The [Thanksgiving] Birthday Post!


How fitting that my birthday this year shares a day with Thanksgiving. Today, I'm thankful for twenty-one years of life, for this online space for me to share my thoughts, for the best friends and family a girl could ask for, and a God who has made this all possible. Thanks for reading, dear ones. To follow my day, check out my Instagram. 

Share the love (and the gratitude),

Taylor

Getting There: Living A Life of Gratitude




Hi friends,

With Thanksgiving drawing ever closer, I thought a post on gratitude was needed. Thankfulness is a daily struggle of mine, mostly because I'm always looking ahead. This article is on the Flairist. Give it a read and tell me your thoughts.

Share the love,

Taylor

Musings: All By Myself



Last night, amidst procrastination and mild panic, I had a revelation: I don't ask for help because I'm afraid that people will let me down. It reveals itself in all kinds of situations like doing more than my share of work on a group assignment, not inviting people to my events face-to-face, not asking for last minute favors. And what does it result in? A feeling of isolation, this creeping fear that I don't have a friend I could call a three in the morning. The root of this whole ordeal is my own pride. I don't want people to see the messiness that exists inside of me. I don't want to have to deal with the aftermath of asking for help and being let down. And so I sit and wish that someone would see my struggle and come through for me.

Last night, amidst procrastination and mild panic, I asked for help, multiple times. And you know what? People came through, multiple times. How humbling and challenging. Humbling, because all I really needed to do was humble myself and ask. Challenging, because now that I know the joy of receiving aid, I want to find joy in sharing aid.

Just a little thought. I'd love to hear yours.

Share the love,

Taylor

Musings: Why I'm Tired of Being Black

I could very well have titled this post "Why I'm Tired of Being Labeled", but you may not have read that post. And really, "black" is the main label I have to deal with. I love my heritage, my history. This post is simply a way for me to say that I would like to be me.

And by be me, I mean being insanely cute like this picture from wayyyy back when
For whatever reason, I've talked about race so much this semester. I've explored my own thoughts and my own weaknesses. I've seen the prejudices that we all harbor and it scares me. I'm scared that the color of my skin makes people think that I'm some altered being and that they don't realize it.  I'm afraid to become a mother who will be unable to protect her children from these beliefs. My children will have to explain  that their skin is skin and yes, if it sits in the sun, it will darken. That their hair is just really curly hair. They can straighten it and wash it. It's hair. They'll have to deal with people who make racist jokes because they have black friends and "It's ok." I fear that my girls will wonder if every compliment is colored with "for a black girl" or that the compliments simply exist because they are some type of exotic being. I fear my boys getting in an accident and being shot because they asked the wrong person for help.

I'm tired of explaining that people are the way they are because of where they come. I'm tired of explaining or observing white privilege. I abhor the fact that white people are allowed to have idiosyncracies, to be distinctive people. While black people are assumed to have the exact same type of hair, to all be good at sports, to be poor, to be less than. I want to be a person without a qualifier.  I am weary of people me calling the names of other black women, as if we all look the same. That is laziness and lack of regard that people need to be convicted about. And it's not just white people. I hear black people say that all white people look the same and others saying all Asians look the same.

 Which brings me to my point,  we are people. We are people who God, the Creator of beauty, saw fit to make so that we could appreciate Him more. When I talk about race and prejudice, my heart is heavy in a way that it has never been before. My soul sings, "Come, Lord Jesus" because I know that is the only time that we will see complete restoration. I will spend eternity with the God who appreciates every curl on my head and who made my dark skin that still tans. And He will delight in each one of His children. And our eyes will be opened. We'll get it. We'll see Beauty.

That moment is a ways off, but it starts now. It starts by identifying our prejudices. I have some and I know you do too. It starts by seeing people as people, not skin colors. My name is Taylor Bryant. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. I like indie music and black and white movies. I eat far too much pasta. I'm soft-spoken. I wear my hair in an afro. I love taking pictures and editing them.  I have a killer sweet tooth. I am a woman. I am a person. I have my own beliefs, thoughts, and ideologies. And yes, I am black.

This post is meant to spark conversation. Let's chat.

Share the love,

Taylor

Semester Snapshots: Jasmine

My camera has been sitting on the shelf for about a month now. Then, my friend Jasmine asked me to take some headshots for her. I can't tell you how good it felt to have my camera back in my hands. Here are a few of my favorites of this gorgeous girl.






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Taylor


The Perfect Holiday Red Lip with BAStar



This is me at Halloween. I was an impromptu Chiquita Banana for $3 Chipotle. It all came together during a frenzied walk across campus. It's a funny story but the real story here is the BAStar Holiday Red Lip Pencil. I'm a sucker for a red lip but until now I've only had a glossy, summery red. This lip pencil is my winter time BFF. It's matte, dark, and mysterious. And it's made for performers so the color adds a lot of impact. This lip pencil is super affordable at only $8.75, but lucky for you, I have a 50% off
coupon code to share. You ready? BBLIPS. Go ahead and stock up! I'd love to see a picture of how you rock the Holiday Red Lips.

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Taylor

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Musings: Life and Death

Today, I feel refreshed.
It started on Sunday afternoon. My friend and I drank tea and talked about gossiping. No one likes a gossip. No one trusts a gossip. There's always that niggling thought that if someone could talk so badly about another person, then they more than likely have no problem speaking ill of you.

Yet gossip and judgement are so addicting. It's the easiest way to keep a conversation going with someone you don't know well. It's the lazy woman's way of "building friendship." Well, Sunday night my friend came up to me and suggest we stop talking about people behind their backs. (And by people, we mean friends and acquaintances. We'll work our way up to professors.)

It's been so refreshing. I can't tell you how, but my perspective on my life and the people in it has shifted in just a few days. Now, I haven't had people around mean start to gossip just yet, so I know there's a lot of growth and temptation to come. But for now, I'm enjoying a life that looks just a teensy bit more like my Savior's.

There's a reason why the Bible says the tongue has the power of life and death.

Today, I'm choosing life.

Share the love,

Taylor