi music, and I feel at peace.

I want to move forward with that peaceful energy in mind. This energy will help me progress with grace and invite the things into my life that bring me peace and joy and make me feel like myself. I don’t want to settle for anything less than that.

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TV Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1-3)

By now, I’ve seen most of the hit SFF TV shows of the 1990s and 2000s: The X-Files, Doctor Who, all of Star Trek, etc. I’m disappointed it took me this long to get to Buffy.

Debuting as a mid-season replacement in 1997, Buffy The Vampire Slayer has everything that I look for in television. Serialized storytelling. Comedy that doesn’t undercut the drama. Complex yet morally upright characters.

Mild spoilers to follow (nothing too specific though)

What’s it About?

16-year-old Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale, a small town, after accidentally burning down her old high school. Also, she’s the Slayer – a Chosen One who stands alone “against the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness.” 

Instructed by her Guardian, Rupert Giles, and aided by her friends, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris, Buffy encounters all manner of unlikely and grotesque enemies – and even a few allies along the way.

“I May Be Dead, But I’m Still Pretty.”

What Did I Think?

Buffy stares at camera, young man (Angel) gazes at her in the background

High school. Vampires! Overbearing parents. Evil mummies! Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a lot of things: comedy, mystery, horror, coming-of-age drama, monster-of-the-week extravaganza. Amidst all this – and while upending some tired tropes – the show develops a unique tone that is remarkably consistent.

From the beginning, Buffy’s zany monster-of-the-week formula gives it a lot of freedom in storytelling – often using supernatural elements to explore teen issues like bullying, identity crises, or the pressure to succeed. So, while week to week we might see an insectile substitute or murderous ventriloquist puppet, main conflicts usually center on character growth for Buffy or another of the young leads.

To be sure, the worldbuilding makes no sense. None. Why would anyone go to a school where dances are synonymous with monster attacks? How come no one with more experience – such as the Watcher’s Council – ever helps Buffy prevent the end of the world?

Who cares? Over time, Buffy increasingly pokes fun at its own premises – one character even voices my above questions – reaffirming its inconsistent worldbuilding doesn’t matter when the characters are true-to-life. Significant and traumatic events always have emotional follow-through, and all the characters change realistically from episode to episode. There’s a whole episode named “Consequences” all about the ramifications of certain characters’ choices.

“The Big Moments Are Going To Come. You Can’t Help That. It’s What You Do Afterwards That Counts.”

Relatedly, I love how the show’s serial elements develop. Though I’ve avoided too much googling because of spoilers, I know that Buffy is considered a precursor to television’s Golden Age – an obvious fact while watching each season’s arc play out. As much as I love shows like Breaking Bad or Stranger Things, watching Buffy has made me nostalgic for seasons with 22+ episodes. Here, big events happen often, but they have a lot more breathing room in between. A character’s shocking betrayal might be followed by a few standalone episodes where the big events factor into character behaviour without consuming everything.

Young man (Xander Harris) smirks while leaning on a locker
Oh Xander, how I despise you.

Unlike modern shows, Buffy has time for low-stakes storylines, where viewers can simply enjoy the characters and the show’s eclectic vibe. One of the best aspects of this is how much screen time the villains receive. I love all of them – from irascible vampire Spike to family-values necromancer Mayor Wilkins. Special shout out to Principal Snyder, played by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Armin Shimmerman, for being such a wonderfully unpleasant goblin of a character.

I don’t love everything though. For one, Xander Harris is far more whiny, unlikeable, and douchey than the writers seem to think he is – and a few key storylines are ill-considered at best. There’s also occasional homophobia and some culturally insensitive storylines made worse by the lack of non-White characters. I’m hoping that’s something the writers recognized and improved as the series continued.

Unlike its unfortunately scummy creator, Buffy is a show with a lot of heart – elevated by the passion and on-screen camaraderie of the leads. Starting with Season Four, I’ll be watching both Buffy and its spinoff series, Angel, in release order. I’m betting one or both will end up on in my top ten. Or top five.

★ ★★ ★

Dealing with Disappointment

Dear reader,

At this point in my life, I know failure is necessary. I know that not receiving a good grade is only the precursor to a better grade. But that didn’t soften the sucker punch I got to my ego as I looked at a grade for a paper this morning. I know this is a bit dramatic for a B-. But moments like these are where I magnify my mistakes most. I’m a person who’s gotten good grades for writing consistently. Ever since I was young, writing was the only subject that I consistently do well in. It felt like the only thing I was good at.

