431 | Part 2: Reclaiming Joy in a World That Wants You Exhausted | Balancing Joy, Purpose, and Rest as a Black Creator with Taylor Cassidy

Summary

Affirmations for Black Girls – Episode 431, Part 2: Reclaiming Joy in a World That Wants You Exhausted

Balancing Joy, Purpose, and Rest as a Black Creator with Taylor Cassidy
Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Tyra The Creative
Guest: Taylor Cassidy

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and affirming Part 2 episode, Tyra The Creative welcomes back Taylor Cassidy, content creator and the mind behind the viral “Fast Black History” series. Building on the previous discussion (Part 1 covered boundaries and purposeful content), they dive into the challenges of creator burnout, the importance of joy as a form of resistance, how to balance purpose with rest, and actionable ways Black creators can protect their mental health in a world that often romanticizes exhaustion.

Tyra and Taylor vulnerably share personal stories around mental health, navigating creative pressure, and the critical role of community, hobbies, and intentional rest. The episode is packed with practical strategies, emotional wisdom, and a radical reimagining of what it means to thrive as a modern Black creator.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Protecting Mental Health as a Black Creator

[05:12–07:20] Pivoting Content for Self-Care

• Tyra asks Taylor if she's ever changed content to protect her own well-being.
• Taylor explains the necessity of sometimes focusing on lighter Black history topics instead of heavy, traumatic events, highlighting the concept of “Black fatigue.”

  Taylor: “There’s this phrase on TikTok right now called Black fatigue...it ain’t new to me.” (05:26)

• She talks about dealing with depression, anxiety, and letting herself seek out stories of Black joy and resilience for her own healing.

  Taylor: “On the other side of that is survival and is joy and is victory and resilience...and if you need a reminder of that, I think that’s what I do. I find the joy and I find the resilience until I feel strong enough...” (07:10)

[07:20–08:44] Tyra’s Story: Setting Boundaries with Traumatic Topics

• Tyra shares her experience creating a popular seven-part series on childhood trauma, explaining why she chose not to revisit the topic until she felt ready.

  Tyra: “I’m a very, very emotional creative, and when I get deep in my emotions it’s so taxing on my body to do anything. So I was like, I’m gonna wait on that.” (09:17)

2. Burnout: Recognizing Signs & The Importance of Rest

[10:09–15:10] Burnout Experiences and Lessons

• Taylor ties her journey to a chapter in her book (about Ida B. Wells), emphasizing the danger of pushing down emotions while trying to remain “on assignment.”

  Taylor: “I thought that if I said no to anything, it meant I was ungrateful...I just pushed down to the point where my physical health was really, really affected.” (11:27)

• Both Tyra and Taylor discuss physical and emotional symptoms of burnout: lack of motivation, increased anxiety, and physical exhaustion.
• Taylor shares how “The Artist’s Way” course helped reignite her creative spirit and encouraged her to focus on play and curiosity.

  Taylor: “Burnout happens whenever I’ve outgrown something and I’m forcing myself to continue doing it and I’m too scared to change it.” (14:24)

[15:10–19:29] The Role of Environment and Re-centering

• Tyra describes how returning home to Louisiana and reconnecting with her roots, nature, and family helps her recharge and avoid burnout.

  Tyra: “Living in the South will teach you how important a slow pace of life is.” (17:33)

• She underscores the need to notice bodily cues as early warning signs of stress.

3. Joy as Resistance: Finding Lightness in a Heavy World

[20:40–23:55] The Power of Joy and Hobbies

• Taylor calls joy a “survival technique” and a “privilege,” explaining how she intentionally seeks joy offline and prioritizes creative hobbies purely for fun.

  Taylor: “Joy, for me, is a survival tactic. It’s play.” (23:53) Taylor: “I try to do hobbies that wouldn’t usually give me any monetary value, no social value, no cultural value...simply because, like, those things teach you to play.” (22:51)

• Tyra echoes this, listing her many hobbies (pottery, baking, gaming, gardening) as sources of inner joy and connection to her inner child.

  Tyra: “Hobbies have saved my life...that’s when I truly felt joyful again.” (24:08)

[25:33–26:07] Reclaiming Playfulness and Childhood Joy

• Both discuss the healing power of reconnecting with their inner child.

  Taylor: “It tells my inner child you’re still allowed to exist. You’re not being silenced. You can come out and play and it’s safe to do that.” (26:01)

4. Refilling Your Cup: Community, Support, and Boundaries

[28:24–29:53] The Value of Trusted Circles

• Taylor explains she needs not just social connection, but time with her “inner circle.”

  Taylor: “I have to be around my inner circle. That’s something that is a really important lesson that I learned this year.” (28:29)

• Tyra shares that mundane moments with family bring her profound joy—cooking, gardening, simply being present.

5. Creating Mission-Driven, Value-Based Content

[32:07–36:45] Advice for Aspiring Educational Creators

• Taylor’s top tips:
  • Always write down your intention for sharing content.
  • Don’t be afraid to be a beginner over and over.

  Taylor: “I will never, ever be the expert or one person that knows everything about this topic...and it’s up to me to have the humility to go back and learn.” (33:25)

• Tyra adds: Define the role your content plays in your bigger story, and protect your integrity and values.

  Tyra: “People really be selling they soul for a book, for two seconds of fame... Don’t be a sellout because you ain’t gonna be happy in 30, 40 years.” (36:19)

6. Black Joy, Storytelling, and Future Dreams

[37:37–40:54] Dreaming Beyond Trauma-Centered Narratives

• Taylor talks about her desire to become a screenwriter/showrunner, telling Black stories full of life and joy—not just adversity.

