It took me some time to love LA, but I do now. Issa is a LA native, but also spent time in her father's native Senegal. I greatly enjoy her episode on Antoni Porowski's show NO TASTE LIKE HOME. In fact, the entire series is great, but I digress.

Issa thought she had to move to NY to be a creative, but there are many creatives here. I love that she reads these. Her voice has the perfect cadence. Earth signs, you know.

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories

I’ve been a fan of Issa Rae for several years, and she definitely shines in her writing. Listening to this as an audiobook felt like being on a phone call with a friend. She tells her stories in ways that feel relatable, and prove to be authentic.

This one in particular really resonated with me. I have always been a creative person, and always wanted to work in entertainment. I moved from city to city chasing creativity and the freedom I thought I would get in each place, so sure that the location would end up being the key.

These are super quick reads, and the entire collection as a whole is enjoyable. Issa does a fantastic job as a narrator, and the stories have humor while maintaining a strong lesson.

Thank you NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing and Amazon Original Stories for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dream, create and believe!!!
I like the idea of finding your creative home. It's something so grounding and necessary to keep your creativity authentic to yourself.

This one was my least favorite because I felt that there was potential for more stories to tell here. It felt a bit too short out of the bunch. But it was still inspiring nonetheless.

Issa did an amazing job of narrating this book as well. I really love how I'm learning a new message in each one of her books so far. She has a unique style of storytelling which I have now growing fond of. I am really enjoying reading these books.

In this one Issa talks about how she was trying to find the perfect town to settle into that will help her craft and inspire her work, but at the end she learns that it's not just the place, it's the people around you that actually helps and lift you into your craft.

I've been a fan of Issa Rae for years, my first introduction to her was the show Insecure and she carries that same comedic upbeat energy into this collection of essays. Her reflections are inspiring.

Listening to the audiobook (narrated by Issa herself) felt like yapping with a friend—funny, thoughtful, and candid.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Brilliance Audio, and Issa Rae for the ALC!

I’ve loved Issa Rae since Insecure, so of course I had to read this and it did not disappoint. This felt like catching up with a brutally honest, hilarious friend who’s made it to the top but still has questions, doubts, and a messy group chat.

The essays are smart, funny, and full of that signature Issa awkward-Black-girl charm. She talks about navigating Hollywood, protecting her peace, and staying true to her vision without ever pretending to have it all figured out. And I love that. It’s successful Black woman energy without the performative perfection.

Having followed Issa's career for quite some time, I absolutely loved this! I love that it was narrated by Issa herself and definitely recommend checking out these short stories/audiobooks. It makes a great road trip listen!

"There's creativity to be found in brokeness." Having read her memoir, I didn't get much new out of this. Enjoyed it though.