I prided myself in seeing these numbers, green circles, “great jobs” on the white margins of my papers.

Seeing question marks and red lines in its place made it feel like I failed myself.

I know this doesn’t make too much sense. One bad paper can’t undo all of the good writing and good grades I’ve gotten in the past. Honestly, the idea that I’m still so affected by what a grade can do to my confidence bothers me. I have gotten a D in the past for a draft once, and after getting an A+ on the final copy, I felt like there was no way I could feel as down as I did having almost failed.

But Jester! When I get a grade I don’t expect, it still feels like all of the progress I’ve made must have been a lie.

I did eventually learn that diminishing my own accomplishments because of one disappointment was a symptom of something called imposter syndrome. It’s named for how people feel that they are imposters because they doubt their own skills and accomplishments. Learning that other people felt the same way made me feel more heard than fighting the voice in my head telling me that focusing on my failures was illogical. I wrote about imposter syndrome after coming to terms with the way I would feel about it.

My journey with imposter syndrome

Today, though, knowing about this term worked against me. Knowing logically why I felt this way made it feel like I shouldn’t be feeling any embarrassment at all.

I wanted to jump straight to logically figuring out how I could be better. But by not acknowledging my feelings on the topic, I denied myself the right to feel hurt. Today, an uncomfortable heat burned in my chest as I paced back and forth on the commute home, lost in a cycle of thoughts.

“Don’t you know better by now to still be making the same mistakes?” parroted the same thought, over and over again.

With my face still rather flushed, I messaged my partner, rambling about my predicament. I knew two things: the first, I was really embarrassed. The second was that my embarrassment wasn’t worth entertaining because I knew it was just imposter syndrome, but I was still embarrassed. At that moment, he let me vent, and he told me exactly what I needed to hear: I was a good writer, and one moment couldn’t destroy what I’ve done. And even then, it still sucks because it’s something I take pride in.

Although this is what I’ve been telling myself in my head in an attempt to stay these embarrassing thoughts, having someone else tell me that I deserve to have my little pity party made me understand that, in a way, I needed to sit through that burning feeling. He didn’t tell me what I needed to do, he just listened.

His kindness reminded me of exactly what I needed: just to accept what I was feeling in this moment. Although this was a very minor situation, being able to digest these feelings safely was really helpful. After this, I could put some distance between my feelings and figure out what to do next: I spoke with my professor, and in a calmer mood, I got a much clearer idea of what I could do to improve.

In the past, another way I’ve done this is to write about it or talk about it with someone I’ve trusted. My main takeaway from today is that failing is indeed a step in the path of success. It’s just a step I don’t have shortcuts for, and I have to accept it. Nasty feelings and all.

Love,

Kelly

The World Through My Screen

Dear reader,

I’ve been scrolling through my phone a lot lately. It’s hard not to — like many people around me, I’ve been up all night looking at updates on the Russia-Ukraine war. Immediately, I felt compelled to immediately share any resources I found. But I stopped myself to take a breather: I hadn’t even checked if the resources were truly helpful, or scams. I didn’t know if all I was doing was spreading fear for a very scary situation. And more importantly, absorbing these news made me too agitated to actually do some research.

This instinct to keep taking in horrible news has been recently coined as, ”doomscrolling.” Merriam Webster defines doomscrolling as this:

(Photo: Merriam Webster)

For the last two years, I got into the habit because I was on my phone more. With restrictions preventing me from seeing my friends, it suddenly felt like my technology was simultaneously a social hub and news outlet. I could separate the two before, but now I had to go on my phone to contact my friends. I was on my phone and computer more than ever, and there was never a break in bad news.

As the Black Lives Matter movement escalated, stories of COVID-19 tragedies, news about anti-Asian hate crime surrounded me, I felt the need to spread info about these news on my social media platforms. I’d share these infographics I found on Instagram about the situation, and add them to a highlight reel so they felt more permanent.

There is a numbing effect to accessing all of these tragedies instantaneously, and for me, spreading how important it is that everyone care about it makes it feel as important as it should be. Worse, I felt like I had to prove I was sympathetic. I couldn’t reach out to friends. The news was exhausting. Doomscrolling made my only outlet to contact my friends during harsh COVID-19 restrictions a burden. Any new notification, including a notification from a friend, felt like an extra thing to check.

