Currently is a feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. Earlier this year I decided to start doing Currently posts with a twist -- Currently:The Writer's Edition. 

Freelancing for Birmingham Magazine. Be sure to check out this month's issue which includes a profile I wrote on Shella Sylla, the founder of SisterGolf. SisterGolf is an amazing program that teaches women how to play golf and how to use golf to network and enhance their business relationships.  

Brainstorming ideas for business. I haven't been doing much personal blogging lately because much because most of my attention has been growing See Jane Write. I even have a business coach now. That sounds so fancy! I'm working hard to build See Jane Write into a profitable, but meaningful business that truly empowers women who write. 

Pitching to WBHM. Each month I'm pitching story ideas to my city's NPR affiliate. Each month you can find a new blog post by yours truly on WBHM.org. And on the last Friday of each month you can catch me on the air at 90.3 FM (or on the website if you don't live in Birmingham) discussing my latest post. Last month I wrote about how despite the fact that I'm 33, the women who inspire me most are under the age of 21. For this piece I interviewed one of my former students who recently launched her own magazine. Color me proud!

And speaking of being proud, I must say that out of all my writing endeavors the one that makes me most proud right now is my column for B-Metro magazine -- Write Like a Girl. Each month I write a personal essay on women's empowerment and through this column I feel I've produced some of my best work. In this month's column I examine the intersection of feminism and faith.

Blogging about #bloglikecrazy.  Every year I challenge the ladies of See Jane Write to publish a new blog post every day for 30 days in November. I call this challenge #bloglikecrazy. This year, for the first time, I'll be publishing my #bloglikecrazy posts at the See Jane Write blog and I'm hosting a #bloglikecrazy kick-off workshop on November 1. To learn more visit the #bloglikecrazy page at SeeJaneWriteBham.com.

What's going on in your writing life? 

At the Vitalogy Wellness Center Open House Party and having too much fun on the job with my pal Tanya.

Currently is a feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. Today I decided to do a Currently post with a twist. And so I present Currently -- The Writer's Edition. 

Freelancing for UAB Magazine, along with several other local media outlets. Because I am a teacher, my piece State of Education: UAB Alumni Serve at Alabama's Top Teachers means a lot to me. This piece for UAB Magazine was one of the first opportunities I've had to marry my interest in education with my journalistic work. 

Brainstorming ideas for short stories and poems. This is something I haven't done since college, but lately I've been thinking a lot about getting back into writing fiction and poetry. Perhaps it's because I'm so inspired by my students in our school's creative writing department. Or perhaps it's because of all wonderful literature read by the women who participated in Phenomenal Woman, the African-American read-in See Jane Write hosted last month. The powerful prose and poetry read that night reminded me of why I fell in love with writing in the first place. It wasn't see my name in magazines or on the cover of books. It wasn't for blog page views either. I wrote because I loved to do so. Last month's See Jane Write event made me want to write like a girl again. I want to sit in my room for hours writing not because I need to meet a deadline but because I just can't help myself.

Pitching to WBHM. Each month I'm pitching story ideas to my city's NPR affiliate. Each month you can find a new blog post by yours truly on WBHM.org. And on the last Friday of each month you can catch me on the air at 90.3 FM (or on the website if you don't live in Birmingham) discussing my latest post. Last month I explored the meaning of feminism and womanism in a post called In Search of My Womanist Self. You can hear an excerpt of my radio segment here. 

Blogging about wellness. Not only am I'm writing about my fitness adventures as I attempt to exercise daily, but on March 6 I had the opportunity to cover the Vitalogy Wellness Center Open House Party as part of B-Metro magazine's Blog Team. While I was there I even had my first Ashiatsu massage. That's right; I let somebody walk on my back for the sake of a blog post. It was worth it. 

What's going on in your writing life? 

Currently is a little feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. So without further ado...

My Olivia Pope-inspired outfit I wore to the Celebrate Black TV
Scandal Season Premiere Watch Party at BlogaliciousFIVE. 

Watching: After resisting for two seasons I’ve finally been sucked into the Scandal craze and am officially a part of the Gladiator Nation. I shouldn’t be surprised that I fell for this show as soon as I started watching the old episodes on BET. Shonda Rhimes won me over long ago with Grey’s Anatomy and I’ve had a girl crush on Kerry Washington for years. Initially, I chose not to watch the show because all anyone ever talked about was Olivia Pope’s affair with the President and as a married lady I couldn’t get on a board with a show that glorified adultery. But after watching I quickly realized that Olivia’s love affair with Fitz isn't actually the center of he show’s storyline. And -- though I’m probably the only Scandal fan on the planet that feels this way – I couldn’t care less if Olivia and Fitz end up together. I’m much more interested in how Olivia fixes PR nightmares and how she can rock a white trench coat like nobody’s business. And besides, I’m Team Jake!

