In this episode, I shout out my TikTok and Lemon8 accounts, as well as The FRESH Media Podcast. Recently, I’ve had some setbacks, but some life advancements. In my next article, I’m going to give you an update on the direction of my website. For now, here’s what you missed (in June)!

Finding My Creative Rhythm: A Mid-Year Check-In

As we move through the year, I've been reflecting on my productivity and creative journey, and I'm excited to share some updates with you.

This month, I focused on Black Music Month content for my Fresh Media Podcast. While I only managed a couple of episodes, I've learned valuable lessons about planning that I'm applying going forward. I'm already looking ahead to August, where I'll be featuring someone I met at the African-American Marketing Association's Marketing for the Culture Summit—she has an exciting event coming up that I can't wait to share.

Celebrating Juneteenth and Beyoncé

One of my highlights was creating two newsletter editions about Juneteenth events, helping people find ways to participate in this important celebration. But perhaps my biggest project was preparing for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour coming to town. I'm attending the show this Sunday, and I went all out creating my outfit.

The creative process became deeply personal. I upcycled a hat and transformed jean shorts into a skirt, but the centerpiece was a sash I designed with a Texas homecoming "mom"—a tradition that might be unfamiliar to those outside Texas. This project connected me to my high school days when I was on the drill team, and I even incorporated a button from my memory box from that time.

The inspiration came from Cowboy Carter's themes of reflection and "coming home," which reminded me of homecoming and gave me the chance to create the mum I never had in high school. I documented the entire four-part process on TikTok (@ziggiefresh16), and the response from followers has been incredible.

Crafting Through Challenges

This project served a deeper purpose beyond concert preparation. As someone who processes emotions through crafting, this elaborate undertaking helped me work through the grief of losing my dog. The creative outlet provided exactly what I needed during a difficult time.

I'm calling myself the "lavender cowgirl" for the concert, staying true to my love of purple while prioritizing comfort—because anyone who's been to a Beyoncé show knows it's a party, and comfortable feet are essential.

Moving Forward

While I haven't been as consistent with my morning book reading goals, I've maintained a steady TikTok posting schedule and established a better wake-up routine. Balancing a full-time job means my energy fluctuates, but I'm finding my rhythm and feeling genuinely proud of my consistency.

The summer ahead looks promising, and I'm excited about the creative momentum I'm building.

I did want to update y'all with something exciting because the whole purpose of this podcast, exclusively on Substack, is so that I can be more consistent, right? And I think I'm getting there. So I've been working with my nutritionist to establish a good, healthy routine. She's my nutritionist, but she's also helping me because everything impacts how you eat, like getting enough rest and having a routine so you can eat on time and all those things, right? And then she's also helping me to change my mindset around, like, feeling FOMO if I went to sleep early or didn't have enough time for myself. But I feel like when I habit stack, that is when things click. (My morning routine is shown at zondra.substack.com.)

Y'all. I got to interview Blaze x Black, a creative duo making their mark on the Houston music scene. Take a look at my interview at freshmediablog.com.

With all of the chaos that social media brings nowadays, Substack is a cozy haven. I’m loving the juicy stories and thought-provoking commentary on here so much. People can write, uninhibited, about their theories, their thoughts, and their action plans on how to get to their next level in life.

I appreciate every post and every note from writers on here. A personal joy of mine is learning more about how people think and also, what makes them FEEL. What things in life and in our society are affecting people the most? A lot of that is answered on here. So, yes. This is indeed a Substack appreciation post and nothing more.

This platform has re-energized my love for creating and also my love for writing. That being said, I have started a third newsletter on here called The Creole Compass. I look forward to sharing my personal stories about journeying through my childhood as a navy kid and learning about the various cultures around me. My past and heritage has truly shaped who I am today and why I always aim to spread more love and light into the world. Stay tuned, because I’m just getting warmed up!

