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I started Oh, Jolie! with the intention to do makeup videos and it morphed into being more about mental health, tips and tricks for getting shit done, and how to human. While I love watching makeup videos, there are an abundance of YouTubers doing that genre really well and I don’t have much to add to it beyond doing a random video here and there, but I do have a lot to say about creating your best version of a healthy life.
I have a lot more to say about how to human because my knowledge has been hard won through difficult learning experiences and a challenging set of traumas to overcome. I have struggled with depression (both general and postpartum), anxiety, diagnosed obsessive compulsive tendencies, and most recently attention deficit disorder. Now, my most recent diagnosis made it clear to me that, with appropriate treatment for the primary issue, I don’t think I really have an issue with depression beyond situational stuff that would depress anyone
Although my depression was related to struggling to adapt to what is considered normal behavioral modifications for work and life, I still spent years maintaining my life through a depressive state, thereby gaining some useful methods of continuing forward movement even when your brain refuses to cooperate with your life goals. Luckily, ADD is not exactly the intellectual disability people like to make it out to be, and my neuro-chemical inability to focus on things that bore me worked to my advantage, as a superpower of ADD/ADHD usually revolves around hyper-focus in what interests you. I spent an inordinate amount of time doing personal research on self-development, managing executive function disorders, and methods of dealing with depression that actually work.
I don’t care to be an expert in anything, as I tend to find that label makes people too comfortable to continue improving. What I want is to share what I’ve learned so far, what has worked for me, and hope that others can either learn from it or that it will spur them to search for their own solutions instead of giving up on themselves. If I could make everyone realize they are worth the effort of figuring out what makes them happy, what fuels them, and that they are beautiful and deserving of love and consideration, I would be the happiest person on earth.
apropos of nothing
favorites
My daughter, all animals ever, the smell of dirt, ramen, the ocean, gardening, hiking, well designed stuff regardless of purpose.
pet peeves
Repeating myself, people who complain a lot, messes, being interrupted, people who don’t pay attention to their surroundings
media
Horror movies, true crime stories, every single music genre, clever & low-key comedy, books that haunt you years later (“Never Let Me Go”), Steven Universe.
weird-isms
I have a made up language for my daughter and animals that includes such phrases as “Squablie Squoobs”, “fwog toe”, and “snicker snout.”
Gallery
Princess Keeta, aka Queenie aka Thicc Bitch, RIP 2020
Lindsey
Kaylynn
Kaylynn
Proof of previous career choice.
Lindsey
Snake cafe, Cheetoh and I.
Angela
Lindsey
Lindsey
Action Jackson, the snow bear, aka TIIIIINY BOOOYYYY.
Sadie aka Princess Squiggles
Kaylynn
Lindsey
Kaylynn
Lola and I when she was little.
Berteau, aka Little Man/Prince, in his castle. RIP 2021
what's the point?
community
I would love to foster a community of people focused on self-development, social awareness, kindness in action and thought, and desire to change the world. Humans are adorable little creatures with so much to offer others, but we are rarely pushed to be better versions of ourselves with the emphasis instead being on how to make more money, get more stuff, and succeed despite the suffering of other members of our world. Ideally, the community Oh, Jolie! fosters would be one that other humans would see as inspirational, if not to join, then to create their own world-changing, compassionate, and creative community.
acceptance
We have come a long way in accepting different neurological abilities as well as mental illnesses, but we are no where near where we need to be as a society. In my own small way, I would like to create a safe space for people to explore the hard parts of being human in our world. We often feel alone and different and it causes us to try to change ourselves without the core understanding of how we developed our issues over time. Without understanding and accepting how we came to be where we are, for better and worse, we can’t make positive changes in our lives. Everyone deserves that acceptance and tolerance in themselves.
development
You’re not always going to feel great about where you are in life, and that’s ok. Sometimes you’re just doing your best and your best isn’t aspirational. We live our lives thinking that if we aren’t Instagram inspiration, we aren’t doing well, but that’s an unrealistic metric for feeling good about your life. Say it with me, social media isn’t real. Are you working on your spirit? Are you giving back to your community? Are you actively looking at your programming and seeing what’s unhealthy, unrealistic, abusive, and lacking in compassion? Are you working to educate yourself on issues that aren’t familiar? That’s what I want to inspire.
passion projects
self-help
I have a passion for evidence-based self-help techniques that are accessible to all and easy to implement. I don’t believe there’s one “secret” to achieving your goals and I find the majority of touted methods to be inaccessible and rooted in logical fallacies that are inherently victim-blaming, classist or racist (and a lot of times, all of the above), and too “woo” for most folks. Self-help can take many forms, but at its core it should be easy to work with regardless of your socio-economic background.
design
There are many ways to design a space, product, or lifestyle that works best for the user and fits an aesthetic ideal. I’m obsessed with good design, regardless of whether I gravitate toward the aesthetic values of the item. There are many ways of being but there are always guidelines to creating the best outcome. I love playing with design and finding beauty in things to which I may or may not have an immediate affinity. I try not to define things as good or bad, but judge it on its ability to fully realize its potential.
entertainment
The best way to deliver a message is with the principals of entertainment in mind. I love creating humorous, vulnerable, and educational material and I don’t think this medium works without all three in tandem. You can learn from anyone you meet, but you’re more likely to receive the information they have to give if you’re truly kept captivated. There is a psychological component to creating media that sticks, and, even when I don’t fully succeed, I love the challenge.