If that resonates with you, I want to tell you that you’re not a bad person for wanting a break. Social media is good for a lot of things — it keeps us immersed in everything from civilian footage to tips on how to make a good tarniquet. But there is harm in absorbing all of it immediately, and being expected to react immediately. No one can make sound decisions immediately. It’s unfair to expect it from yourself.

I understand perfectly well the feeling that spreading this information feels like the most useful thing to do. I’ve felt like prioritizing my mental health seemed so shallow in the face of something so horrible. But what I’ve learned is taking more time to absorb these news to form a reaction will help me make more informed decisions on what to share. That will be more helpful than fearfully sharing everything I deem trustworthy in three seconds.

Hopefully I can share some resources here, too. Please take care, everyone.

Love,

Kelly

Self Reflection 02

Portfolio setup was something that was rather easy for me to complete, as I already had my website set up and functioning from a previous class. I have completed most assignments for this class thus far, however I have fallen behind the last week before reading week. As expected, the reading reflection was the one that put me behind, as I have so much reading for my other classes the motivation to write a reflection was too daunting for me apparently. While the world has gone a little bit crazy, I may or may not have had a little mini breakdown over the state of the world. The last week before reading week I also had several assignments and a midterm. I am hoping that I will be able to catch up this week as I am only 2 assignments behind so its definitely manageable.

I think that I am excelling in the creative output sections of the class as well as the media analysis as I have the most experience in these areas. I also find the creative outputs the most fun and engaging as they allow me to use my skills in graphic design and allowing my creativity to flow. As mentioned above, I am really struggling with finding the motivation to complete some assignments as I am very overwhelmed with a lot of areas of my life, and the state of the world is not helping at all. I am struggling with life both in school and outside of it, so it’s been tough to stay on top of things. After my mini mental breakdown last week though, I’ve been working hard to work on my mental health by getting to bed earlier, fuelling my body with whole foods, and writing in a journal. I am hoping that by utilizing these self care practices I am able to stay on top of things for the rest of the semester. As for any help, your support throughout the semester has been very helpful, makes me feel safe, and that I am capable of completing my work. 

My Top Ten Sci-Fi Shows

On conservative estimate, I’ve seen an alarming 1288 episodes of sci-fi TV. To put my time to good use, here’s a list of my ten favourite shows – hopefully you’ll find something on here that interests you.

10. Red Dwarf (1988 – Present)

Four men on a spaceship point at the camera goofily

What it’s About: A mining ship home to the last survivor of mankind and his oddball inhuman crewmates.

Why I Love it: One of the funniest shows I’ve watched – sci-fi or not. Though varying in quality, Red Dwarf succeeds by the chemistry of its leads and the alternatively clever and insanely stupid comedy.

Favourite Episode: Meltdown (S4:E6)

“Mr. Fibble is very cross.”

9. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020 – Present)

Four Starfleet crewman, with one young woman headlocking a disgruntled crewmate

What it’s About: Low-level crewman on the USS Cerritos bickering, bonding, and complaining as they travel the galaxy.

Why I Love it: One of a few shows (alongside Community) that succeeds at being a parody, loving homage, and a great show all in its own right. Lower Decks overcame its growing pains within the first few episodes and has remained consistently hilarious ever since – while also maintaining strong character arcs. The best Star Trek show since . . . well, more on that later.

Favourite Episode: No Small Parts (S1:E10)

“It’s always weird revisiting planets from the TOS era.”

“TOS?”

“It’s what I call the 2260s. Stands for ‘those old scientists’ – You know, Spock, Scotty, those guys. Seems like they were stumbling on crazy new aliens every week back then.”

8. Doctor Who Reboot (2005 – Present)

L-R: Actors Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, all in their costumes as The Doctor

What it’s About: An immortal called ‘The Doctor’ swapping faces and gaining friends in his never-ending adventures in time and space.

Why I Love it: One of the first shows I really got into and loved. From adventure to commentary to comedy, Doctor Who at its best delivers great stories rooted in aspirational characters. I gave up during Chibnall’s tenure and am unbelievably excited to see Davies’ return and subsequent much needed budget infusion.

