#injentrospect

[jenjeanpierre]

Being marketable was never why I started. Being true to myself and my passion for creating always has been. I post these pics because these are some of the most powerful images I have created. Me. Just me. You can read all about how they came to be in an equally powerful post I wrote a few years back. (Link in bio) I recently had a conversation with @vanavain who reminded me of the impact of this blog post. Brands didn’t check for me after it. I didn’t get featured on the lists of bloggers you should know. I was not invited to all sorts of fashion weeks but guess what did happen? I broke free. I let me shine through. Blogging in DC isn’t easy. This area was very saturated with the same type of look for so long. I tried it. I looked and felt like a fraud doing it. I wanted so badly to become successful and “seen” that I emulated what the successful ones on the area were doing. But that shows how small I was thinking. That proves how insecure I once was. This was evidence that I had no vision on what I wanted my community to me. Let’s be real... at that’s time I didn’t even know I had a community or wanted to build one. 🙌🏾Fast forward to now and I really am straight outta ducks (read the blog post to better understand this). These photos were fully executed by me and I am so proud of them. 🙌🏾As most of you know I have a HUNGER to content create full time. So I’m working my butt off to get there. But as I create content I have only ONE thing that is a non-negotiable— does this content make ME happy. I love you all- my audience and community but creating my art that accurately represents me is at the top of my list. So yeah, I may not be marketable but I’m me and my daughter will forever be proud of that legacy. Ending this long winded post with this: relatability and authenticity are the nee buzzwords that everyone strives for but if it’s a trend or strategy, is it still authentic? Will that strategy adjust again when a new way of posting comes to be the “it” thing? Thank you for my little #injentrospect moment. p.s. I was very moved by the show @thebigshotonmax and @bethennyfrankel. Didn’t know much about her but watching it, I’m impressed. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbYD5cNNHq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jenjeanpierre]

Wednesday night #braindump as inspired by @naturallyshauniece 🇭🇹 yesterday I was down about my professional career and today the Lord brought me two amazing new opportunities 🇭🇹 how can anyone not love @guinnessbreweryus 🇭🇹 I need to do a transition video tutorial cause I don’t think folks quite understand how to make it seamless 🇭🇹 I’m really really angry that Darnell is leaving All American. @davinchi why you do me so wrong 🇭🇹 should I give myself a valentines gift and get a new camera lens? 🇭🇹 what have I done so right in life where I am continually blessed? I’m really darn thankful. 🇭🇹 why is the world so darn messed up that Asians are dealing with hate? So fricken tired of the hate. It’s not that hard for us all to get along. 🇭🇹 I don’t think I will ever be strong enough to get Teagan out of our bed. I want it but is it cause I feel like it’s a necessity or because it’s what is best? 🇭🇹 I just realized that I’m #hypermobile, my hair is #highporosityhair and I am fast oxidizer. Ever drank with me? Man I feel the effects off the first few sips but then it goes away just as fast. This is in my head cause this @guinnessus I’m drinking sure has me all warm and fuzzy. 🇭🇹 hands down I have the best husband in the world 🇭🇹should I get an undercut? I feel like my hair is so boring right now. Need an edge. Something. Anything. Ugh! What are the cray cray things going through your head right now? #injentrospect https://www.instagram.com/p/CLIeMPbMmpx/?igshid=ceb379a49mlj

[jenjeanpierre]

Just got off a phone interview that truly made me excited. I have been a champion of normalizing diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry for almost a decade now and am honored to be able to speak on it at a national level. When I say “normalizing” diversity, I mean that using tokens or sprinkling of color or diversity doesn’t change the problem. Diversity and inclusivity are not “trendy”. It is not about checking off a box. It is about changing your mentality completely and it is about stepping out of your comfort zone. The problem has never been a lack of quality in POC content but a lack of research by brands. Our content is just as good and sometimes better than our counterparts but because beauty standards still lie with White and thin, we are always ignored and never booked. So to my fellow POC bloggers out there, I say this: while we all can continue to learn about quality content and we can learn the business of blogging, do not ever let these brands make you believe that the only reason you are not getting booked is because of your numbers or content. The problem lies with them and the industry as a whole. I will add though- do not use that as an excuse or a reason to get stale. Always level up and always produce the highest quality but authentic content that you can. Do it for yourself and do it for the community that you have grown in this digital universe. #injentrospect #jenindc ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Dress: @asos_us #asseenonme (link to purchase is in my stories) Shoes: @shoedazzle Bag: @fossil #fossilstyle Jacket: @hm #hmxme Location: @omansion https://www.instagram.com/p/Boe3T6sl0ad/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r9zigaup7mgh

