Malcolm X Doc Diary | Day 1 VLog
Angel Elliott
Day one is a wrap! Check out my vlog. No makeup, super raw, super tired, but feeling ambitious and energized.
Angel
Don't Panic.
Angel Elliott
I've become a cryer. A sniveling, sentimental, cryer. As ridiculous as that sounds I'm owning up to it.
In my past, in relationships, friendships, nothing could make me cry. But as I delve into older adulthood, comfortably in my late twenties, things that wouldn't have made a difference to me in the past, losing people, some tense situations, make me cry. At first I wondered if this emotionalism was a sign of weakness. At first I wondered if I lost my muscle, if I'd changed. But then I realized crying is just as human as laughing, as yelling, as moaning. It's the physical embodiment of how you're feeling and although every situation doesn't call for it - don't let anyone denigrate you, or make you feel bad for expressing yourself through tears. It's a language God understands. It means your HUMAN. Who wants to be a robot, or be with a robot?
Don't panic if you cry. Don't panic if you feel overwhelmed with the business of living. CRY. Let that shit out. Then get over it, for good. For me, crying is a release, a catharsis. Once I've had that one GOOD BIG cry, it's like the emotions of the situation have poured out, and I'm whole again.
I share this personal bit of me with you because I've come to understand that even though I can be a secretive, very introverted person, sharing my experience is what makes me relatable. It's what gives me the ability to reach you. I hope to update TheAngelEra.com WAY more in 2015. It's my baby.
In the mean time, tell me what makes you cry?
Where Have I Been.
Angel Elliott
Well...
Title change, investigative journalist. Delving into the social and systemic reasons why society functions the way it does can take you to the deepest, darkest recesses of humanity that you wouldn't think, or want to think, exist. Every new job you take opens something new in you than the previous, it challenges you in a different way and makes you look at yourself in a different light. This one has made me understand that my mission is bigger than me - it's made me reflect on my mission as a journalist and a person.
I want to do more than write and report... I want to edify and sustain, I want to open eyes - and be the bridge to cultures and people, societies, countries... And in order to do that it will take a focus and ambition in me that's been a little reticent in the past. I now understand that revolutionary change has to start with self-transformation - and reflection. Dissent from social dogma is essential, and that basically means not giving a sh*t what people think, which is of course, easier said than done.
So, to answer the question, I've been working, and in truth I've been on a journey of sorts. I hope to update more because this site is my baby. Hope you all are well, happy Monday.
- Angel
Only Do It If You Love It
Angel Elliott
Two thousand sixteen (2016) will mark my 10th year as a working, professional journalist, not a "cut and paste" journo as my good friend and fellow journo Jawn Murray would call it, haha. I've been grinding, busting my a*s, shedding blood, sweat, and tears, and giving a song to those who don't have a voice to tell their story, or the eyes to see the world's reality, I've shed light, I've entertained, I've infuriated, and now, I've come to a real turning point in my career.
A lot of folks get into professions that are in front of the camera or in the entertainment/news industry not because they have the passion for it, but because they want the glamour, and fame, they want all the goodness that comes after years of hard work. They aren't willing to wake up at 3AM for a pre-set then work 18 hour shoot days, or get told off, demeaned, and belittled by directors nah. They won't put in the work. Let me tell you my friends, this sh*t ain't easy. As strong as I am, as much pride as I have, I've been humbled by this business. I've been an intern, a PA, an A.P., a producer, a senior producer, a coffee retriever, a lighting specialist, a hair fluffer, an ego booster, talent, reporter, director, I live and die for this sh*t, and that's literally the only way you can truly make it in this profession - wait - not just this profession, in whatever you choose to do. I'm sure you've seen that meme floating around on IG that says, "You can't cheat the grind."