  Taylor: “My goal is just to create, create films and create stories where we're just living, we're just having a good time...that’s something you could put on on a Friday night.” (40:44)

• Tyra and Taylor reflect on the need for more joyful, everyday Black stories in media (“Forever” on Netflix as an example).

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Notable Quotes

• Taylor Cassidy [07:10]: "On the other side of that is survival and is joy and is victory and resilience. And I think that that's important to be focused on too."
• Tyra [09:17]: "I'm a very, very emotional creative, and when I get deep in my emotions, it's so taxing on my body to do anything."
• Taylor Cassidy [14:24]: "Burnout happens whenever I've outgrown something and I'm forcing myself to continue doing it and I'm too scared to change it."
• Tyra [17:33]: "Living in the South will teach you how important a slow pace of life is."
• Taylor Cassidy [23:53]: "Joy, for me, is a survival tactic. It's play. And, yeah, I think I'd define it that way."
• Tyra [24:08]: "Hobbies have saved my life...that's when I truly felt joyful again."
• Taylor Cassidy [33:25]: "I will never, ever be the expert or one person that knows everything about this topic... and it's up to me to have the humility to go back and learn those things again."
• Tyra [36:19]: "Don't sell your soul to nobody, nothing. Don't. Don't be a sellout because you ain't gonna be happy in 30, 40 years. Even though it's like the instant gratification is there, you ain't gonna be happy with that decision that you made down the line."
• Taylor Cassidy [40:44]: "That is my goal. Just to create, create films and create stories where we're just living, we're just having a good time...that's something you could put on on a Friday night."

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Community Spotlight – “Give Them Their Flowers” Segment

[42:41–47:45]

• Taylor shouts out: “OK, Sophie” (Sophie St. Louis), a makeup and beauty creator focused on inclusivity and self-love in beauty standards.
• Tyra shouts out: Bria Black (Bria Black _ ), her best friend and documentarian, who creates content about Black community in Minneapolis and the series “Operation Black Love.”

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Actionable Takeaways

• Protect your mental health as a creator, especially when covering tough topics. Don't be afraid to pivot to what feels manageable and joyful.
• Prioritize restorative activities—engage in hobbies that are purely for fun, not for profit or performance.
• Define your intention behind the content you create; let it anchor your choices.
• Embrace being a beginner—humility and continuous learning are essential for growth.
• Reconnect with community and lean into supportive relationships, especially when feeling isolated.
• Champion joyful Black stories—they are needed and radical in their own right.

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Closing & Final Words

• Tyra and Taylor share mutual admiration and reiterate the importance of choosing joy, dreaming big, and "keep rising" in and beyond the creative world.

  Taylor Cassidy [49:13]: "There's a phrase that I say at the end... I'd say, keep rising."

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For more from Taylor, pre-order her new book “Black History is Your History,” geared towards young adults but accessible to anyone.
Taylor’s socials: @taylorcassidyj on all platforms.

For more healing, affirmations, and conversations like this, subscribe to “Affirmations for Black Girls” on your favorite platform.

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Summary prepared by Podcast Summarizer AI.

Transcript

[Tyra]

Y' all know over here we're all.

[Tara]

About finding hobbies that feed you. And one that's been on my to do list lately has been cozying up with an audiobook. If the AFBG book club keeps you busy but you're curious about something different, maybe something thrilling and a little spooky for the season, I recommend checking out Audible. Right now. I've been curious about The Prophecy Season 2 Kerry Washington. Yes, that Kerry Washington is back as Dr. Virginia Edwards. And when I say this supernatural thriller has piqued my interest off the first few minutes, baby. And add in that the cast is stacked with talent and I just, I just might be hooked. I heard this new season is wild, y'.

[Tyra]

All.

[Tara]

The fight between good and evil, family drama and those haunting visions that just keep you guessing. It's got action, it's got heart, it's got suspense. And it comes in handy being able to pop it on while I'm cooking, journaling, driving, or while working on another cozy hobby.

[Tyra]

Evil is rising and time is running out. Do not miss Kerry Washington in Audible's new action packed must listen the prophecy season two. Go to audible.com prophecy2. That's the number two. And start listening today.

So let me ask you guys a.

Couple of serious questions. Do your joints feel older than you? And do you really know what's going.

On inside of your body?

Yeah, me either, y'.

All.

Now, y' all know whenever I go home to Louisiana, family time is everything to me. When we're all together, I'm always so grateful for that quality time. It always reminds me to take care of myself so that I can keep making memories with the people I love for years to come. And I'm ready to get even more serious about that. So I just learned about TRU Diagnostic and their True Age plus True Health test, y'.

All.

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All.

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What is going on beautiful people?

[Tara]

You are listening to the Affirmations for Black Girls podcast where we focus on personal growth and cultivating a healthy relationship with ourselves. I am your host Tara, the creative actress, content creator and mental health enthusiast and you guys have been waiting for this episode for a whole week. This is part two to a wonderful conversation that I had with the one and only, the talented and inquisitive Taylor Cassidy who is the creator of the viral video series Fast Black History. Now I have her back with us today. Now we already had this conversation but we had to split it in two because when two black women get to talking baby, we cannot be stopped. But she is back with us today and we've already covered setting boundaries as a creative and the power of purpose driven content. So if you did not listen to last week's episode, be sure to catch up on part one on YouTube because these are video episodes. But listen, if you driving on your commute on a walk or something and you only have your phone to listen, but baby girl, go ahead and stay and listen. But we do have the video version and we promise to do more video episodes in the future. So I wanted to make sure I plug that. Now for today's episode we are picking up right where we left off. Covering creator burnout, conquering our fears and just doing stuff for fun. And if you thought last week's episode was just getting good, just wait until you hear what else we got into. I'm super excited to dive back in so I'm gonna stop rambling and I'm let us go ahead and get into this episode.

