When I launched my first website, chatwithharperjack.com, in 2022, I was excited to write blogs and build a foundation for black creatives and my journey as a content creator. I was headstrong on becoming a renowned blogger, with dreams of giving viewers a deeper dive into my life as a student, creative, and potential business owner. When I launched my hair care line, Hair By Harper J, I found myself under major duress with managing the site, and eventually shut the website down in less than two months.
A year later, I relaunched my new website, myblkwmnempowers, as an extension of my academic page @blkwmnscholar. Coming off of a month social media break, many of my followers were apparently awaiting the release of my E-book Don’t drop out: The basics to being a thriving, not surviving, college student. With the launch of my website, I released several academic products as a way to boost my business and hopefully bring in an income as an academic consultant. However, what followed suit was another downfall, with no sales of my E-book or other academic products, as well as a lack of site engagement from myself, rarely writing blogs on a monthly basis.
I was distraught and facing a major creative break, no longer wanting to create academic content, still passionate about the pursuit of education, just not enough to put my energy into content. Not to mention, with the algorithm and taking over a month break, I was bound for a major reset. At first I thought the answer was immediately creating a new Instagram account even though I already had a personal Instagram account. After running with that idea and eventually leaving that page barren, I realized that I might have to take a bigger step and just use my personal Instagram. Nonetheless, I was afraid to merge all avenues (except my crochet account for business purposes,) of my creativity in fear of being perceived.
As a creative, I have grown to learn that “moving in silence” is one of the best ways to work. With no pre-exisiting pressures or no deadlines to meet, I was able to work on my website rebranding in peace and at my own time. I have always pressured myself to be successful, but I did not realize that with those pressures, I have to also give myself grace; grace to fail, and then fail again, grace to learn from my mistakes and then try again. Nobody is expecting me to launch my website in a certain amount of time, so why would I create these pressures for myself?
Before I created itsharperjack.com, I had been struggling with my sense of identity when it came to my content. I knew who I was, what I wanted to create, and most importantly that I wanted to inspire others to take those steps as well. I wanted to build an identity that said “this is Harper”. I was scared to start over, scared to be judged by my peers for creating and posting too much, and most of all, I was scared to fail again.
In the past four months, I have done a lot of soul searching to get me to this point. From rejuvenating my relationship with God, putting that before everything, my mind and spirit has been opened to the reality that I have already claimed my greatest rewards in life, therefore I do not need to rush anything. I so badly desired to be seen as an inspiration that I did not recognize that I already am that through my daily actions. Without Christ, I still believe that I would’ve been in the mindset that I have to live up to the unknown expectations of a false reality.
With itsharperjack.com, I want it to be more than a website or a place to shop my crochet pieces; I want itsharperjack.com to be a platform that encourage individuality, character, faith, and passion. From my prayers to my reality, I could not be more blessed to welcome itsharperjack.com to the world!