A smaller writer’s income for January, February, and March
In February and March of 2021, I’ve earned the most I’ve ever earned on Medium in my two years of writing here.
Despite this, as a writer with a smaller following, I’ve been a little freaked out by the many recent articles, videos, and social posts from big-name writers who have been telling us that Medium’s algorithm change is a big problem, and that stats are in the toilet.
I digested a lot of Medium doomsday stories from several popular writers and, at first, I was pretty stressed.
These are successful, experienced people whose content I enjoy. Writers I look…
It has its challenges — but our first time in a hot tub was a rousing success
Recently, my husband and I took a short weekend away to a secluded cabin in the woods. Hocking Hills is beautiful, especially at the start of spring. And while the area offers scenic trails leading to some insanely gorgeous natural formations, we actually didn’t leave the cabin the entire time.
It was a mixture of needing to catch up on sleep, and also feeling so relaxed with the fireplace, the view, and the wine. Staying in was downright hypnotic, so we unapologetically did what we wanted.
We’re all going a little stir-crazy at this point
It’s been one wild and crazy night for a group of monkeys, who are still on the loose in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Reported sightings began trickling into the police department at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7. Thursday morning, police confirmed that five monkeys are indeed out and about on the Queen City’s West Side, including some that were spotted swinging from the trees at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery at West Eight Street and Enright Avenue.
Police are working together with the Cincinnati Zoo in an effort to round up the adventurous primates, which were caught on video doing some monkey…
He put himself out there for me even when I couldn’t
I can’t say there was one specific goal when I started putting my thoughts and feelings out there for all the internet to see. When I dove headfirst into online writing over two years ago, my hopes were plentiful and far-reaching.
I wanted to express my creativity, connect with a community of readers and writers, improve my craft, and earn an income doing something I was passionate about.
I also wanted to be able to work through my emotions. For me, writing has always been good for my mental health.
But on top of all that, I wanted to share…
Innocent game for tweens, or demonic summoning? You be the judge.
Looking back on all the sleepovers of my childhood, I can remember a blur of fun and funny memories that shimmer in and out of focus.
Things like braiding my friend’s hair while watching our favorite movies. Gossiping about boys or breaking into impromptu fashion shows on a runway of sleeping bags. Talking about life all night long after we were supposed to be “sleeping.”
Then there’s that time-honored tradition of…you know…attempting to summon demons from the burning pyres of hell.
Just your good old-fashioned gal-pal fun!
Maybe I’m being dramatic, but we got up to some seriously dark stuff…
This stimulating sex toy brings the heat
My libido has been in a crazy low slump for a while now. We’re talking months of basically nothing going on down there.
Recently, I took a belated honeymoon trip with my hubby, and there was a bit of action there in the hot tub (story coming soon). But other than that, my sex drive has been cold.
Having sex only one time in more than two months isn’t our usual. We’ve definitely hit a wall, and lately, I’m feeling more like my hubby is my very chill roommate. …
We still think it’s normal for working women to do the bulk of the domestic work, even when they’re the main provider in the relationship
The pressure of being a mom, wife, and breadwinner is starting to get to me.
As women, we’ve fought and clawed for the opportunity to have children and careers. Hell, we’ve fought and clawed for the privilege of even being allowed to work — let alone the privilege of making more money than our spouses.
Not so long ago, women weren't allowed to have careers. We also, at one point, couldn’t vote. Or go to college. Or own property. Or even be in the garden alone without fear of being ruined. (Bridgerton fans, you know what I mean.)
We’ve come…
A look into self-love between the sexes
My 14-year-old son brought up the topic of masturbation to me the other day.
Proud momma over here!
Some parents might think this would be an incredibly awkward and uncomfortable conversation, especially for the kid. But I’ve always encouraged my son to talk about anything he wants or needs without fear of being judged. And he’s felt comfortable enough to — sometimes — take me up on that offer.
He’d heard somewhere — I think on a YouTube video — that masturbation has a lot of health benefits — for men.
Just so you have an idea, all of his…
Finding the words to describe my unraveling
Do you know what a panic attack feels like? If you’re lucky enough to be able to answer “no” to that question, let me walk you through what it feels like for me — someone who has dealt with them since she was 12 years old.
Your heart starts doing funny, alarming things. It speeds up, or skips beats, or feels like it’s doing flip-flops. It might pound so hard and so fast that you’re convinced it’s either going to explode or just short out and stop.
Your ability to breathe normally is suddenly gone. You wonder if you’re having…
Having a good sense of humor is the best health hack yet.
“Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.”
— John Cleese
The spread of misinformation and the popular rise of conspiracy theories on the internet is tearing some families apart.
I know this to be true because I’ve seen it firsthand. Like many, I have personal experience with political division when it comes to my family and even my husband. Toward the end of last year, I wrote about what was probably the worst Thanksgiving I’ve…
Holly Bradshaw
Curious creature, pursuer of passion, unbeliever in limiting or lengthy bios. Email me at hollybradshaw.writer@gmail.com.
