Just Kacie Things

All my life, I've been drawn to journals, notebooks, blank paper of any kind! There’s something so invigorating to me about a blank page. Sometimes it feels like the most exciting thing in the world: wide open, full of potential, ready for me to pour every thought and dream into it. Other times, it feels like it’s staring back at me, daring me to be brilliant, to prove that I’m “good enough” to fill it. For a long time, I let that second feeling win. I’d buy pretty journals, open new Google Docs, even start projects with enthusiasm… only to stop when I felt like what I wrote wasn’t “good enough.” That blank page became less of an invitation and more of a test I thought I was failing. But lately, I’ve been trying to see it differently. That's kind of what this blog has become for me, in a way. A blank page is not a test. It’s a reset button. It’s proof that the past doesn’t get the final say and that every time I show up, I get a fresh start. When I remind myself of that, t...

So apparently I’m supposed to be “taking care of myself.” Drink water. Stretch. Meditate. Journal. Put cucumbers on my eyelids like I’m a salad. And don’t get me wrong — I want to be that person. The one who lights a candle, sinks into a bubble bath, and emerges glowing and renewed, like a soft-lit commercial for lavender. But in reality? Self-care feels less like relaxation and more like… homework. Homework that I don’t have the budget for. Because here’s the thing: I’m unemployed. Which means all those “treat yourself” versions of self-care — facials, fancy yoga classes, that $40 face mask that claims it’ll solve both rosacea  and my life problems — are not exactly happening. My current budget for wellness is whatever’s left after bills and minimal groceries. So when Instagram says “book a massage, you deserve it,” I’m like, okay, but can I pay for that massage in leftover rice and veggies? “Have you tried yoga?” Yes. On YouTube. In my living room. With a towel instead of...

I wanted to thank everyone for the love on my last post. I wanted to play around with varying formats for this blog and I had album makeups in my head when I was sitting there staring at the screen. I had such a wonderful reception here and on Bluesky and it made me happy to think others could relate. Thank you so very much. As I was sitting here today thinking about other ways I could write that weren't so "diary-entry," I came across a poem I wrote back in 2016. I have no idea what the premise was nor what mindset I was in. I just know I had left my five-year career with Disney and moved back home to Texas just two months before this was written. I don't remember writing any poetry outside of school, but I guess I did! Anyway, here's a silly little thing I wrote at age 28:  Fairy Stars She prances and glides along the leaves Her dust shimmering in the wake Placed carefully on their edges The leaves sparkle as they shake   Her smile lights up the forest A wonderf...