I may not have kids, or a husband, but my career has been both. And that may seem sad, but the love of journalism and my family has sustained me, it's filled my creative cup. It's kept me up at night, it's made me lose friends, gain friends - part with men who didn't understand or respect my ambition. It's been a pathetic fallacy that I am not willing to part with - and now, as my first decade of this love is coming to a close, I'm excited for the next chapter. To grow my production company, to create new series, host new shows, network anew and refuel this love of mine for the profession thats been a burden, a friend, a lover, and a constant for almost a decade. You won't get it if you don't feel passionate about something like I do.
I hope everyone can find something that's as important to you, that's your passion, that you can tell the world about, learn from, and grow with. But listen, don't do it for the 'gram, only do it if you love it.
Cop these Summertime Fine Essentials: Part 1
Angel Elliott
Happy Spring Equinox folks! As it gets a little warmer (for a second,) we're all reminded that bikini/trunk season is upon us! Even though abs are made in the winter, who says you can't ramp up that fitness and beauty routine in the short months before summer?
A summer ago, while preparing to host the BET Awards red carpet, my trainer Deanna Jefferson worked me out to death in the morning (smile,) but also recommended that I try paleo, a diet which consists of the raw bones food essentials, unprocessed meats, tons of veggies, some fruit, and absolutely no grains. When I combined that with my diet, I shred 8 pounds in a week, no, I didn't starve, I ate well, and hit the gym in the AM. I won't delve into the ins and outs of dieting and exercise JUST yet in this post, but I'll say if you're trying to tone quickly, paleo and morning workouts are whats up.
There are some beauty items that I can't live without in my warm weather arsenal. I have sensitive skin, it gets irritated quickly so keeping my epidermis hydrated & exfoliated is an absolute must.
African Shea Butter - Shea butter is literally fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree, so if you buy it in it's 100% form, it's all natural. Not only does it keep your skin incredible hydrated, clears scarring, heals sunburn and small wounds, reduces the appearance of stretch marks, tightens skin, and protects it, but you can use it as a super moisturizing shaving cream! What more could you want? If you get Grade A shea butter, it has a kind of smoky smell, but you'll get use to it after witnessing so many benefits. Oh yeah, it will give your legs a sexy sheen when it's time to rock those booty shorts! The one you see above is the exact one I purchase from my favorite African store.
Virgin Coconut Oil - I already sung the praises of coconut oil in a previous post, but just as a recap, cooking with this and adding it in smoothies, oatmeal etc can help reduce belly fat. You can also rub it in your scalp, and on your body for a great, light-weight moisturizer.
African Black Soap - African black soap is made from dried plantain skins, palm leaves, cocoa pod powder, and kernel oil. I use this soap every single day. Sometimes it's embarrassing to pull out this big a*s, misshapen hunk of blackish-brown stuff when I'm traveling, but I'll always use it - here's why. Black soap deep cleans your skin, and the cleaner your skin is, the better moisturizer will work on your skin because your pores aren't clogged. It clears skin bumps, acne and will remove every single speck of makeup on your face - even pesky mascara that seems to take a week to lift.
AmLactin - If your skin is dry, or sensitive, or you have eczema, AmLactin is a miracle lotion. It has 12% ammonium lactate, which is lactic acid and ammonium hydroxide. I know, I know, this sounds like some type of freaky experiment, but the dope thing about this lotion is that after you put it on, it continues to moisturize your skin throughout the day and essentially disintegrates dry layers of skin. I've been using this lotion since I was 12. It use to be prescription only, but the good 'ol folks decided to make it over the counter. DO NOT use this if you're allergic to ammonium lactate, glycerin, mineral oil, propylene glycol, or parabens.
Soap & Glory's Scrub for Your Life - Simply put - this is my favorite body exfoliant ever. Smells great, works amazing, and isn't to rough on your skin.
Tonalin CLA - So, this is my cellulite secret. Tonalin CLA not only helps you build lean muscle, but for me at least, it eliminates any extra lumps and tightens the skin. This is a MUST for bikini season. Drink tons of water and hit the treadmill with this ladies. You can't wolf down pizza then pop some CLA and expect it to work. I'm naturally hippy and uh, thigh-y thanks to genetics. But the upside is a waist that stays perpetually small, the CLA definitely enhances my curves and keeps them tight.
