RSTraylor

Today's a good day. It's Friday. Your mom cooks a good breakfast before school. Your crush smiles and holds the door open for you after class. You ace that big algebra exam you crammed for at lunch. Your best friend shows you a new TikTok dance and begs you to learn it with them after school. After getting off the bus, you and your best friend rush home to learn the dance. They're so excited, their excitement has spilled over to you, and now, you can't sit still. You have to learn this dance. Plus, you're confident your video will go viral. So, you open your TikTok app to search up the dance to get a hang of it, but the more you watch, the more you feel like you're not good enough to do this. The first person has more rhythm than you. The next person is prettier and thinner. The last person has over a million followers and is dancing in front of their mansion. Suddenly, you don't want to do the dance anymore, and you don't know why you thought you ever could. Despite the fact that you're a skilled dancer with trophies to prove it and your friends and family always say you're the best dancer they know. Your good day is ruined, and you're too embarrassed to admit to your friend why you're no longer in the mood. Surprisingly, so many people have similar experiences in their lifetime. If you ever feel like a fraud and like you don't deserve the praise or accomplishments you receive, you might be suffering from impostor syndrome. Here's my impostor story and a few words of encouragement for anyone who may be feeling the same.---Wattpad and Maybelline have partnered up once again for MNY's Brave Together initiative. This month, for every story submitted under the #BraveTogether Weekly Writeathon, Wattpad and Maybelline will donate $1, up to a total of $40,000 to four leading mental health focused organizations that provide direct support. For more info and how to join, visit wattpad.com/maybelline.…

RSTraylor

🏆 Watty's 2020 Winner🏆 Featured on Wattpad's Fresh ReadsSCREAM meets THE CONJURING in this classic, slasher novel with a predominantly Black cast of characters. Mardi Gras is the best time to live in New Orleans. When rehab escapee, Dmitri, and his friends, including his ex, Anisa, hang out at a newly renovated Airbnb for a weekend of drinking, twerking, and parades, they find out how hard it is to stay alive. Black people and horror movie scenarios usually don't mix. Will Anisa ever forgive him for the end of their relationship? Will they survive the night to find out if it's really meant to be?T/W for graphic violence and mentions of sexual assault. Content Warning: Drugs/Alcohol and Language…

RSTraylor

What it means to be strong is subjective to a person's experience. After years of pretending to be strong and okay through life's up and downs as a young, Black girl, a devastating breakup sends me into a whirlwind of depression and anxiety. Intense feelings and thoughts send me on a dark path I never thought I would travel. I suffer inside until I'm finally brave enough to reach out for support from my friends and family. Their overwhelming support and compassion lead me to getting the help I need to begin my healing and recovery journey.***I am thrilled to be working with Maybelline to help bring awareness to Anxiety and Depression that many of us deal with - especially since the start of the pandemic. I hope that sharing my story helps us to truly be #bravetogether and break the stigma around mental illness.I would love to hear your story about your own journey. Even better - for every story submitted, Wattpad and Maybelline will donate $1 to Crisis Text Line! For more info and how to join in, visit wattpad.com/maybelline. Thanks for reading!…