Pixie Self-Care

"Self-care" is a poorly defined buzz word that can mean anything or nothing. But! It does convey the basic concept of caring for one's self in terms of both consideration and support.

I will not be sharing soothing spa rituals, smoothie recipes, or guided meditation (not that there's anything wrong with those). I want to explore concepts of care in mental health and related issues.

I am not a licensed mental health professional and I do not want to misrepresent myself.

I am an academic, advocate, and mentor. I've studied psychology, sociology, adolescence, feminism and gender, and media studies within and outside of universities for more than twenty years. I have a Master's degree in Social Science and I stay current with research journals and literature.

I am also an avid consumer of pop culture. I use my fandom to express myself, to build and foster community, and to create connections with students and clients.

"MA" means I went to school for a total of 21 years. I attended 12 years of public education, 4 years at Brandeis University for my BA, and 5 years at Wesleyan University for my Master's degree (part time because I'm a working single mom).

"LS" stands for "Liberal Studies" and means I designed my own program of study. I focus on the intersections of pop culture and mental health so my concentration was Social Sciences. I mainly took courses in Psychology, Anthropology, and Media Studies.

I include: film, television, streaming video, novels, poetry, graphic novels and comics, animation, theater, dance, music, visual arts, fashion, memes, toys and collectibles, social media, food and drink, sports, video games, architecture, amusement parks, pets.

I am a cisgender woman in my forties. I live in the same small New England suburban city/college town I grew up in and work for the same college my father worked for. Politically I'm a leftist, a bohemian revolutionary or anarcho-communist. I am pansexual but mainly attracted to fictional characters. I am spiritual but not religious. 

It refers to the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' trope, which I self-identify as, and to Tinker Bell, the fairy of Peter Pan and Disneyland fame. You can read more about both in this essay.

No, my newsletter is free to read.

No. The newsletter posts are archived on this site and are all available to the public. The Archive table of contents is protected by a password provided to subscribers or you may purchase access at Ko-fi.

You are encouraged to share direct links to posts! The archive protection is merely for organization and statistics.

Please feel free to contact me on twitter or email: anika@manicpixiedust.com.