Words. Words came easy, just grunts set to a common melody. The writing aspect of Act Like a Grrrl, the connection of pen to paper, watching the ink dry, that was the easy part.
However, knowledge of the grrrl using the pen took/takes and will always take effort,
Ajayi (aka Y, aka Faso) in the 2009 ALAG circle.
and fucktons of it. ALAG is what you make it; it is what you make it. Because I gave my all, because I placed myself under a magnifying glass and exposed and explored and accepted all aspects of myself each year I came back, then whenever pen hits page or fingers touch keyboard I check into myself and am able to write in my truest voice.
Ajayi 2015
Act Like a Grrrl is not just about acting like a grrrl, it is about becoming a grrrl. Honestly, acting like a grrrl isn’t difficult. Camouflaging yourself and putting on the show for Vali, or even fellow grrrls is fairly easy.
But who I was, when no one was watching, when it’s just a pen and some paper that is who will always be there and if I found that the person she was wasn’t who I needed her to be; then I’d pick up the pen and tell her story, however dark or light. Because by allowing her voice to be heard, I was giving her space and time to be healed, honored, and loved.
Ajayi 2016 ❤
ALAG is a space where there was space for the pain, and the dirt, and the grime of myself. And that allowed me to fully embrace the really good parts, of which there are many.
ALAG taught me that my good parts don’t have to be Jenna’s good parts, and that is what keeps the circle fresh and beautiful. I stepped into the circle as authentically me as I could be each year, and they loved me. And they upheld me and supported me in all the best ways.
Ajayi was a GRRRL for 8 years. She is in her first year as a co-leader.
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