Listening to: As loyal readers know, my car radio is normally tuned to WBHM 90.3 FM, Birmingham’s NPR station. But I still make time for music occasionally. Lately, I’ve been listening to Solange’s EP True, Janelle Monae’s The Electric Lady, and Kendra Morris’ Banshee. If you don’t own these you need to change that immediately.

Planning: I’ve already planned all the See Jane Write events I want to have in 2014 and I’m currently working on the 2014 editorial calendar for See Jane Write Magazine.

Reading: Sexy Feminism: A Girl's Guide to Love, Success, and Style. I bought this book back in March and for months it’s been sitting on my bookshelf literally collecting dust. I finally started reading it and I’m in love. The book offers ways we modern feminists can practice feminist activism in our everyday lives and have fun along the way.

Looking forward to: Summer Break. Is it too early for me to say that?

Making me happy: If I’m really honest with myself, not much in my life is making me happy these days. Nearly every thing in my life is draining me dry. I need to make some life changes and I need to make them soon.

Thinking about: Margin. I have no margin in my life. Nearly every second of every day is filled with tasks: teaching, grading papers, working on freelance stories, blogging, running See Jane Write, leading a church small group, exercising, cooking, cleaning. And I have to make time to eat, shower and comb my hair – things I honestly sometimes struggle to find time for. On top of all of this, my family is going through a really rough time right now and I’m dealing with some health issues, issues that are only exacerbated by my stress level. Something has to give. But what? I love all of the things I do, fiercely. How can I choose?

A friend of mine whose life is pretty hectic these days said something to me recently that really struck me. When I asked how she was doing she rattled off all the things going on and I expected her to follow this laundry list with complaints about the chaos of her life, complaints I felt she'd be justified in voicing. But instead she said, quite happily, “My life is full.”

That’s the attitude that I want to have. When people ask how I’m doing I typically give a heavy sigh and say, “I’m OK, just really busy.” 

But I want my answer to be: “I’m wonderful! My life is full.”

Currently is a little feature Dani Hampton of Sometimes Sweet and several other bloggers I follow occasionally post on their sites. Currently is essentially a list of what you're into at the moment and is a great way for your readers to get to know you better. I realized last night I haven't done a Currently post in nearly a year. (Here's one from Dec. 14, 2011). So I figured I was long overdue for an update. And away we go...

Watching: Most of my friends know I don't watch a lot of TV. When my husband's out of town I can go days without even turning the thing on. Furthermore, even though I'm African American for years I couldn't tell you what channel BET (Black Entertainment Television) was on. That all changed with the premiere of Don't Sleep hosted by T.J. Holmes. When Holmes left his job at CNN to head over to BET most folks thought he was crazy. And I must admit his decision left me scratching my head too. But Holmes knew what he was doing. Don't Sleep is the late night news show I've been waiting for. Think The Daily Show, but a bit more serious and focused on black issues.  Because of T.J. Holmes and Don't Sleep I'm running to the remote every weeknight at 10 p.m. to turn to BET. Wow, I never thought I'd type those words.

Listening to: I'm not sure if it was because of the 2012 presidential campaign, but I've been quite the news junkie lately. Not only do I stay up late to watch Don't Sleep, but I've traded in listening to my favorite CDs (yes, I still own those) for listening to my local NPR station, WBHM, on the regular. But I love WBHM not only for the news updates but for all the compelling stories. As a writer, you know I'm a sucker for good storytelling.

Planning: I know it's only November but I'm already making plans for 2013, especially for See Jane Write. There is so much I want to do next year including organize a panel discussion on blogging and the future of community journalism, a social media seminar and a memoir writing workshop. I'd also like See Jane Write to partner with some other local literary groups. I want to start a See Jane Write book club and by the end of 2013 I hope to file the paperwork necessary for See Jane Write to officially become a non-profit organization.

Thinking about: My future as a blogger has been on my mind a lot lately. I've decided that after #bloglikecrazy I'm going to focus on working to establish myself as a feminist blogger.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving Weekend. I'm looking forward to food, family, and fun. The writer in me is looking forward to time off so I'll have more free hours to blog. And the Alabama fan in me can't wait for the Iron Bowl. Roll Tide!

Reading: How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran has been sitting by my bed for months collecting dust. I started reading it weeks ago, but then got so busy with freelance gigs I abandoned this hilarious memoir. I'm determined to finish this book soon. Also, these days I'm reading all the thought-provoking blog posts being written by all the folks who decided to #bloglikecrazy with me this month.

Making me happy: This month's #bloglikecrazy project has me giddy. Sure, blogging daily and sending out writing prompts to the participating bloggers is a lot of work, but it's worth it. In just one week I've seen women bloggers, of Birmingham in particular, connecting like never before and inspiring one another in the process. Blogging is a beautiful thing!