Favourite Episode: Vincent and the Doctor (S5:E10)

“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!”

7. Dark (2017-2020)

A hooded figure gazes into a cave, with darkness all around

What it’s About: Mysterious happenings in the quiet town of Winden bringing its citizens togethers in ways no one could have expected.

Why I Love it: The only show here that I’ve not finished, but undeniably one of the best. Dark expertly manages its large cast and sprawling narrative amid an atmosphere of unceasing dread and tension while delivering some of the most shocking reveals on TV.

Favourite Episode: Endings and Beginnings (S2:E8)

“Sic mundus creates est.”

6. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1993)

Cast photo of the crew of the USS Enterprise: Geordie, Guinan, Dr. Crusher, Captain Picard, Worf, Riker, Troi, Wesley Crusher, Data

What it’s About: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D encountering the unbelievable and all too real in a galaxy of infinite diversity.

Why I Love it: TNG taught me the true power of science-fiction: to confront the issues of day in the unfamiliar milieus of imagined tomorrows. Despite a saddening number of unwatchable episodes, when TNG was good it was damn excellent; Captain Picard remains one of my favourite fictional characters ever. It inspired my life-long love of Star Trek – and my internet username.

Favourite Episode: Darmok (S5:E2)

“Let’s make sure history never forgets . . . the name . . . Enterprise.”

5. Stranger Things (2016 – Present)

Six teenagers in '80s attire gaze upward in confusion

What it’s About: Small town kids caught in the middle of big-time problems – and monsters?

Why I Love it: Season One of Stranger Things is one of my favourite seasons of TV. Ever. And the rest is pretty good too. Endlessly entertaining and always heartfelt, made even better by the perfect cast and awesome soundtrack.

Favourite Episode: The Upside Down (S1:E8)

“We never woud’ve upset you if we knew you had superpowers.”

4. The X-Files (1993 – 2002)

Mulder and Scully discuss a problem in a cluttered office, centering a UFO poster captioned 'I Want to Believe'

What it’s About: FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully encountering just about everything paranormal that you can imagine – and a bunch more stuff you can’t.

Why I Love it: The X-Files never shied away from risk – for better or for worse – pushing television forward and resulting in a plethora of fantastic episodes. The core dynamic between Mulder and Scully is one of the medium’s best – and the overarching narrative is even good sometimes. I’m glad it was never rebooted.

Favourite Episode: Home (S4:E2)

“The truth is out there, but so are lies.”

3.  Babylon 5 (1993 – 1998)

Cast photo from season 1: Garibaldi, Londo, Ivanova, Delen, Sinclair, Winters, G'Kar, Franklin

What it’s About: The space station Babylon 5, all alone in the night against enemies new and old, human and alien.

Why I Love it: Star Trek shows the future we could achieve; B5 shows us the one we’ll actually get. J. Michael Straczynski’s vision – alongside the efforts of his crew – gave TV viewers something they’d never seen before: a serialized story planned from start to finish before the first episode even aired. Near unparalleled in SF in terms of theme, plotting, and character arcs, Babylon 5 holds a special place in the canon of great television.

Favourite Episode: Severed Dreams (S3:E10)

“No one here is exactly what he appears.”

2.  Firefly (2002)

Two men and a woman in Western attire stand outside a rusted gate, guns pointing forward

What it’s About: The Serenity and her ragtag crew travelling the galaxy for fun, freedom, and profit, without ever finding much of anything other than trouble.

Why I Love it: From complex characters to intense action to humour that doesn’t undercut emotion, each episode of Firefly is a complete package. It has a unique passion and soul, as storylines and characters delving deep into heroism and humanity without ever becoming too pessimistic. Really though, I love Firefly because it’s fun.

Favourite Episode: Pilot (S1:E1)

“Curse your subtle inevitable betrayal.”

 1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

Cast photo from season 4: Worf, Quark, Odo, Dax, Sisko, Jake, Kira, O'Brien

What it’s About: The diverse crew of the backwater space station Deep Space Nine, which increasingly becomes more important as the series goes on. 

Why I Love it: Deep Space Nine puts its franchise’s tenets through the wringer, showing us how important they truly are. Star Trek is my favourite franchise, and DS9 is the main reason. In many great storylines and standalones, DS9 expertly crafts satisfying character arcs for everyone in its massive cast. Season 6 is my number one season of all Star Trek. More than anything else here, DS9 feels like home – and its a show I’ll be rewatching for the rest of my life.