[Tyra]

Okay?

[Tara]

This is Affirmations for Black Girls.

[Tyra]

Have you ever had to pivot your content or a certain message to protect your mental health?

[Taylor Cassidy]

That's a good question. I think there have definitely been moments in my life where specifically when talking about black history, I've had to let myself focus on lighter black history topics rather than go into like, very nitty gritty, like, heavy stories because of my own mental health. There's this like, phrase going around on TikTok right now called black fatigue. And I feel like it's a new trending phrase, but I'm like, this ain't new to me. Yeah, but essentially like the feeling of it's kind of the vibe of not really wanting to watch movies about slavery on a random Friday night. Not like wanting to take a break from only hearing about bad news when it comes to our community. You know, it's because it does get tiring on your mental health to only hear about bad news, only research things that have happened to us that are hard to hear about. So there are times where maybe I've, you know, sometimes I struggle, sometimes with depression, anxiety. And in those moments I know that if there's a topic that I want to talk about, I have to go easy on myself and maybe say, let's find a fun black music artist I didn't know about. Let's find a fun black designer that I have never heard about and see if I can make an outfit based on their designs or something. And that way I'm still educating, but I'm not forcing myself to consistently and always go down a rabbit hole of finding like the worst news ever. And while that history is important to know and not be hidden, I don't think it's necessary to make yourself focus on it every single day 24 7. Because on the other side of that is survival and is joy and is victory and resilience. And I think that that's important to be focused on too. And if you need a reminder of that, I think that that's what I do. I find the joy and I find the resilience until I feel strong enough to go and find those heavier topics again.

[Tyra]

I definitely agree with that. In my podcast specifically, I did a series, seven part series on childhood trauma and everyone loved it. And they're like, we need more of this. I also mentioned a lot of my childhood trauma stems from my mom and dad getting a divorce. When I was in ninth grade, I was very high achieving child. I ended up being valedictorian of my class. But it cost me my mental health. It cost me my mental health for sure because I Tried to. In my very small town, I tried to pretend nothing was happening, even though everyone around me knew what was going on in my household. And I was like, well, I'm not about to let that phase me. I'm about to show them that I can still be validatory, I can still do all my work, blah, blah. And I mentioned that. And this was. This has been two years ago now that I did the series or the. Yeah, the series. And everybody was like, we need more on. Like, you're not necessarily on my parents supports, but growing up in a broken home. And I was like, yeah, I have to wait. Y' all have to wait. Yeah, yeah, I'm still working through that in therapy in new ways. Both of my parents are now newly remarried, and so it's weird. I'm 30, but that don't matter. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I. Emotions and stuff started to come up that I was like, oh, wait, hold on. What is this? What's going on?

[Taylor Cassidy]

That's buried in there.

[Tyra]

Yeah, it's in there. And I thought. I'm talking about in it. It's in it. I thought the same thing. I thought the same thing. Had to say it. I had to say it. Yes, it's in there. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna wait until I can fully take you. Take y' all through this without it affecting me in a way where I have to, like, I'm a very, very emotional creative, and when I get deep in my emotions is so taxing on my body to do anything. So I was like, I'm gonna wait on that. So I totally get that. So I talk about the lighter stuff, and I have even deemed my podcast as the Sad Girl Podcast because my best work always comes out of the deepest sadness that I have. Like, those are the highest performing episodes. Our highest performing episode right now is why disappointments are a gift from God. That episode is like, it's just. But I understand the assignment that has been placed on me. And at this moment, or at that moment when they were really like, okay, we need more on Broken Home and all of this type of stuff because there's so many of us that are a part of one. I was like, I'm gonna wait until I'm in a space where I can FL fully dive into this in a way that will not have me laying in the bed for two weeks. Because that's just the type of creator that I am.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Right? And you know, it's. I think it's important that you set that Boundary, because you don't want to be working out of a place of burnout even before you've even had a chance to work through that emotion. That's actually. It's a chapter in my book. I talk about Ida B. Wells and how she spent so much of her life talking about her friends being lynched and going around to different communities and uncovering other stories and literally traveling, talking about this over and over and over again. And in the chapter, you'll discover that there's a moment of vulnerability that hit her unexpected because of how much she had been pushing down the emotion. And I shared story from my own life about how I did. I kind of did the same thing that you did in high school, where I kind of had really bad workaholic tendencies about, like, two, three years ago, where I thought that if I said no to anything, it meant I was ungrateful. And so I just pushed down to the point where my physical health was really, really affected. So I think it's important to allow ourselves to take time in private, to let ourselves process it in our own way. And that's why I love. In the book, I. On certain chapters, I put little warnings in the chapter that we'll be discussing something very heavy in terms of black history. And if you need to skip it for now and come back, that's okay. We must protect our joy. Like, no hard feelings, you know, just to give space for somebody to be like, I'm going to read this later, but not today, because I'm not equipped, but I'm going to come back and read it later.

[Tyra]

That's so important. Yeah, I. Trigger warnings are very important, and I make sure to put those at the beginning of podcast episodes, too, because the first time that I just. I happened to mention something that I didn't even realize could be a trigger at the time, I was talking about, like, my parents divorce just for, like, two minutes in an episode, and my friend was listening, and she was like, oh, I had to turn it off. And I was like, oh, shoot. I need to make sure that I am doing these trigger warnings because I'm the type of person, I don't like to be blindsided emotionally, or I call it an emotional drive by. Like, I don't. I don't need that in my life when I'm not in a space where I can, like, handle it. So, yeah, those trigger warnings are super important to me. I'm so glad that you put those in the book because, yeah, I want to be able to get my mind right, be like, okay, well, I'm about to read about Ida B. Wells. Let me take a walk first. Let me really get my mind right so I can still learn about this. And just knowing about it does add a level of comfort and it just helps you get through it as well. So.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. Just to know that somebody is, like, taking the. Taking the time to present this theme in a way, in knowing that it is a heavy topic and we're gonna go through it. We'll be in it together.