[jenjeanpierre]

I have recently been posting more videos on #IGTV but they are not what you think. Because the #blogging industry has become so capitalistic and often only showing our perfectly curated lives, I want to bring the real real. My life is far from perfect. Not even close. The only perfect part to it right now is my family and husband. Other than that I struggle daily. I want you all to know ME, Jen Jean Pierre and not the JJP the Blogger and these videos are a great way to do that. I’m basically just recapping what I did for the day even if it was as mundane as grocery shopping with @jensplusone or as fun as being invited to an exclusive event. Even with my struggles, I make smiling a habit. Even if I fake the smile, eventually it will become a genuine one. So as we look at all these bloggers and influencers who are traveling, owning luxury merchandise, getting huge brand deals and envy/jealousy starts to consume us remember this: Are we seeing the full picture or are we being misdirected to see what they want us to see? I am choosing to show you the good, bad, and ugly because I, Jennifer Jean-Pierre can be good, bad, and downright ugly. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ p.s. trust me I’m one of the ones who looks at others social media and gets down. I mean real talk, we live paycheck to paycheck, I don’t make much money AT ALL at my job but I’ve got the golden handcuffs on, i don’t work consistently hard enough on the blog to get my numbers up, I’m 40 lbs heavier than I am used to but I cannot give up my sweets, as a black curvy blogger The love from@the industry is few and far, Jermaine and I can’t go on a honeymoon cause of reason number one but are bombarded with photos on social of everyone enjoying theirs, I’m in a constant state of worry about my mom because she is living alone far away and she has NEVER been alone ever in her life but with ALL OF THAT...... Still I smile. And will always smile because one of these days I won’t be able to smile, laugh, or enjoy any earthly pleasures. What I can do though is get discipline (to be talked about later) So who is smiling despite any life setbacks? #injentrospect #jenditorials #f21xme (at Prince George's County)

[jenjeanpierre]

I did the #bigchop and everyone told me it was a process. But of course I waved it off like yeah ok, no big deal. Cause cutting my hair wasn't a big deal. I've done it before and had not one issue. Until this time. This ish is HARD! When @alisa_cosmocrush first cut it, we left some of the relaxed ends towards the top so that I maintained some volume. But the other day I decided to cut them off because I didn't feel as if I had completed the journey with these straight ends that weighed my hair down. I wanted the whole experience so I started loppin off my hair. The more I cut the more anxiety I felt. I wasn't sure why. I looked in the mirror and shuddered. I didn't like the full face and flat hair looking back at me. While I still saw beauty, i was able to see more flaws than anything. Never did I before notice that I had a square head. I had always kept volume on the top to balance it all out. But with this one length, all of me was exposed. The thing with joining #teamnatural_, you are FORCED to look at yourself. You are forced to take it all in. Me, being the confident woman that I am, went into it too confident and dare I say, took a hubristic approach. I was the first girl to tell anyone else "it's just hair" and keep it moving. And now I'm lost and I'm scared. Why am I looking in the mirror over and over again hoping the reflection will change. Why am I asking for reassurance and validation from anyone who DMs me saying that it looks great from the posts on my Insta-stories. Why am I being the woman I worked years on bettering? Like everything, change is hard. I know I have to retrain my brain to see past my current hair length. The natural part isn't my challenge. It's the exposure of me that is tough. Like here is my face. There is no using bangs to accentuate my cheekbones. It's front and center and that's that. Although I have my sad moments, i do not regret this decision at all. I'm so happy I did it. I'm so happy for this journey. I just realized I didn't fully understand what the journey entailed. My insecurities are front and center and I'm choosing to embrace them rather than hide them. Illustration by: @tiffaniandersonillustration #InJentrospect (at Washington, District of Columbia)