“My Voice is Not an Apology.”– Nayyirah Waheed
“The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.”– Mohamed Najumi
Dear Fellow Warrior,
I filmed this video last month, shortly after my last poetry performance on June 10th. It took me some time to edit… someday, I’ll have a real video editor!
The link:
Still, I’m proud to finally share this update on my channel. Even if the quality isn’t perfect, this video is very special to me, and proud of the effort. It’s my first long-form video of the year… and my first long-form video in Hijab. That makes it feel more significant.
In the video, I thank my new subscribers... share some progress on both the inward and outward revolution… offer a few initial impressions of my Umrah experience and the recent decision to wear Hijab… and share some brief thoughts on the situation in Palestine.
I also include a few personal observations, insights, and experiences… and reference a few recent publications.
This video was something I had originally hoped to post back in April after returning from Umrah… but I’m glad I finally got to it now. I think the timing feels right, and perhaps even better.
I’ll be sharing a longer video later this summer… going into more detail on my Umrah experience and my Hijab story.
The next video will continue my Academic and PhD Journey series… one that will speak to my case for the 2025–26 academic market, and also offer some lessons, insights, and advice I’ve picked up over the past three years.
I hope you’ll tune in to watch that later this month!
I also encourage others who are on the market to consider making your own elevator pitch videos… and pinning them at the top of your social media profiles.
I think that’s starting to trend in the general job market… and it could be helpful for the academic job market as well.
Please feel free to share, subscribe, and follow me on YouTube.
I’m looking forward to continuing my journey there. I really enjoy creating these videos… and I’m excited to share more content, hopefully from future travels around the world, too.
As I’ve said before, there’s less pressure and more creative space on YouTube compared to platforms like Instagram and Facebook… so I’m hoping to build more momentum there for the rest of the year.
The algorithm is still tricky and frustrating, but you have to enjoy the experience, process, and the journey itself to sustain it…
I am almost there in reaching the milestone of 200 subscribers! Would love your support in that. I truly appreciate it! I’m also grateful to those who view my videos and find value in them.
I’m glad this was the final long-form video from my YouTube channel that I shared on Facebook and social media. To watch those videos, I will share them here and other spaces, and just ask people to watch them directly from those spaces.
I’d love for you to watch this and let me know what you think. And I hope you’ll return to YouTube to catch future videos!
Thank you so much for giving my voice a chance. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made… especially in defeating my anxiety and growing in my public speaking challenge, through my YouTube journey.
I think I’ve come a long way since I released my first video three years ago… on the one-year anniversary of my virtual doctoral defense. And inshallah, it will only get better from here.
We grow by showing up… by putting ourselves out there… and fighting that “perfectionism paralysis.”
Looking forward to continuing this journey for the inward and outward Revolution, embracing authenticity and promoting belonging, speaking the “language of our souls” unapologetically.
Thank you to those who have been with me on this journey.
“Courage starts by showing up, and letting ourselves be seen.” -Dr. Brene Brown
In Solidarity and Peace,
Your sister,
Dr. Elsa, Warrior KQueen
“She wasn’t looking for a Knight. She was looking for a Sword.” – Atticus
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Thank you for reading and engaging!
You can learn more about my work here.
Feel free to subscribe to my academic newsletter, “The Qualitative Inquisition (Qi),” for insights on all things qualitative in the social sciences.
You can also subscribe to my creative atomic newsletter, “Sword Dispatch: The WkQ Letters,” which curates the work from Chronicles of a Warrior KQueen, for insights on intersectionality, mental health, identity, and social justice issues.
I welcome discussion. If you find my work inspiring and necessary, I appreciate your support as I continue my academic, writing, and creative journey. Check out my page here to learn more.
Thank you, and I wish you well on your own professional, academic, or creative journey!
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