Ok, so I actually was super excited after making this podcast episode using AI…then I realized that only the first episode was free! They got me, though. Hook, line, and sink her. (Whatever that phrase is lol.) It actually starts at $29/month if you want to keep going and make more episodes–I’m still thinking about it, though. Listen below :)

This episode celebrates Katherine Dunham’s journey from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to global prominence as a cultural pioneer. Her innovative Dunham Technique, blending Afro-Caribbean movement with ballet, transformed dance, while her activism, including works like Southland, broke barriers in performance spaces. We also explore her enduring influence on modern dancers and activists.

Fav AI tools (affiliate links):

veed.io: ⁠https://veed.cello.so/xrX0YvkF0qq⁠

canva.com: ⁠https://www.canva.com/join/kfq-cnk-dcl⁠

jellypod.ai (used for this podcast): ⁠https://jellypod.ai/?invite=_9lHmGnS⁠⁠

FOLLOW ME:

Website: ⁠https://www.freshmediablog.com/⁠

Substack: ⁠https://freshmedianews.substack.com/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/freshmediablog/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/freshmediablog/⁠

Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.net/@freshmediablog⁠

Pinterest: ⁠https://www.pinterest.com/freshmediablog/ ⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@ziggiefresh16⁠

BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/ziggiefresh.bsky.social ⁠

I’ve recently found new ai tools for me to create my newsletter in an easy-to-read format. I found that my old newsletter was simply…doing to much. I would add gifs and colors when all I really needed was a black and white background so that it could be more accessible and easier to read via email.

While I didn’t go into detail about the ai tools I used for my new template, I plan on explaining more in my next podcast episode. Stay tuned!

So, hear me out.

When I first opened this email (bits of it shown above), I was super excited to see how they used the chosen colors. Then, I saw that they labeled Muni Long as a rising star…but she’s been an artist for several years and a songwriter for even longer…?

Anywho, the design is dope and has a psychedelic feel to it. Perhaps this is the style I’m leaning towards for my website update.

Listen to the audio for more of my thoughts on their email.

Transcript (edited for flow):

Hello, my subscribers.

Thank you to everyone who is following along, which I have two new subscribers and it's wonderful to feel like somebody wants to check in on my progress.

So basically, what I've done this week is come up with different colors that I think I want for my new website–not new website–but the new version of my website to be.

I'm looking for something more muted. So, I'm also trying to create a new logo.

But I am having a difficult time because I do like the name of my website, freshmediablog.com.

But also...

I was just wondering if it's very youthful-looking and very colorful. I think I'm in a new phase of my life because I created the website 10 years ago. Now, I want it to be more of a platform to promote the podcast that I've been creating, and also for it to be a resource hub.

So, it's been my vision to create a resource hub for different artists and art spectators and to be the go-to spot for more information about Houston and the Texas arts and culture community.

I'll show you the colors I'm thinking of, but I'm also going to show you the different examples of websites that I've been looking at as far as, creating content for the website. Bree Pair from the Thrive podcast has an awesome website.

Like, what are these podcast episodes going to look like on the page?

The idea is that each podcast will have its own page so that I'll be able to include resources that I discuss in the podcast. Here’s what the Brown Ambition Podcast page looks like. When you search for different topics, a full list pops up. The tags for each page are perfectly organized.

Take a look at this post; you'll be able to see what I'm talking about and be able to visualize it.

But if you have any questions at all, feel free to comment below. And, you know, you can just tag me if you got a question.

I'll try to answer as soon as I can.

After 10 years of having a colorful and, sometimes, chaotic website, I’m thinking of redesigning freshmediablog.com. Take the poll below to help me decide on what to do aesthetically!

Menu items I am REMOVING from the blog include:

* Essays

* Reviews

* Sponsors

* Gift Guides

* Support

* Submit Your Event

* Advertise with Us

Comment below if you have any ideas on how to make this podcast more entertaining or helpful. It’s not my first rodeo, dipping my toe in the entrepreneurial waters, and this time, I want to utilize my word for the year: CONSISTENCY. I’m excited to grow my platform and also grow in confidence this year!