PinnedThe Problem With My Daughter As My Writing Muse“Will you be OK if I write this?” The thought had never occurred to me until recently. And as I had been thinking up my next piece, I turned to my daughter in the kitchen and asked her that question. She kinda laughed and half rolled her eyes. “Does it…Writing3 min read
Published in LEVEL·PinnedI Had To Let GoThe first time I let go, it felt like skydiving without a parachute; I thought I would spiral downward through the air and crash into the ground. …Writing2 min read
PinnedNo, I Don’t Need A BreakI’m almost there… I write and publish a blog every week. I edit at least five pieces a day from CRY Magazine, a publication I created. I run Love & Literature, another publication created by my business partner and me. I write daily, long-form content for RBC Ventures. My first…Writing2 min read
PinnedI’m Writing For My LifeI go days without air touching my skin. When I settle in front of my computer every morning, no light is shining through the windows. A glass of water and a cup of tea are my only companions. …Writing3 min read
Published in CRY Magazine·PinnedShe Said My Daughter Was A MistakeMy mother said don’t do it. “You’re just a child.” I heard that phrase more times than my mind can file. “You’re throwing away your future.” I heard that when we decided to keep our child. No baby showers. No gifts. No celebrations. My daughter was born into a world…Writing1 min read
Dec 21, 2021I’ve seen this before — Part 1I didn’t need to close my eyes to picture this. I knew. As surely as I’m writing this piece is as certain as I knew that I would be here. So when it took me six years to write my first book, I didn’t feel pressure. I had a lifetime…Writing1 min read
Nov 8, 2021I Am Not Following Your RulesMy mother left her three boys in Trinidad. I was four years old living in a house with my grandparents, two uncles and my aunt, who walked me to school every morning. My mother was in Canada preparing for us to arrive. Get a job. Keep that job. Paperwork. Find…Writing2 min read
Published in CRY Magazine·Oct 20, 2021I Don’t Want Her To Be AfraidFor my daughter. The first time I went out alone, I was sitting in my car outside the venue thinking of an excuse not to go in. The thought of walking in there without knowing anyone triggered anxiety I didn’t even know I had. “It’s OK, Kern. You can do…Parenting3 min read
Published in CRY Magazine·Oct 9, 2021Learn to f*cking writeApril 2007. That’s when I started writing the first draft of my first book. April 2014, 7 years later, that book was published. I didn’t plan to take six years to write my book and another year to self-publish it, but I wasn’t against taking that amount of time, either. …Writing6 min read
Oct 2, 2021I Fail Every DayEvery single day. Every morning I wake up, I drink a cup of water and think about what I want out of my day. Along with planning what I want to write, part of this morning projection is focused on what type of person I want to be. I think…Writing2 min read
