If you've followed me on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram over the past few months, or if you know me in person, you'll likely be aware that I've been nominated for a Best Blogger Award at next month's Black Canadians Awards. Well, the day has come for finals voting to commence, and I need your help!
The Black Canadian Awards are hosted by Canada's Diversity Advancement Network, and aim to showcase success stories and range of achievements across the Black Canadian community. March 1st is the big night - the awards will take place inside Toronto's gorgeous Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and I'm so excited! Please make sure you visit the site to get more details and to purchase your tickets to the awards!
Being nominated for this award back in the summer was HUGE. After starting this blog in 2011 as a personal outlet, it's continued to grow and surprise me in ways I could never imagine. In the beginning, I looked at '83 To Infinity as a way to indulge my love of writing and shift the trajectory of my mind after I came home from work. Unlike my previous blogs, I decided to actively share this one with friends and family, never once figuring that people would pay much attention to my random musings about things like natural hair and newlywed life. Looking back, what's the biggest lesson that '83 To Infinity has taught me? That I have a terrible habit of underestimating myself. Little by little, my self-deprecating practices of second-guessing myself, playing small, and selling myself short have started to chip away - now I'm ready to step out of my shell and go for what's mine!
So, why should you vote for me? I'm up against some stiff competition, but here's why I'm claiming the Best Blogger Award as mine:
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Sharing my journey through treatment for a pre-cancerous cervical lesion encouraged other women to share their stories, AND make their own healthcare a priority.
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'83 To Infinity gave me an avenue to express my grief after losing a family member to cancer, and helped others to heal as well.
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If I ever forget a detail about my proposal story (HomieLuva knows me so well!), I have this post to remind me.
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This piece on Trayvon Martin got me into some trouble when it was published - but was an important turning point for me in really dedicating myself to this craft of blogging and writing.
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After struggling with finding the perfect wash n' go technique, I finally did! I revisit this post often, and love that my posts on natural hair have resonated so well with readers.
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I make an effort to support and highlight people and small businesses that are doing amazing things - and love when people find something they didn't even know they were looking for on my blog!
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'83 To Infinity enabled me to work with the Caribbean Tales Film Festival, who became my first social media client and unwittingly helped me to launch a side business in social media consulting.
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I've been able to interview some incredible people, like the incomparable John Carlos - American Olympian and activist.
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I'm the girl with 2 left hands when it comes to braiding and twisting with extensions - but this post proves that I can whip up some lovely Marley twists, and encouraged a lot of other women to try for themselves too!
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Blogging pushed me to put on my own event! I downplayed my expectations to prepare for NO ONE coming - and we packed the place UP.
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Want to know what's going on in the city? Due to proximity and reader demographic, I make a habit of sharing dope events happening in the Toronto and NYC area.
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I used my blog as a space to clap back at racist mayors in Ontario, and got my first feature in mainstream media because of it.
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Being honest about relationships. I be about it, so I talk about it.
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I got to introduce the world to my newest creation, my Little Magician.
Bonus? Blogging has gotten me speaking engagements at conferences, TV features, interviews, event hosting gigs, freelance writing opportunities, and more - and has enabled me to embrace my passions and make some coin on the side. It hasn't been easy, but it's been a blessing.
It may sound odd, but I can truly say that '83 To Infinity has changed my life. I've embraced a new level of transparency in my writing, and have worked hard to grow in my skill as a writer. I've been able to dedicate myself to a project that (until recently) had no real monetary reward - I've been doing it for the love for over 2 years. I've stretched myself beyond what I thought I was capable of - working on my public speaking fears and trying new things like video interviews and TV spots. And now, I'm on the threshold of stepping into official entrepreneurship - all because of this blog.
I'm also incredibly touched when people take the time to share my pieces, constructively critique, comment, and let me know one way or another that something I've written has resonated with them. With such an influx of bloggers in the blogosphere, I almost talked myself out of starting '83 To Infinity - what would make THIS any different from the millions of other blogs out there? Those moments when readers show their support make me so glad I pushed past that defeatist thinking.
So - let's get down to business! Please visit the Black Canadian Awards nominee site and scroll down to the Best Blogger category. Click VOTE, select Best Blogger, and enter Bee Quammie as your favourite to win! Your email address will be required for validation, but no spamming after the fact should occur. You can vote 2x per day per email address, so use 'em all! You can also share your support by clicking the Twitter bird to tweet the following (right click to open in new page):
I can't say enough how much I appreciate the support you all give me on a regular basis - winning this award will be icing on the affirmation cake (and I'll get to put mine on the mantle beside HomieLuva's), but win or lose, I'll still keep rolling on this fun and challenging ride. Thank you!