Laquesha Bailey
Bio
22 years old literally, about 87 at heart. I write about self care, university life, money, music, books and whatever else that piques my interest.
@laqueshabailey
Stories (57/0)
Why I'm Breaking Up With My Vocal 'Stats' Page
Short answer: It was driving me crazy. Long answer: It's a bit more complicated. I have suffered from mild anxiety for as long as I can remember, particularly when confronted with new and unknown situations. My palms get sweaty, my heart starts racing and my mind goes into hyper mode, turning over the finest detail of every circumstance to the point that even if it was initially positive, it appears sucky. Always one for self-awareness, I've drummed up some strategies to combat this over my 22 years of life. I go to bed really early. Phone's off by 8PM. I don't check emails until after I've gone through the motions of meditating, preparing breakfast for myself and washing my face in the morning. I journal. I do yoga. I've deleted Reddit and limit the amount of time I spend on social media. As far as coping mechanisms go, these actions have helped me to manage (if not totally cure) my anxiety in the past.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Longevity
- Top Story - February 2021
Quintessential Black TV - 12 TV Shows That Defined My ChildhoodTop Story - February 2021
It's February, the shortest and coldest month of the year and also coincidentally, Black History Month! I grew up in the Caribbean and not the US so we didn't really observe Black History Month. Black History in my country encompasses and informs most parts of our cultural experiences (food, religion, festivals etc.) so I imagine the powers that be decided an entire month would be redundant. As an adult currently living in Canada, I've come to appreciate February as an important opportunity for learning, celebration and discovery of the significant contributions of the black population to the history and cultural vitality of the country.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Geeks
Fate: The Winx Saga - A Tale of Racial Erasure, Wingless Fairies and Burned Monsters
Winx Club defined my childhood. Everyday after school, I would allow myself to be whisked away into the land of fairies, magic and friendship. For those of you who have no idea what Winx Club even is, it was a Nickelodeon (originally Italian) animated series that centered around a group of friends attending a magical boarding school named Alfea. The show's main protagonist, Bloom, is a fairy who grew up among humans and had no idea that fairies even existed let alone that she was one. She then attends Alfea and begins to learn more about her past, forms a group of friends and together they do really cool fairy things like transform and fight witches. This show was fire. Well, the orginal version was.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Geeks
My First 30 Days on Vocal - I Earned $545
Discovering Vocal was like finding out about an unplanned pregnancy. I'm sorry, I couldn't think of a better analogy for a "happy surprise". Are people typically excited about unplanned pregnancies? I guess it depends. I definitely meant it in a happy, over-the-moon kind of way though. My first article was published on Vocal on 28th December, 2020. I discovered the platform through a targeted Facebook Ad. I typically ignore Facebook Ads because I think our phones are always listening to us and that's creepy as hell. The very same day, I had been on the phone with a friend from back home and explaining that it'd be a dream to earn money for my writing. A fews hours later, I pop open the Facebook app and what do I see but "Earn Money Writing on Vocal." I clicked on it and one month later, here we are. I thought that it would be fun to look back at this past month and reflect on what I've written thus far, my experiences on the platform and yes, because I clickbaited the title, how much money I've earned. Full disclosure: this review is actually going to be a month and some change. Because I started posting at the end of December 2020, it made logistical sense to just lump those few extra days in with the entirety of January.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Journal
- Top Story - February 2021
How Twilight Inspired My Love for Terrible TV Top Story - February 2021
Twilight is a staple of my teenage years. I still remember when I was first introduced to the franchise after seeing the second movie, New Moon, in theatres with two of my childhood best friends when I was ten years old. From then on, I was hooked. My mom bought me all the books that year for Christmas and I went into a repeated cycle of finishing the books and immediately beginning them again. I’ve probably read the series in its entirety 7 times and have watched the movies just as many times. I can still quote lines from the movies word for word.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Geeks
- Top Story - January 2021
Cracking the Code of Vocal Top Stories Top Story - January 2021
I’ve been on Vocal for about a month. Actually today on the 28th January as I'm writing this is the one month anniversary of the publication of my first post on Vocal. In that time, four of my stories have been featured as staff picks (with the redesign, this is now called Top Stories) which is just mindblowing and amazing to me.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Journal
- Top Story - January 2021
Code-Switching: On Having Two Linguistic PersonalitiesTop Story - January 2021
Code-switching, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "The action of shifting between two or more languages, or between dialects or registers of a language, within a discourse, especially in response to a change in social context". Growing up, I was always accused of "talking white". Spoiler alert, I am not white. I did, however, attend a somewhat prestigious secondary school and there's a pervasive trend in my country of mocking the accent of students from said school. We were posh, "hoity-toity" (their words, not mine) and we spoke with an accent that gave off an air of superiority.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Psyche
A Comprehensive Review of Meal Kit Delivery Service, HelloFresh
HelloFresh has been promoted so much lately by Youtubers and the algorithm. It's like the new Best Fiends. Or I guess, the new Raid: Shadow Legends to be more current. Do you remember when everyone and their momma was telling you to download that game? I typically bypass everything promoted by Youtubers for the simple fact that they're being paid to push it. I passed on Sugar Bear Hair, Skinny Tummy Tea, that Honey Browser Extension and even that Function of Beauty shampoo but for some reason, this intrigued me.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Feast
I Created a Facebook Ad for My Flopped Story
I discovered Vocal through a Facebook Ad on December 27th, 2020 and immediately began work on my very first story. The next day, I published my first article on Vocal. This story was entitled "4 Practical Ways to Optimize Social Media Use for a Happier Life". It detailed all the little strategies I use to more effectively manage my online life and ensure that it has a less pejorative effect on my mental health. Anxious excitement swelled in my chest and my heart fluttered erratically as I clicked that "Submit for Review" button and waited.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in 01
Let People Dress Raggedy
I grew up in a low income household so my idea of “good fashion” has always been whatever the hell I can afford to wear. I didn’t do expensive, brand names, fancy jewelry or designer handbags. Thankfully, I also lived in a place where school uniforms are the norm and there was no mounting pressure to wear the latest trends to impress your friends on the way to Physics class. Everyone dressed the same. For this reason, the idea of shifting fashion trends has always intrigued me. You know, each season dropping in, bringing a series of environmental changes but also a host of “new” and unique ideas about what’s en vogue. Maybe this time around it’s chunky sneakers, low rise jeans, chaps (yikes!) or corsets as tops.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Styled
- Top Story - January 2021
Tackling Zoom Anxiety - Public Speaking in a Virtual EnvironmentTop Story - January 2021
Public speaking has always terrified me. My heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest, my hands get all shaky and often, I devolve into a bout of rambling that I'm sure throws my intelligence level into question. I admire people who can stand in front of huge crowds and express themselves perfectly without succumbing to major foot-in-mouth syndrome. I'm just not one of those people.
By Laquesha Bailey3 years ago in Lifehack