[Tyra]

Yes, yes. Now, you mentioned this, you mentioned burnout. Tell me a little bit more about that. What has burnout looked like for you in the past?

[Taylor Cassidy]

So for me, I feel like, especially as a working creative, and I'm sure you've experienced this too. Burnout is just something you do not avoid. Like, you just can't avoid it. And I've experienced burnout so many times, I know it like the back of my hand. And I know that for me, when I. The signs for me, when I start experiencing it are not having motivation to do things that initially would make my mood go up. I would start to experience, you know, symptoms of depression. I would have a lot more anxiety. And especially when it comes to content. Whenever I would create content, it would feel like the hardest thing to get through it. And whenever I would watch a video back or look at my feed or whatnot, I notice myself being extra critical over things that really don't matter or when I look at my content, I can't see the reason that I started. So for me, those are moments where I have to take a step back and really ask myself, okay, what are you afraid of right now? What are you worrying about in this moment long term? And more often than not, that's the question that helps me discover what I need to change. Because most of the time, burnout happens whenever I've outgrown something and I'm forcing myself to continue doing it and I'm too scared to change it. Yeah, honestly, I had a really big moment of burnout at the top of this year. Creatively, like, I had a lot of insecurities in myself as a creator and where my future was going. And I started the Artist's Way, which is like a book. It's like a course, 12 week course for creatives. That book changed my life.

[Tyra]

Yeah.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Like creative ways and other other things in my life. But what it really taught me was asking yourself, what are you afraid of? You know, what are you afraid of creatively? What are you afraid of in terms of failure? In terms of success? And how can you change your life to make it a place of play rather than a test all of all of the time? That was a long winded answer.

[Tyra]

But no, it was perfect because I have the artist's way now. I haven't started it yet, but I need to go ahead and do that because I've been creating for so long, like, even before 2017. That's when I started my digital creation journey. But I went to school for theater. My major is in performance and directing. Then I went to culinary school. I am a pastry chef. I have always been a creative vessel. And I experienced burnout, just like you said as well. I never thought about it as when I outgrow something. But when you said that, I'm like, oh, shoot, that makes so much sense. But I like growing up how I grew up, and especially in the Deep South, Paying attention to your mental health just wasn't something you thought about, Right? So that was deeply ingrained in me as well. So I started to learn when I would be burnt out physically, what would happen to me. I would feel like I got hit by a truck, literally. I would get so stressed and tired that I couldn't really move around. Like, it's just so insane. And it was happening a lot. I thought something bad was going on with me. And I finally went to. I went to the chiropractor about it. I went to my doctor about it, and they were telling me that it is stress. And I was like, oh, my gosh, why am I so stressed? And through act, like, when I started going to therapy in 2019, through all of that stuff, I learned that I was experiencing extreme burnout on a regular basis. And it's because I'm push, push, push. Just like in high school, I'm still gonna do all this work, still validator to my class. I still had a job. I played basketball. I did all of this stuff that just continued all the way through, like, 2019. I graduate. I'm 30. I graduated in 2012. And I just kept that same type of work ethic and movement for all of that time. And now, because I too, started to feel a little burnt out earlier this year, I would say around March for me, and around the end of March, and I had a couple of things to tie up here in la. And then I was like, I'm gonna go home. So for the end of June and most of July, I went home and I just sat in my mama house. And for me, that is so reinvigorating for me to get back to my roots to just sit. Because living in the south will teach you how important a slow pace of life is. When I first moved away and I would go back home, I would just be so antsy. I'm like, oh my gosh, I should be doing something. I should be. Girl, stop, stop. Like I, I realized just how the fast paced life of cuz I went to culinary school in Philly of living in the east coast was and I realized what the fast paced life of la, even though it's a lot slower than the east coast. Girl, I don't know how you doing it out in New York, but all of that fast paced lifestyle just put this unneeded sense of urgency in me on a daily basis. And I constantly have to go back home to recenter myself. And I think it's very important for me to make sure that I'm making time to go home, sit at my great grandma house, maybe I'll do something in her g garden with her, go see my grandparents. That type of thing is so important because it one stops me from feeling like I'm about to be burnt out again. But it also reminds me that it's more important to be present in the moment than it ever was to be on top of this project, doing this, that and the third and I don't know, I just, ever since I realized that baby, I'm going home. Okay, I'm spending time at the house and I'm about to go back to Louisiana for almost a month and I just got back in July, but I'm like, I'm so ready to go back to Louisiana because when I came back I was like, oh, I feel it, I feel it, I feel it coming again. And it's just important to make sure that you're paying attention to your body because that's the first place that I notice it. It may not just be noticing like mentally the shift, but pay attention to what's happening with your body whenever that started change because that's going to be a telltale sign right there. And that's, that's how I've started realizing when I was stressing myself out too much and being burnt out.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah, you just gave me an idea. My mom has a garden too. I feel like that would be so lovely gardening, gardening with her. Oh, I'm write that down.

