Through Tragedy and Darkness, The Show Continues.

I recently experienced devastating and unimaginable losses. That first sentence already brings out immediate pain, sadness, and tears. On August 23rd, 2025, I lost my mother. Twelve days later, on September 4th, I lost my brother. It still feels so unreal. Shocking. Speechless. I struggled for a while on whether to share this news on social media. I believed these losses were too personal and private for me to share publicly. Now that some time has passed and things have settled somewhat, I decided that my blog would be the best platform to do so. I believed I could articulate my thoughts best through this medium.

I also struggled for a while to figure out how to re-enter life. How to take steps forward without feeling guilty, bad, or disrespectful. And what I understand is that through tragedy and darkness, the show continues. Life continues. And maybe more importantly, art continues. Art is what I know and understand. Art is my foundation. Art is my reason for being and existence. In addition to the WONDERFUL COMMUNITY that has supported me during this tragic time, art has done the same. In what may seem like a random stream of consciousness, I’d like to thank the following artists and their work for resonating with me and helping me see the light over these last several weeks. These examples may mean nothing to you, arbitrary even, but they have helped me take a step forward in understanding that the show continues, and that it’s okay to do so. Keep reading below.

-Xochitl Gonzalez for writing an incredible second novel, “Anita de Monte Laughs Last.” Like her first amazing novel, “Olga Dies Dreaming”, she always transports me into a world of familiarity and home. Themes of otherness and making your way through the world as that. I understand her characters, references, sense of humor, and journeys in her books. I feel seen and heard through her work. Brooklyn, Boricua, Edward R. Murrow High School forever. Keep reading below.

-“Walk of Fame” by Miley Cyrus featuring Brittany Howard. This song is both melancholy and hopeful. THAT CHORUS. This song tells me to mourn, reflect, get up, and keep going. At times, I feel lonely, and at others, I am surrounded by community. The road is expansive and open with new possibilities. Keep reading below.

-RuPaul’s memoir, “The House of Hidden Meanings.” Mama Ru demonstrates the power of holding on to your postulates and achieving them no matter what. Also, drag queens and drag artists are truly my superheroes. Keep reading below.

-And of course, Madonna’s music. She is the template, the blueprint, for so many things. Her music speaks to my CORE like no other. Her music keeps me going forever. Keep reading below.

-In terms of my own art helping me move forward, I’ve experienced several important milestones. For example, on August 20th, 2025, I completed the third draft of my rugby feature film script and can now finally share this win with all of you. Alongside this, continuing work on the second draft of “The Third Act” feature film script over the past couple of weeks has also felt like a win. In addition, my weekly career administration meetings have enabled me to re-establish routines, tackle to-do lists, and be both personally and professionally vulnerable in a safe space. More recently, on September 15th, 2025, I decided to revisit another feature film script I wrote in order to rewrite action lines into more concise, active descriptions. Looking ahead, it will also be interesting to see how the themes of loss in this script deepen as a result of my current experience with it. And finally, writing this blog entry has been healthy and cathartic. Keep reading below.

(And yes, I’m also making sure to apply self-care!) See you next week.