Favourite Episode: In the Pale Moonlight (S6:E19)

“So, I lied. I cheated. I bribed to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all . . . I think I can live with it.”

____________________________

So that’s my top ten sci-fi TV shows. What about you?

Batman (2022)

Image from IMDb

This is probably one of the best movies I have watched at the beginning of this year. Even though a superhero movie is not really considered an art film. However, this movie is just too beautiful, I and my friend have praised the movie for being too beautiful so many times to our friends. But this movie can be a bit bored for anyone who cannot stay in one place for a 3-hour movie.
As I told you that this film can be considered an art film, the colors of this film are very well adjusted, and the colors that need to pop will come out at the right time, in the right situation. The color theme of the whole movie is black and red so for scenes with red, that red color stands out but makes perfect sense for the situation.
The cinematography is top because each frame is so beautiful, I thought if you pause suddenly, you can still have a pretty picture for your phone. The editing also needs to be praised because, without editing, we cannot see all the smooth transitions from scene to scene.
The plot of this movie will probably be a bit bored to some of you who like action, this movie is more about solving the puzzle in the movie. If you are a fan of Batman, I am sure that you will not be disappointed when you watch this, or even if you are not a fan, I think it is worth trying and watching it.

Social Media and the Painful Fixation on our Looks

Chasing Beauty

I recently listened to a podcast episode called “Chasing Beauty”, by the show, Help Me Be Me. The episode talked about the constant pursuit of beauty in an image-focused environment. Listening to this episode, I was inspired to write about the main take-aways and my experience in ‘chasing beauty’.

 

Growing up in the digital age of social media has its benefits and drawbacks, but I’d suggest that the most significant downside is the comparison that social media perpetuates. I am a victim of comparison on social media, specifically comparing my looks. I, like probably millions of others, often fall into the mindset of “That person is better looking than me. Why can’t I look like them.” Social media fosters the practiced routine of seeking external perfection, and this mindset deteriorates my self-esteem. In the podcast they made an interesting point, if you’re constantly striving to be perfect, you’re constantly searching for what makes you not perfect. In other words, if you are pervasively fixated on your appearance, you cannot see yourself for what you truly look like because you are blinded by the “imperfections”. The harder you scrutinize, the more distorted something becomes. An example they used in the podcast was when you look at an old photo of yourself and think, “Wow, I was really hot back then!”, but in the moment of taking that photo, you saw yourself as “ugly”. I have done this too many times to recall. It makes me sad that I spent those times hating the way I looked when in hindsight, I looked beautiful. This proves that when you are so fixated on the external, you are incapable of seeing yourself for what you really look like. 

 

When scrolling through social media, I easily get stuck in loops of negative self-talk, yet it’s hard for me to discipline myself and put the phone down. You’d think if it’s not conducive to my mental health, I would want to stop doing it, right? But social media and comparison are addicting like a drug. It makes me feel empowered— like “if I hate myself enough I can correct and control my beauty.” But this philosophy hasn’t worked out for me. The podcast episode suggests that just like an addiction, stopping thoughts of comparison is a choice. We must choose to let go of the fixation. Easier said than done of course, but catching your brain in the act and telling it not to react is the first step. 

 

I sympathize with anyone reading this who has ever felt, “not good enough.” I’m working on stepping away from social media when I find myself getting caught up in comparison, and I encourage you to do the same. Be gentle with yourself and your mind.

The post Social Media and the Painful Fixation on our Looks appeared first on Sincerely, Gracie.

Music Review – Kota The Friend “Grateful”

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Welcome to my first music review! This review is dedicated to Kota The Friend otherwise known as Avery Marcel Joshua Jones. I am choosing this artist because I went into 2022 listening to him. I discovered Kota in November 2021 when someone sent me the song “grateful”. The cover of this song is of Avery’s son and I think it is so wholesome.

