“It often feels like a transformative experience to hear and connect with a song or artist that feels so particular and homely to your own experiences, one that describes and explores the experiences and emotions alike that you’ve felt.”

TikTok creators @daejahtalkstv and @momiscariot talk about the current cycle of the Choose Your Own Adventure screenwriting contest.

“However, you are you. You have every right to your identity and uninhibited joy, regardless of your experiences, because of your humanity. You, like everyone else, are allowed to have things. Whether that be joy, a painless life, or something else, you can and should have it — without guilt.”

“as far back as i can remember, my body has never truly felt like it belonged to me.”

“Art serving as a form of cathartic expression— of relinquishing or reconciling with certain pains you can’t ever truly articulate— is fundamental, and the art of people of color does this.”

Aimee Pham shares her experience of buying her first vibrator a few months into quarantine and her journey to finding solace in friendship and self-pleasure.

“I don’t think I’ll pay for this picture anyway. Where’s the fun when there’s no one to laugh with?”

An ode to Black identity, hair, and the beauty of both.

“No one is going to give you permission to grieve, and no one should. It is you, and only you, who holds that authority.”

“I love you, New York City souvenir shop, for trying to capture the essence of a land so grand so everyone can have a slice.”

“I was unhappy for most of my journey and found that trauma is not the main source of poetry, but it triggers motivation to explore the romantic and realistic sides of how I perceive life.”

“I guess what we were doing was paying attention. It’s both the most and the least that I can do.”

“My poetry holds a great sentiment to many parts of what I am: my egos, my emotions, my creative practice of expanding my voices in poems, and most importantly, my lifestyle .”

“Charm in life is everywhere. Hiding in the bathroom, under my pillows, or in my heart. The way to lead a fulfilling life starts with me and only me.”

You don’t need to know what you’re doing with your life. Yes, I know, everyone seems to have it all together except you. You’re not behind. Your life is not a game of catch-up with everyone you once knew. Hustle culture has made you believe you’re behind but the truth is you’re not.

“There’s something inherently missing from girlhood because boyhood possesses it, withholds it. It’s a zero-sum game and girls always lose.”

“Love is liberation. Our hearts are all muscles the size of a fist, and we must exercise it by practicing love and organizing for justice.”

“So, how do you deal with literally a millenia’s worth of pain? Some turn to humor, some turn to activism, some simply attempt to lead a happy, well-adjusted life.

I turned to punk-rock.”