The last tip I'll give for this post are the benefits of meal prep. If you prepare meals at the top of the week for the entire week, you'll be more likely to eat healthy as oppose to getting too tired to cook and making bad nutritional choices. We're all busy, but preparing your meals will also leave you with a little more time to do other things during your busy week.
Once again, I'm not a doctor. Take this sh*t at your own risk, but all of these products work for me. Look out for Part 2, I'll be interviewing a fitness pro about how to get that bikini body. Me? I've started Insanity this week. Will post results soon!
My Birthday Weekend in the Wild
Angel Elliott
The woods, the wild, women I love, a gorgeous cabin complete with tons of champ & healthy food. A perfect weekend.
This year for my birthday I decided to host a girls' weekend in Elkton, VA instead of having a club party (now I'm having a club party as well) lol. The women I invited aren't only my friends, but hard working, successful folks who all need a break from the hustle and bustle of urban life. It was amazing to have almost all the elements of my life that I love come together. Brilliance.
Thanks to Reebok Classic and Andre Hopson for providing the ladies and I with the dopest Alicia Keys Reebok Court sneakers. I gifted my girls with personalized silver Swiss Army Knives, flashlights, EOS lip balm, engraved dog tags, a camo bandana, and camo shot glasses. I thought it was important to make my guests feel special because too often, women don't show their appreciation for each other.
Saturday night after a delicious dinner consisting of grilled chicken, lime shrimp and seasoned veggies, lobster bisque with crab, and my homegirl's bangin' mac & cheese, we lit a fire, and sat outside under a clear sky and full moon. Tons of drinks and full bellies had a sleepy, but the best part was being able to just go to bed after a full fun day. The experience was invaluable, I can't wait to do it again. Happy birthday to me!
- Angel
Lessons I Learned While Hiking the Catoctin: Sleeping is Not for Losers
Angel Elliott
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have this insatiable desire to be outside. While at my office, I'm mentally planning my next hiking excursion or trip. I started a group called Pretty Girls Hike so that I could encourage my fellow urbanite ladies to get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer. I've found that somehow, being amongst the trees, rushing water, mountains and beaches is undoubtedly my happy place.
I've been crazy busy lately, with sweeps (Sweeps are basically the period in TV where new shows are made and broken, new shows are pitched during upfronts, old shows get the boot etc. Very stressful.), TV show collaborations (which I'm excited about, and will chat about later), a new show that I'm hosting for Aspire TV that's getting ready to tape, writing a book, running my production company AND trying to keep my sanity all in check. I won't complain, I thank God I'm busy, because the opposite would be just as hellish. But the point is, with all of these indoor activities keeping me grounded, the desire to get out and hike reached a fever pitch by last week!
It's been cold as a sh*t outside, like unseasonably cold thanks to good 'ol Global Warming, so for most of my friends going outside in the elements was out of the question. Imagine my excitement when my girlfriend said we should go hiking! I packed my hiking gear up, and went to bed. I was in New York the night before, so I caught a 3 a.m. train back to D.C. where I hopped off, changed into my gear in the Union Station bathroom (had a bunch of homeless folks giving me the side-eye, like I infringed on their territory or something) then got in my car and drove to my girlfriend's house. We decided on the Catoctin Mountains because neither of us had been there, and the reviews for the trails were great.