The song “Grateful” has the following lyrics: (I have put the lines I love in red)

“Yeah, yeah
Out in Colorado
Hit the lotto
Got a cabin in the middle of the mountain
Shit, I feel like I’m the mayor now

Used to sip on bottle after bottle
I was drownin’, get the goggles
Now I’m rooted in the present, what you sayin’ now

Everything is love, that’s the motto
Spend the winter out in southern California, where it’s warmer
I don’t play around

I don’t give a fuck if niggas coming for your soul
They don’t know you, if I love you
Homie, I’ma always say it loud

Grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful
Even in a rough patch I’ma always make due
Even when I’m down bad, I be sayin’ thank you
Even when I’m wild sad
I could never hate you
Nah

Get up and I get it on the worst day
Self-care, nigga that’s the first thing
Grind ’til you chillin’ on a workday
And when you get it I hope you are

Grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful, yah, yah
Thank you, Jesus, Buddha, Jah or Allah
Please insert whatever you believe in
Celebrating this abundant season

Thank you for the setbacks on the way up
Thank you for the stories that they made up
Thank you for my Noah’s arch
That’s word to blu’, the deep blue sea, can’t fuck with me

I’ma be great when you showin’ me love
I’ma be great when you throwin’ me hate
I’ma be great even when I am done
You got another thing comin’ if you think I’ma break

I was all around the world for a couple of months
I was out in long beach for a couple of weeks
I be walking through the town just like you and your friends
When you see me on the block there ain’t nothin’ to see

I’m in Malibu, nigga, what’s up?
Took a trip to Sedona
We was whippin’ the truck
Then we headed to Montana
We was looking for ye
And I know you couldn’t make it but we sending you love, yeah

I remember we was still on the block
Big dreams
I ain’t even have a cent to my name
Shit crave

We was tryna hide the blunt from the cops and stay low
Making three songs every day
Now I’m up and I am

Grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful, yah, yah
Thank you, Jesus, Buddha, Jah or Allah
Please insert whatever you believe in
Celebrating this abundant season

Thank you for the setbacks on the way up
Thank you for the stories that they made up
Thank you for my Noah’s arch
That’s word to blu’, the deep blue sea, can’t fuck with me

Woke up feelin’ like yes
Now I got another day
And I’m doin’ my best
Give a fuck about the fame
I could really care less
I am here to spread love
Rollin’ outta my bed

I done came a long way
From the person I was
They be throwin’ me they pain
And I let it all come

I don’t never shoot back
I just send ’em back love
Always had mad love
Now I got it backed up

Now my gun goin’
Love for you
And love for you
And you and you

We only human
We deserve it
Trauma real and you been hurting
I been hurtin’, we been searchin’
I been learning, broke the surface
Found my purpose, open curtains, wrote these verses, I been workin’
Tables turnin’ Life get good when you moving with love
And what you need is the shit that you want
Every day a nigga

Grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful, yah, yah
Thank you, Jesus, Buddha, Jah or Allah
Please insert whatever you believe in
Celebrating this abundant season

Thank you for the setbacks on the way up
Thank you for the stories that they made up
Thank you for my Noah’s arch
That’s word to blu’, the deep blue sea, can’t fuck with me“

I was mesmerized by this song because it described gratitude as a state of love. The line “everything is love, that the motto” resonated with me because it reminded me of the deep conversations my cousins would have with the family when they came to visit. I remember being 11 hearing theories of finding a little bit of love/God in everything, and it stuck with me.


Speaking of God, the line where he says, “thank you, Jesus, Buddha, Jah, or Allah. Please insert whatever you believe in,” was pure because I feel that even if you don’t believe in God, this line resonates. We all have something or maybe some higher power to thank for all we have. Abundance doesn’t just come willingly; it has a source.

The other line that resonated with me was “grind ’til you chillin’ on a workday.” I love the emphasis on “workday.” Usually, we work hard during the weekdays (our typical workdays) but imagine if we worked hard on weekends and had the whole week to chill? Now that is a perspective shift.


Love is something we all yearn for, Kota The Friend encapsulates this desire perfectly in these lines: “We only human. We deserve it. Trauma real and you been hurting. I been hurtin’, we been searchin’… Tables turnin’ Life get good when you moving with love”. I believe these lines let us know that we are not alone. In lines “you been hurting. I been hurtin’, we been searching…” The transition from you to I to we shows you we all are hurting together. Once we understand this, we will all shed a little more love for each other.


I listen to “Grateful” by Kota The Friend whenever I have to remind myself to be grateful or if I want to be filled with the spark of love again. Often, I find myself losing that spark. However, I really want to be left feeling the gratitude and love in me so I can send it back to others again.

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