[Tyra]

Yes, do it. I absolutely love it. I was at, this was like a year and a half ago now, but I was at home and I was at my great grandma Lily house and while I walked over there because she lives right across the street from my pawpaw, which is her son. And I was seeing them, and I was like, let's go see Grandma Lily, Papa. So we walked over there, and she has a cactus in the front yard that had prickly pear on it. And prickly pear is so good. Have you ever had prickly pear? No, girl, it's so good. It's kind of like. It's kind of like kiwi in the way that it looks, but it's red and it has, like, the seeds inside. But it's very good. It's a fruit, and it grows on cacti. And I was like, momo, you got all these prickly bear out here, and they cost, like, $6 a pound at the grocery store. She's like, I know you can eat that. So we all went out there, and I showed them how to harvest it, and then we took them off. We tried it by itself, and then I was like, let me make y' all some lemonade. Because she also got a lemon tree here. Let me get these lemons, and let me put this prickly pear, and let's make some lemonade. So just stuff like that. I was. I. Taylor, I just. Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I need, like, a documentary of your life, because that sounds so wonderful. I'm like, I want to visit. Take me with you. Take me with you.

[Tyra]

You have to come. Louisiana is. It's a colorful place. I absolutely love it. Like, a lot of people think that New Orleans is the only place to visit, but the pockets of Louisiana are so different. You'll have a totally different experience anywhere you go, whether it's New Orleans or Baton Rouge or a small town like St. Francisville or Shreveport, all of that will be, like, a totally different experience. So come. You have to come. So we're gonna move on to topic three, choosing joy. Anyway, so joy can be resistance. And in a world that tries to drain us, sometimes joy is the most radical thing we can hold on to. So what does joy look like for you, both on camera and off camera? I know what joy look like for you on camera. Well, in terms of the final piece of content. But what. What does it look like for you, man?

[Taylor Cassidy]

Joy for me, has always been a survival technique. And I say that because it's been like, a pattern for me to fall into a lot of self criticism. But whenever I do things meant for me to smile or meant for me to just relax, it kind of tells my brain, like, actually, it's not like, actually, everything is going to be okay. Actually, everything is going to turn out for the better. And when you say joy is resistance, it truly is. It's a true thing. It's also to express that joy is a privilege, too. So I feel like, in terms of how I define it, it's something that I cling on to to get me through my darkest moments. Like, I try to whenever I'm done working for, like, the day, if I've done, like, all of my tasks, I make it a point to be off of social media as much as possible, because, first of all, I think it drains joy.

[Tyra]

Yes.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Like, I believe that I think it drains joy because it takes you out of the present. It makes you compare yourself to other people. But I try to do things that I try to do. Hobbies that wouldn't usually give me any monetary value, no social value, no cultural value, none of that. Like, literally, it is just for fun. And it, like, this can be anywhere from taking a ballet class one day. I'm not trained to ballet. My hips are not open like that.

[Tyra]

Mine ain't either. Oh, Jesus.

[Taylor Cassidy]

But I'll, you know, I'll take a class like that. I'll go roller skating. I'll cook a recipe I've never tried. I'll embroider a shirt. Even if I don't know how to broider, I'm gonna sit down and learn simply because, like, those things teach you to play and to have fun and to let that play. And that joy exists alongside the very real emotions that are happening. So I don't know. I think joy, for me, is a survival tactic. It's play. And, yeah, I think I'd define it that way. I hope that's a good answer.

[Tyra]

Girl. It is. And I love that you said joyous play, because I say that all the time on the podcast. Like, it is so important for us to play, even as adults. Like, we have to play. I am. I am. I've been coined the hobby queen. Okay, I. I have so many hobbies, right? I do pottery. I.

[Taylor Cassidy]

The pottery.

[Tyra]

Yes. I do pottery. I bake. I garden. Like, I. I have, like, a balcony space. So I don't have, like, an in ground garden, but I got an urban garden, and I'll be calling my paw Paw, and that's how we be bonding. I'd be like, paw paw. I love this bug on my plan, so I'll be doing that. I'm also a little bit of a gamer. I do. I'm a Nintendo girl, so I play Harvest Moon and I do Sims as well. I like to build Lego. I like to do DIY projects. Like I hobbies have saved my life. I've been living out in California since 2018 and for the longest time I was just working and going home. And when I started to actually pour into my other cups, that's when I truly felt joyful again. It was like this underlying joy that just like snuck up on me and I was like, where is this coming from? I like this. And it was because I started to just do stuff just for fun that like you said that no monetary value out of it, no cultural value out of it. All of that's like literally just to make myself smile, to make me feel something outside of my everyday. So I would say that's what joy is for me as well. Yeah, play.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah. I love that so much. And I remember whenever you talked about you getting into pottery on one of your episodes, I was locked in. I was locked in. But yes, like I feel like having those hobbies or even having like a place that you go to after work or like a five minute meditation that you do whenever you have the time. Those moments are so important because it tells yourself. For me at least it tells my inner child you're still allowed to exist.

[Tyra]

Yes.

[Taylor Cassidy]

You're not, you're not being silenced. You can come out and play and it's safe to do that, you know.

[Tyra]

Oh my gosh. I literally asked myself that question all the time. What would 5 year old Tyra want in this moment? What would 10 year old Tyra want in this moment? I still have my baby picture in my bathroom. I see that every morning. I see six year old Tyra. Okay, snaggle tooth.

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[Tara]

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[Tyra]

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[Tara]

Amen.

[Tyra]

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[Tyra]

You know, okay.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I love that.

[Tyra]

I absolutely love that.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Lovely.

[Tyra]

Yeah. Our inner child. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. So we talked a little bit about it, but what tools, people or routines help you refill your cup outside of what you didn't already told us Refilling my cup.

