The ‘Self Deprecating’ Gremlin:

13 Dec

B L A C K F R I D A Y I S O V E R H O N E Y

Damn. Why are the Gremlins selling themselves at a discount when they ARE LUXURY CREATURES?! BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD THEY ARE, THAT'S WHY. EUGH. And you know who benefits from you not knowing how good you are? THE PEOPLE GETTING YOU AT DISCOUNT! That’s who.

If only we could see our radiance how others do. “But Karimah, don't be so cynical. No one intentionally wants you to have low confidence and NOT see your beauty/gifts/ or talent”. Yes, Gremlin. They do.

The person you’re dating who isn’t good enough for you and you’re settling with—that's who. You know who else? The person you gave your work to for free because you were too shy to ask to be paid. Bingo. OH, AND ONE MORE. The person listening to your music who didn’t get to enjoy it properly because you kept apologizing before, during and after you shared it. That's who.

I could go on, but I won't because you get the point. Self-belief, belief in the inner Gremlin and how good you are, is your wild, right. THIS IS IT. NO MORE PUTTING YOURSELVES DOWN. BLACK FRIDAY IS OVER HONEY. YOU AIN'T ON SALE.

No more apologizing before you deliver and no more caveating afterwards. Self-deprecation only when done with intention, not as a shield for judgment but a tactic for charm. Gremlins. We are too good to dismiss ourselves before we let the world dismiss us.

“And you know who benefits from you not knowing how good you are? THE PEOPLE GETTING YOU AT DISCOUNT! That’s who.”

Musings

““The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.”

&

“If you’re going to hold someone down you’re going to have to hold on by the other end of the chain. You are confined by your own repression.””

— Toni Morrison

“She was great. He listened and was moved. And then she swallowed the last verse; rushing to finish the reading, she undelivered the last line. She apologised before he could praise her. She was great. She was a poet.”

The Rage Behind The Gremlin: A Story that Inspired This Newsletter

Eavesdropping in a cafe: “I’m not a poet. I just wrote this poem about my life,” she told the man interviewing her. She shyly dismissed her genius, prepping the man across her not to expect too much or overestimate her perspective. She apologised for not being a poet again. And then she started.

The poem is about how she lost her sight and went from being ‘abled’ to ‘disabled’, normal to ‘not’. Line by line, crippling verse after the next, she hit so many feels I had to give her attention. She spoke to something relatable and expressed her journey. Hell. She was a poet. She was a damn good one at that. Do you know why? Because she made him feel, and she did it with metaphor and a humble human cry, “Hey, listen to me’”. She was great. He listened and was moved. And then she swallowed the last verse; rushing to finish the reading, she undelivered the last line.

She apologised before he could praise her. She was great. She was a poet.

Now, why the hell did she swallow that last line like it was expired medicine? What was the point of knocking us off our feet only to apologise for the earthquake she caused? The inner Gremlin, that’s what. The one that insists on playing small and refuses to acknowledge the sheer brilliance that resides within.

We've all been there—downplaying our achievements, apologising for our greatness, and, most tragically, giving ourselves away at a discount because we're not entirely convinced of our value. It's time to stop the madness, Gremlins. The world is a harsh critic; we don't need to add our voices to the chorus of doubt.

So, what's the takeaway from this poetic Gremlin tale? Embrace your damn talent. Don't just dance with it; tango, salsa, waltz—do whatever it takes to revel in it. Let that inner Gremlin know that you're not here for the discount. You're here to take centre stage unapologetically, radiantly, and brilliantly.

Because, chica, you're not on sale. And if anyone wants a piece of your artistic brilliance, they will have to pay full price for the privilege. It's time to let your inner Gremlin shine as the luxury creature it truly is.