The last six years of my life have been an awakening, and the synchronicity in these years have propelled me forward to the here and now. An empowering here where my truth is my power, and where I yearn to share all that I’ve learned and continue to learn from connecting with others. In this Earthly womb where dreams and possibilities flirt, we become hyper aware of our collective power. Aware of the cosmic and global consequences of our actions, aware that our suffering is not our own, and aware that an individual has power, but that individual voices reverberate much more profoundly en masse. These are lessons, that the last six years have taught me, but I did not come to these conclusions on my own. I owe this awareness to the pure and transformative power of friendship.
Today on MyXXFLY, we celebrate the sacred hermandad, the brother and sisterhood of man that only a word like hermandad can fully encapsulate. Joining us? My sisters in the struggle: O.G. MyXXFLY warrior motherfucking goddesses, Linda and Ophelia.
Navigating their respective worlds with unwavering strength, Linda and Ophelia are unquestionably two of the baddest bitches I know. These confident and fearless women have shared their lives and stories with me, have helped me find my voice by raising their own, and inspire me constantly with their resilience. I owe my connection to the divine feminine, to women like them. The sisters who build in the wake of destruction and heal the wounds of the Earth and of man with their love and camaraderie. And nah, this ain’t hyperbole, it is an ode to the unseen struggles and emotional labor of women, who despite our own woes still find the time to support one another.
On this day in Hollywood Florida, MyXXFLY was invited to an event. Now, we’re pretty low-key over here in this anti-capitalist, hippie-commune corner of the internet. Our brand is built on the foundation of community over consumerism and so being invited to something we could get behind was pretty damn special. The event was the grand-opening of Hollywood’s Buffalo Exchange. Now, if you’ve never heard of Buffalo Exchange, it’s a consignment shop that started in Tucson, Arizona over forty years ago. There, you can sell your fly used clothing for cash, trade it for equivalent store credit, or simply stop in and buy second-hand. This grass-roots effort now spans the entire United States and spreads the good word of eco-fashion and sustainability one city at a time.
As you might have imagined, this was right up our alley. The inception of this blog came but a few months after my now late uncle urged me to quit my job and live my dreams. While I’ve yet to fully dive into the deep end, MyXXFLY is my own attempt to break out of the machine and make a life by championing “another way”; another way to live, another way to think, another way to feel about ourselves and the world around us.
As I saw (and continue to see) close friends and family struggle as I did, to barely make rent without respite from the exhaustion of work. To fight at conquering addictions and bad habits that served as band-aids for the frustrations of our day to day lives. To find moments of fleeting happiness amid the difficulties of living in a machine that functions by swallowing us in debt. I saw how the very foundations of our society are built on our unhappiness. Capital over compassion is king, and our lives are spent in constant avoidance of woes rather than in pursuit of happiness, and so I was determined to find “another way”. So what is this other way? It’s simple, and it stares us right in the face though we often overlook it. The “other way” is to find strength in each other.
Over the course of the last sixteen months my partner in crime Frank and I have produced quality content week after week, and our efforts would not have been possible without the help of our friends. Friends who engage with us in discourse, who are fellow champions of art and community, and who’ve made us see that there is always an alternative to the reality we take for granted. In this time, I’ve grown as a writer, artist, and woman, and have found the courage to pursue my dreams while decolonizing not only my wardrobe, but my lifestyle in general.
Sharing, educating, and connecting on a human level with friends and strangers alike is the most revitalizing medicine for our suffering. In serving others we are able live our best lives, because our efforts to empower each other ultimately empower us as well. So today, I ask la hermandad to empower and be empowered.
Because you see, every personal and political battle ahead of us intersects. The clothes we wear, the foods we eat, the way we spend our time and resources. There are both immediate and long-term consequences to everything we do, and these are as far reaching as the other side of our little blue dot. It is our responsibility as residents of the same planet to be conscious of our impact not only on the planet itself but on each other. By recognizing the points at which hermandad and politics intersect, we can begin to dismantle the system that keeps us unfulfilled, overworked, exploited, forgotten, or worse yet, surrounded by things that are meant to make us happy, without ever truly feeling joy. And so today, we ask for your support. If you find value in what we do, if you look forward to our blog posts, interact with us on social media, or simply call us friends, we hope you will consider becoming patrons of MyXXFLY.
To become part of MyXXFam commit to a pledge of $1 a month or more on our Patreon page. Our goal is to connect with your causes and help you unlock your own potential, while we work to live our own. Each Patreon tier will help us connect more closely with each and everyone of you, and ultimately take this show on the road full-time so that we may share your stories of power and resistance, highlight your alternative lifestyles, and to do so while decking you out in ethical double-x flyness. Not into that long-term commitment just yet? Stock your closet with a few choice pieces from our inventory of curated thrift duds at myxxfly.com/shop , or tell your homies where to find us. Can’t spare a square? Not even a single ply? Well then show us some social media love, share you favorite blog posts, and hit us up with your questions and comments. As we hustle on the other side of your digital screens, join la hermandad by following the journey on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook @myxxfly.
My friends have taught me that there is strength in unity and I’ve always believed in the power of love to transform. On this day my homies showed up and gave me the support I needed to believe in myself and my vision, and not just the homies you see pictured front and center. The ones that were slightly off-camera, the ones that couldn’t make it, the ones that are no longer with us and who silently encourage just outside the scope of vision, the cheerleaders and leaders who brainstorm and collaborate, and support us by simply being our friends. Teamwork makes the dream work, and I most definitely would not have been able to push past my own fears and doubts without la hermandad in my corner. Until next time, dream big, create your best life, and keep your double-x fly.
