Real Talk: Look, Y’all… I Am Tired ASF. (And No, a Bath Won't Fix It)

Let’s keep it 100. Social media loves to show the cute, curated side of being a creative entrepreneur, a mom, and a maker. You see the clean aesthetic, the organized spaces, the completed projects, and the "rise and grind" captions.

But behind the screen? Today, your girl is tired. Not just "I need a good night’s sleep" tired. I am *tired as fuck*. In so many ways.

What I Don’t Mention: The Reality of Hurt

There’s a major part of my reality that I don't usually put out there, but we are keeping it real today. I live with fibromyalgia. And the truth is? I hurt. Bad. Most days.

People look at you and think you're fine because you don’t "look" sick, but beneath the surface, my body feels like it's trapped in a pressure cooker. Fibromyalgia is a bone-deep, relentless ache that takes a massive physical toll. It turns simple daily movements into a whole marathon. On the worst days, just waking up feels like my body has been through combat, and every single muscle is screaming.

Trying to create, trying to operate machinery, or even just trying to stand up straight when your nervous system is amplifying pain at a volume of 10 is an exhausting, invisible battle. You spend half your energy just masking the pain so nobody else gets uncomfortable.

The Chaos at Home (And the Parenting Limbo)

When you're already in physical pain, the mental and emotional load hits completely different. Right now, momming is a competitive sport and I am running out of breath. My ten-year-old is currently in a phase where she thinks she’s a mad scientist-meets-beauty-influencer, which apparently means destroying every piece of makeup, nail polish, and lotion she can find to make "potions."

But it’s not just the mess—it’s the behavior that has me completely stuck. She will literally beg for these nice things, turn around and destroy them, and then lie right to my face about it. And honestly? I am at a total loss. I don’t even know how to discipline her anymore. Gentle talks don't work. Taking her things away doesn't work. I’m stuck in this exhausting guessing game of trying to figure out if this is just standard 10-year-old attitude, or if it’s autism and she genuinely processes things differently. Not knowing how to reach your own kid or fix the behavior makes you feel so helpless.

Combine that with a three-year-old who has enough energy to power a small city, and my house feels less like a home and more like a bounce house on fire. The sensory overload is real, the walls are practically vibrating, and when your body is already aching, that chaotic energy feels amplified. There is no clocking out.

The Local Scene and the Popularity Contest

Then you step out into the local vendor and maker scene looking for a community, but instead, you run right into another popularity contest. The lack of genuine support around town is wild. It feels like if you aren’t in the "in-crowd" or playing the local clique games, you're on the outside looking in.

But honestly? I had to realize that my market isn’t even here. My people—the ones who actually get my vibe, value my work, and buy what I’m selling—are elsewhere. I don't belong in a tiny local box anyway. That’s why I’ve been grinding so hard behind the scenes to reach further, push my brand out nationally, and connect with the audience that is actually meant for me. But building that bridge while fighting your own body and managing a chaotic household? It takes every single ounce of strength you’ve got.

The Myth of "Having It All"

Everyone wants to talk about the hustle, the side gigs, the main gigs, and the motherhood magic. But nobody talks about the days where you are just completely on empty. Where your creative tools are sitting there staring at you, but you don't even have the physical bandwidth to push a button, let alone be creative.

To every woman out there holding it down, dealing with chronic pain, destructive pre-teens, hyper toddlers, lack of local support, and trying to build your own empire on top of it: I see you.

It is okay to not be okay today. It is okay to admit that the load is heavy and your body hurts. We don't have to be resilient every damn second of the day. Sometimes, we just need to sit in the quiet (if we can find it) and admit that we are exhausted.

Love Always,

Your Favorite Craftin Ass Blk Grl ✨️🫶🏿