As we drove up the highway, and the mountains came into view, the scenery was breathtaking. Slowly the landscape turned from farmland into woods with cabins, hunting lodges, and of course the Catoctin Mountain ranges which steadily rose over the winding roads we traveled to the trailhead. It was obvious that when warm, the Catoctin Mountains was filled with lakes, streams and tons of flora and fauna. Now I understand why Camp David is nestled in this little slice of bucolic glory. We got out at the info center. Immediately we saw a group of hikers with trekking polls, snow boots and skiing gear. I said, "Trekking polls? They don't need trekking polls in this weather." Even one of the hikers had on shorts, so we thought we'd be fine. Needless to say, being the adventurous duo that we are, we started up the mountain, taking our own path, and it quickly ascended. Every path we took was covered in snow, that was covered in a layer of ice. I even took to marking our trail after my girl remarked that getting back would be a b*tch. All the pure white snow was dizzying. Each way looked the same, and even for an experienced hiker like myself, I knew it was time to cut our losses.
After awhile, we decided to abandon our trip for a warmer, less snowy day. I wasn't cold at the time, but little did I know that the cold air had already seeped into my chest. After jumping back in her Range, we decided to drive awhile to enjoy the scenery. We went off-road and drove into this secluded community of quaint little gorgeous cabins. The higher we went, the more gorgeous the view. Thurmont, MD is definitely a little treasure.
Fast forward some, I got home, and immediately felt a little tickle in my chest, that turned into a cough, that turned into my entire body aching incessantly. Needless to say, by time I woke up the next morning, I had a full blown cold, or so I thought. Being the OG that I am, I tried to soldier through that sh*t. I took my Source Naturals Wellness Formula, boiled peeled ginger root and lemon, and took some willow bark root supplements (Willow bark root is what aspirin is made from essentially.) All these things usually knock out whatever I have going on, remember I told you I rarely get sick? They did provide temporary relief, but by the third night of no rest, and almost passing out while brushing my teeth, I knew something was not right. Called my daddy, got him to take me to the emergency room, and as it turns out, I got bronchitis. Lawd Jesus.
The doctor gave me antibiotics, some narcotics (woohoo! j/k) to calm my body aches, and sent me on my way. Before he discharged me he said,
"You've got to slow down. You shouldn't have gone to work for three days feeling like this. I could tell you felt like crap when I walked in the room. Take care of yourself."
I am paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it. Listen ladies & gents, in our quest to become the greatest and achieve, sometimes we ignore signs that our bodies are about to shut down. We live in a culture where getting sleep means you aren't working hard enough. Where taking care of your body beyond hitting those squats to get that J.Lo booty means we have too much time on our hands. How many times have you seen someone tweet, 'I'll sleep when I die.' NOTHING IS WRONG WITH SLEEP. I repeat, nothing is wrong with getting some sleep. Your brain works better, your body feels better, and you live on another day to fight the good fight.
I'll never forget reading this Time Magazine editorial by one of my favorite journalist Touré. He talked about how musicians perpetuate this cultural of non-sleep and they champion those who don't take care of their bodies essentially. He said, "The attitude that sleeping is for losers is endemic to America and especially the music business." It's true. And what do most people do? Follow (or try to follow) the lifestyles of their favorite music icons. It's the same in journalism. My fellow journalist friends are absolute vampires. I swear we made a contract with Dracula himself because we're literally like, the living dead.
What I didn't tell you at the beginning of this, was that prior to my hiking excursion, I'd stayed up writing a treatment while on the train ride back to D.C. instead of getting any sleep, I hadn't slept a good three hours the night before, or the night before that. Besides having a 9-5, running your own business means you operate it on borrowed time. The point is, my a*s should have been napping on that Acela! Not finding time to sleep is like forgetting to eat. Your body literally needs that time to recharge and function correctly. The combination of me not sleeping, not getting enough breakfast AND the cold weather all contributed to this stupid illness. Had my body been better equipped, I probably would have been able to fight off something that turned into Bronchitis. The other downside? I've been too hurt-up to update this wonderful site, and interact with y'all. :( But these good 'ol narcotics are working just fine, and I'm up! For now.
My advice? Love yourself by getting sleep. Yes, people champion the nocturnal, but they champion those tired, non-sleeping folks after they've gotten their own eight hours. You better believe it.
Zzzzzz....