[Taylor Cassidy]

One thing about me, I got to get out the house and I gotta be around my loved ones.

[Tyra]

Yeah.

[Taylor Cassidy]

And I don't just mean, like, I gotta be around people in general. I have to be around my inner circle. That's something that is a really important lesson that I learned this year. Because usually I'm a homebody and I'm a very independent person. Like, I was raised to be an independent. I was raised to be an independent woman. Like, but to, to the max degree sometimes to where it almost like I listen to a podcast episode about this too. Or like, I take care of everything myself. Like, I got it.

[Tyra]

Like, no, like you. Yeah. Let these people help you.

[Taylor Cassidy]

That's the episode. Yeah. But I learned this year. I literally learned this year. I was like, if I. I started to like, self isolate a lot in a way where I didn't even realize I was doing it. And I noticed that once I would hang out with my sister every week or I would be with my boyfriend every week or something, I would leave feeling like somebody's got my back or somebody's got my support system. Even if all we're doing is sitting in the park together.

[Tyra]

Yeah.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Or I'm helping her build, build a furniture item that she purchased. Like little moments like that really do create joy because subconsciously you know that if something were to happen, you have people around you that love you. That. Yeah, exactly. So I think without them, that cup will be half full.

[Tyra]

I would definitely agree. And I think since I live far away from home, it's so much more important and it's so much bigger when I go home to fill my cup because I. They're not readily available in a physical sense anymore. I have one brother and I love that boy. He. We're less than a year apart. We are Irish twins. And like you said like going to like help your sister build a piece of, piece of furniture or something that she bought. I just be at my brother house like okay, pj, what we about to do? What do you need help with? You know, like I, it doesn't matter. The mundane things are where I find the most joy because I can truly just be. I don't have to be performative, I don't have to. It's not transactional. I don't have to be giving too much. We can just truly just exist in this moment. So yeah, my family is important to me. I, I love to cook with my family as well, especially like my brother. My brother is also a content creator, so I'll be helping him film my mom. I love to cook with her. And like my daddy, we do a lot of outside stuff, like we'll go shooting or we'll go pick some okra out the garden or fishing. You know, things like that. That is, those things give me the, the most joy. Like I, I realize that I'm just a country girl at heart, for real. And being in the country, even though I live far away because of the career that I have chosen and my dreams, going back home as a whole fills my cup. And the people that fill my cup are my close family.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah, I love that so much. And that's why I feel it's so important to give time to exploring what joy means to you. Because then you find out more about your own identity and what speaks to you the most. Even if you're doing something that at the like by the end of it you're like, actually I didn't like that very much. At least you tried it and you figured out more of who you are.

[Tyra]

Exactly. That's so important. Okay, so last question here. What advice would you give someone wanting to make education or value based content? Especially in this age of content creation where it's a Lot of everything out there.

[Taylor Cassidy]

If somebody is wanting to teach a topic or deep dive into something that they're really passionate about, I would say two things. One, I would say write down your intention of why you want to share it so that no matter what happens, no matter what trend comes along that reminds you of the topic, you know, the intention that you're sharing it with, what purpose, what you want people to leave with, what lesson you want people to leave with, the mood they want you to, that you want them to leave with. And the second thing I'd say is, don't be afraid to be a beginner or a student over and over and over and over again. Something that I've Learned in my 6 years of teaching Black history to millions without a college degree is I'm going to get things wrong, and there's always something new to learn. And I will never, ever be the expert or one person that knows everything about this topic. And I'm going to forget some things that I teach about. I'm going to forget some things that I researched and. And it's up to me to have the humility to go back and learn those things again, to go back and try and find a new perspective and not look at it from a. In a way where I have to get it right or I have to show how much I know about this topic, you know, and going back to my writing down your intention, I feel that that's incredibly important to me because with my. The way that I teach Black history, I want people to leave feeling like they have more pride in their identity or they have more curiosity to learn more, and they feel lighter and they feel joy in it rather than me teaching Black history. And they leave feeling even more weighed down or like. Like the world is crumbling down, you know, so having that intention and always.

[Tyra]

Being a student, I would say I absolutely love that. That's a good answer. I don't even have to answer it because ditto.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Amen. We're on the same wavelength.

[Tyra]

We are. We definitely are. The one thing that I will say, if you, like, want to produce this type of content. Yes. Writing down your intention behind it, but also, like, from a technical standpoint, or not even technical, but from a big picture standpoint. Where do you want this to take you? Not necessarily financially or anything, but what role is this playing in your life? You know, it could be, oh, I just want to do this for this set amount of time or this right now, I don't have anything. It could be that, or it could be like, Me, for example, I started my YouTube channel as the vehicle to get. To get me to the goal. I started my YouTube channel back when actors didn't really have platforms, brand partnerships and, you know, content creation wasn't that much of a thing when back in 2017. So I saw that opening there and I was like, this is just a vehicle to get me to the goal, to get me on shows or, you know, whatever the case may be. So knowing where this plays in your story can also help you determine which avenues you will and won't go down within that. Just because I created videos on acting, that doesn't mean that I would work with XYZ brand or, you know, yeah, go off on it, go off in this direction. Maybe I want to keep on the straight and narrow or whatever the case may be. Like, knowing that is very important. But I also like how you said the intention behind it, how you want people to feel, because that is super important. My. When I first started, I wrote down my mission statement for my YouTube channel, and it is, let me see if I still remember it. I create content for black creatives who want to escape fear and share their creativity with the world without compromising their faith in God, their uniqueness, and without breaking the bank. And that is important for me, definitely, like, the. The faith part, because people really be selling they soul for a book for two seconds of fame. Especially like in the day and age we live in and living in la. I see that. I used to just, like people say it and I'm like, yeah, yeah. But I see it play out each and every day and I'm like, don't sell yourself short. Don't sell your soul to nobody, nothing. Don't. Don't be a sellout because you ain't gonna be happy in 30, 40 years. Even though it's like the instant gratification is there, you ain't gonna be happy with that decision that you made down the line. So, yeah, we on the same wavelength, though, with the advice.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I love that. I love that you memorize that. That's so special.

