A

• Affirmation: A spoken or written declaration of truth, often used to rewire belief and build self-trust.

• Allyship: The active process of using privilege to dismantle systems of oppression in solidarity with marginalized communities.

• Authenticity: The practice of showing up in your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable or unconventional.

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B

• Burnout: A state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, especially common in creative and caregiving spaces.

• Boundaries: Limits that protect your time, energy, and emotional well-being. Not walls — but doors with locks.

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C

• Creative Dysmorphia: The distorted perception that your creative work isn’t as good as others see it, often rooted in trauma, perfectionism, or external comparison.

• Community Care: A collective commitment to supporting one another’s well-being, especially in the absence of institutional care.

• Collaboration vs. Extraction: A framework to distinguish mutual exchange from exploitative creative partnerships.

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D

• Decolonization: The intentional unpacking and undoing of systems, beliefs, and aesthetics rooted in colonization — particularly in art, beauty, and storytelling.

• Diversity of Thought: Not just representation in bodies, but in values, experiences, and problem-solving approaches.

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E

• Energetic Boundaries: The invisible lines that protect your spirit and creative flow from draining influences.

• Ecosystem (Creative): A web of people, processes, and platforms that support your artistic and entrepreneurial growth.

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F

• Flow State: A creative rhythm where time disappears, and you’re deeply immersed in your work — often where your best ideas are born.

• Founder's Fatigue: The exhaustion that comes from constantly being the visionary, laborer, and emotional anchor in your own movement.

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G

• Gaslighting: Psychological manipulation that makes someone question their reality — often weaponized against marginalized creatives.

• Graceful Pivot: Changing direction with intention, softness, and alignment — not as failure, but as evolution.

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H

• Healing Work: Any emotional, spiritual, or physical labor done to reconnect with your whole self. This is creative labor.

• Human-Centered Design: Creating systems, products, or experiences that center real needs, emotions, and lived realities.

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I

• Imposter Syndrome: The persistent doubt about one’s legitimacy or talent, even in the face of evidence — common among underrepresented creatives.

• Intersectionality: A term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, recognizing how race, gender, sexuality, class, and other identities intersect and compound oppression.

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J

• Joy as Resistance: The radical act of experiencing joy despite systems built to erase or devalue you.

• Justice-Oriented Storytelling: Narratives that expose harm, amplify truth, and invite transformation — not just clicks.

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K

• Knowledge Equity: The idea that lived experience, ancestral wisdom, and non-academic knowledge are valid forms of expertise.

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L

• Liberatory Design: A method of creating that intentionally disrupts systems of oppression and centers freedom.

• Liminal Space: The “in-between” — the space between what was and what’s becoming. Where transformation brews.

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M

• Mutual Aid: A model of resource sharing that’s horizontal, community-based, and non-transactional.

• Media Literacy: The ability to critically interpret, deconstruct, and create content with awareness of bias, framing, and agenda.

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N

• Neurodivergent: A term that includes ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other brain differences that challenge traditional norms.

• Narrative Sovereignty: The right of individuals and communities to define their own stories, histories, and representation.

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O

• Oppression Fatigue: The exhaustion that comes from constantly navigating and surviving systemic harm — especially online.

• Original Frameworks: Models or terms you've created that help explain complex social or creative truths (e.g., Axis of Assimilation, Creative Dysmorphia).

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P

• Perfectionism: A control-based trauma response rooted in survival — not a personality trait.

• Public Scholarship: Sharing research, ideas, or frameworks with the people it’s meant to serve — outside academic gates.

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Q

• Queer Joy: Unfiltered expression of identity, creativity, and love that exists beyond binary systems or societal rules.

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R

• Rest as Resistance: The reclaiming of rest as a right — especially for Black, Brown, and system-impacted people.

• Radical Imagination: The belief that new, liberated worlds are not only possible — they’re necessary, and we can build them now.

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S

• Soft Power: Influence that comes through care, creativity, and presence — not dominance or noise.

• Shadow Work: The practice of facing and integrating the parts of self we often suppress or hide — necessary for authentic creation.

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T

• Trauma-Informed: An approach that prioritizes safety, choice, and awareness of how past harm shapes present behavior.

• Tokenism: Including underrepresented voices for optics rather than true inclusion or power-sharing.

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U

• Unlearning: The process of releasing internalized systems, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve your liberation or creativity.

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V

• Visibility vs. Exposure: Visibility is being seen. Exposure is being consumed. The difference matters.

• Value-Rooted Work: Projects that center integrity, alignment, and purpose — even if they take longer to build.

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W

• Wellness Washing: When brands or people perform self-care language while perpetuating harm or grind culture.

• Wounded Leadership: Leading from unhealed places — common, but not sustainable without care and reflection.

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X

• eXpressive Liberation: The act of creating without fear, apology, or external validation. (X is hard — but this is real.)

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Y

• Your Voice, Your Terms: A Kim’z Corner mantra. You do not have to bend yourself to be understood. You define what truth sounds like.

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Z

• Zoomed-In vs. Zoomed-Out Thinking: Knowing when to focus on the details and when to step back and see the larger vision — essential for creative strategy.