Has this thought ever crossed your mind?

“I’m not interesting enough.”

“My life is boring.”

“I don’t have a story to tell.”

I’ve heard this from so many people who want to tell their stories online, but it’s just not true.

Your story is interesting, and it matters.

You’re probably struggling with shifting your perspective - and I’ve got just the thing for that.

The Tryna Be Somebody Video Podcast is where I interview mostly people of color about their creative careers.

One of my favorite episodes features Mark Menjívar. He’s an artist and tenured professor based in San Antonio, Texas.

Listen on Spotify

Watch on YouTube

At the beginning of the podcast, he walks me (and the audience) through an exercise that helps you uncover hidden stories within your story. If you’re feeling stuck, give it a listen and let me know what you think. You can always reply to these emails.

Like me, Mark loves to weave narratives based on his lived experiences and culture(s). Though his artistic practice takes many forms, I consider him a multi-disciplined documentarian.

I hope that doing the exercise at the beginning of the episode will spur some new questions for you and allow you to spiral (in a good way) into more narratives and questions you haven't explored. Because...

I want to see more diverse stories told, and I see this little newsletter as a way to facilitate that.

If you decide to interview a family member after listening to Mark's episode. I've got some tips on the best way to do that.

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Earlier this year, I created this video documenting my three biggest tips for interviewing family members. I talk about building questions that avoid one-word answers, sitting in silence, and finally, the gear I NEVER use when conducting an interview. Happy Friday!

​By the way, I've launched my next group trip! In September 2025, we'll spend a week together in Crete, Greece. I've got 10 early bird spots available, and I'd love to have you join me. Earlier this year, I and 14 strangers went to Costa Rica and vibed—Greece will be more of the same.

Greece with Hallease

Endeavoring to persevere,

Hallease

1579 Monroe Drive NE, Suite F PMB 185, Atlanta, GA 30324
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