[Tyra]

Thank you. I used to say it at the beginning of every one of my videos. I had to let the people know. And back to what we talked about, about. About black creators, that in itself, when I would say that at the beginning of my videos, people that are not black would be like, well, I'm about to unsubscribe. Well, I'm not gonna watch. Well, I'm not. They even say that on my podcast. They'd be like, well, I'm not black. So does that mean I can't watch your podcast? Yes, you can. It's called Affirmations for Black Girls because it is a solo led show by a black girl.

[Taylor Cassidy]

That's it?

[Tyra]

Yeah, that's it. It's just. It's a resource that I wanted to have when I was young. So anyways, girl. Yeah, yeah. It's important for us to make sure that we're choosing Joy. Anyway.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I love that. I think you asked me what I would want this to lead. Lead to. Like, I would say, like, at the core of fastback history, the love for me is in the storytelling. Finding these figures, history, and turning them into my own interpretation of it while keeping the facts straight. So I really want to take that into film and tv. Something that I've wanted for years now is to one day be a screenwriter, and one day I've even thought about, like, showrunning. So that is definitely the next shift. Hopefully in the next couple years building my portfolio with short films and longer form narrative content. That's something that is a huge dream of mine.

[Tyra]

That is freaking amazing. Well, I'm an actress, so listen.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Hey, main character.

[Tyra]

Okay, main character. I was about to say, let me audition for a side row. Main character, baby. Okay, main character. Let me audition. That is amazing. I am. I'm praying for you. I really hope that that happens sooner than later. I think it's important for us to have stories being told that especially, like, about, like, black stories being told that are just joyful. There's a lot of, like, how you said you don't want to watch a random slave movie on a Friday night. Like, there's so much of that. We. We need more. We need more. I was actually watching Forever and I have been. I think we've been conditioned a little bit. I was talking to my friend about one part of the show when, remember when did you watch Forever on Netflix?

[Taylor Cassidy]

I did not.

[Tyra]

Oh, God, I did not.

[Taylor Cassidy]

But I know all the discourse around it. Okay, Discourse.

[Tyra]

Okay. So the part where the main character, the guy gets. He was dropping Keisha off at home, and the police ended up behind him. I was like, don't make me turn this show off, y'. All. Like, I literally. My heart started to, like, race a little bit in a way that it does when you watch tv. Nothing crazy, but we're so, like, we're taught, oh, something bad about to happen. And that's the. When people ask me how I like, forever, I always say I love it because Mara didn't go there. We don't need that. We don't need that. Because even in real life today, anytime a police officer is behind me, my heart is racing, my palms are sweaty, knees weak, Mom's spaghetti. Okay, I'm nervous.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Now.

[Tyra]

Hey, I'm done. I had to. I do that every time. I do that every time I say I get nervous about something. But yes, I get, I get so nervous and I'm so glad that she didn't take it there. And I just want way more of that. I'm so glad we just got to see them being kids with none of the extra stuff. So, yeah, I hope you create projects like that.

You know I will.

I.

[Taylor Cassidy]

That's. That is my goal. Just to create, Create films and create stories where we're just living, we're just.

[Tyra]

Having a good time.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Like that's something you could put on on a Friday night.

[Tyra]

Yes, yes, yes. I can't wait.

At the end of the day, choosing.

Joy as a black creator, especially somebody like Taylor Cassidy, is a radical act.

When your goal is to educate, to uplift and entertain, it's more important than ever to take care of yourself so that you don't get lost in the sauce. Taylor's biggest focus is making sure she finds joy in everything she does, no matter how heavy or important the work feels. That joy isn't just a luxury, it's the fuel that keeps her going.

Creating content that educates and uplifts can.

Take a lot out of you. It's easy to get caught in the pressure to always be on, always producing, always being perfect. But Taylor reminds us that protecting your joy, finding moments of laughter, play and lightness is essential. It's how you stay connected to why you even started doing this in the first place. Your rest, your voice and your creativity all matter. Not just for what they produce, but for who they allow you to be and who it allows you to inspire. Real balance means carving out space to enjoy the process, to celebrate the small wins, and to do things that aren't attached to productivity or outcome. When you prioritize joy, you're not only preserving your own energy, you're building a sustainable way to support both your work and your well being.

Oh, y', all, you know what time it is? It is time for our fun closing segment. And today's closing segment is going to be Give them Their Flowers where each one of us are going to shout out a black creator that you think more people should know about. So, Taylor, who do you think more people should know about? One black creator.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I have to shout her out One because she's one of my best friends, but also because she introduced me to this podcast and because I think she's one of the hardest working creators that I know. Her username is OK, Sophie. Her name is Sophie St. Louis and she is a makeup, beauty and lifestyle creator. But what she does is she tests brands for how she inclusive their branding is and she talks about her own life. She talks about what she's been through in her life, how important skincare and self love and body image is to her. And I just feel like when you go on her account, it's just this burst of color and energy and creativity and, and somebody who truly cares about what they're doing. And I truly think like, if, if by chance you have been on my account, like felt like the joy and the, the lightness and the colorfulness, just take that and add, add makeup. Add beauty. Boom. That's okay, Sophie. So, yeah, I'm shouting her out.

[Tyra]

Let me see, let me, let me follow Sophie. Got her. Yes. Sophie St. Louis. Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. 110. 110. I definitely needed to know about her. Y' all go and follow her. She is a dark skinned black woman. I need to follow more dark skinned black women. That is. That has definitely been my goal. That I like. My silent goal. Thank you so much. Especially about the inclusivity with makeup. Because when I was growing up or when I first started wearing makeup, I always felt so ugly because the white cast that would be on like the drugstore makeup and stuff like that. I'm excited. Yeah. Girl, girl, don't get me started on the sunscreen. Yes. Look at all this color. Oh my gosh. She is so good at doing makeup. Y' all go follow Sophie right now. It's okay. Sophie on Instagram, Is she also on like Tick Tock and stuff too? Same user.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah, she's everywhere. Tick tock, YouTube threads, Twitter.

[Tyra]

She's everywhere. Okay.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Everywhere.

[Tyra]

Thank you so much for sharing her.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Of course.

[Tyra]

Okay, me who I wanna. Girl. See, I wasn't ready. I would. You know what? Since you shout out. Shouted out one of your best friends, I'm gonna shout out my best friend, period. Well, the podcast already know about her. Hold on. That's probably cheap. I' ma still do it anyway. I want to shout out my best friend, Bria Black. Let me see if it got an underscore up in there right quick. But her I'm gonna look, I'm gonna.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Look her up too.

[Tyra]

It's Bria Black underscore. She is my best Friend. And she's also a content creator. She lives in Minneapolis, and she does a lot of content around living in Minneapolis as a black woman and how to create community there. She also just did a documentary about black love in the Twin Cities, but black love overall. And it was such a dope thing because she invited women and men to give their experience for dating in this culture and this climate. And it was so dope because she wants to get into filmmaking, like, actually doing documentaries and stuff. So she just did that, which was amazing. And she's married. That. That's what I was talking about. The husband that called me her husband that was like.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I love that.

[Tyra]

But anyways, her documentary is called Operation Black Love, and, well, her series is called Operation Black Love. And especially as a single woman who is 30, I think she's doing very important work to showcase in a positive light black people, both men and women, finding love in this age of social media. She's a dope storyteller. Absolutely love all of the work that she doing, and I cannot wait for her to go further. She's been on the podcast a couple of times. She's taught me so much, especially about, like, daily luxuries and, like, just making sure that you're finding the joy in everyday life and just elevating your lifestyle in whatever way that you can with whatever means you have. So I just love her so much. She is my safe space, and she's definitely an inspiration behind the way that my podcast is set up. So y' all go and follow Bria. It's Bria Black underscore, and it's everywhere on Tick Tock. What's all the platforms? I can't even say them. Instagram, YouTube, tick tock, everywhere. Yeah.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Yeah, I'm a follower, too. I love that. I love that documentary name. I'm into documentaries too, so I'm definitely gonna have to check that out.

[Tyra]

Yay. But yes, girl, I have had so much freaking fun talking to you right now. Before we get out of here, you guys make sure that you. You go and pre order Taylor Cassidy's book. Let me show you again. Black history is your history. Okay. Is our your history? Yes. Black history is your history. Make sure you go. We look so cute holding it up together. Do it again.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Oh, so cute.

[Tyra]

We do look so cute. I really cannot wait to read this. I definitely will. How long did it take you to write this?

[Taylor Cassidy]

I started writing it in 2021, and I finished it at the end of. I finished at the end of in the. I finished it in the middle of 2024, I believe.

[Tyra]

Wow, that's amazing. Okay. But, yes, you guys go ahead and get your copy. And it's for young adults, right? Young adults, yes.

[Taylor Cassidy]

It's for. Marketed toward middle grade, but anybody could read it.

[Tyra]

It. Okay, gotcha. Which is great because that means it's easy, easily digestible, right? Okay. Well, I had so much fun, Taylor.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I had so much fun, too.

[Tyra]

Y' all. Let me know if y' all want Taylor to come back on the show. I mean, I probably already have her back because I just enjoyed this conversation so much. But let me know in the comments of this video if you would like to have her back. Is there anything else you would like to say to the people before we get out of here?

[Taylor Cassidy]

I would like to say Tyra's amazing. This podcast is amazing. Thank you so much for having me. And there's a phrase that I say at the end of. I used to say it at the end of all of my Black Girl Magic Minute videos, which is a different web series. I'd say, keep rising. So I'll leave you all with that. Keep rising.

[Tyra]

Keep rising, girl. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being on the show. I enjoyed it. Every moment of this. I could talk to you all day. Especially when it comes to black history, I don't really have this discourse a lot in daily life, so I think it's very needed, and I'm so glad that you are doing the work that you're doing. You are definitely needed.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I appreciate that so much. And, hey, if you ever want to have more discourse, I'm here.

[Tyra]

Yes, I'm here. Yes. We have to. Especially whenever I start, like, going home and talking about the prom thing I was telling you about. Yes. I'm gonna keep you updated on that. I'm gonna keep you updated. Because my cousin, literally, she only in. How old is Christy? Christy. That means she probably, like, she late 30s, early 40s, maybe. Not even early. Yeah, like, late 30s. Yeah. She went to the first rated prom. Yes.

[Taylor Cassidy]

I'm gonna need that documentary.

[Tyra]

Oh, God. Okay. You just made me nervous because I don't do documentaries. I just do little cutesy content. It's gonna come. It's gonna come.

[Taylor Cassidy]

Creative challenge. Yeah.

[Tyra]

Yeah, it's gonna come. Let me start the artist, right? And then we'll get it.

[Tara]

We'll get it together.