Carefree Mag @ mentioned you 💌

we're so back!

Hey y’all,

It’s been a hot minute! And guess what? We’re baaaaack! Well, almost. I’m dusting off the cobwebs to let you know that we’ll be all up in your world with gorgeous new stories from Black women around the globe on life, love, and adventure next week! And to my surprise, there are so many new faces since I was last in your inbox—shook is an understatement. If you’re new here, welcome to the Carefree crew 🎉 and if you’re an OG, thanks for continuing to support the mission 💅🏿

Believe it or not, I’m firmly Type B. And if that’s you too, I do NOT recommend bringing in the new year from another country. A zero out of ten experience. When I got back from Detty December, work was banging on my door, adulting duties were yelling my name, and my suitcase SAT in the middle of my living room unpacked for two whole weeks, taunting me. You can imagine how long it took me to get into my 2025 energy! Despite all that, it was a much needed holiday break, and now I’m ready to drop our latest batch stories! But first, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. Bare with me—I would love your support.

I believe in Black writers getting paid for their work. I believe in it so much that I pay every writer I publish out of my own pocket. While I’d love to do this for as long as I can, let’s be real, it’s not sustainable. Money is energy ✨ and I’d love your help in continuing to do this. If you believe Carefree’s mission to amplify Black women and our stories is valuable, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or supporting our writer fund!

For the new crew, here’s how it works:

A story from a Black female author will hit your inbox every(ish) Monday morning. I source, edit, and publish everything, and I’m proud to say they’re all originally written for Carefree—unless I, very rarely, say otherwise. I don’t want you to miss out, or even worse, have these go to spam (gasp!) so:

1. Add carefree@substack.com to your email contacts list

2. If you don’t see the newsletter Monday morning, check spam and mark it as not spam.

3. Hit me up if you’re not seeing the newsletters in your inbox or Substack App (for those subscribed via the app)

Sharing this newsletter is such a small, but deeply appreciated gesture. The more our Carefree community grows, the more we can make happen, so share with a friend!

Whew, this is a lot, but one last thing—we’re hosting events this year!

Last year, I ran a survey to ask about what sort of events you’d like to see us host, and you voted for IRL community events and digital workshops, so you’re getting exactly that! We have a few digital and IRL events coming up, with more to come throughout the year.

Upcoming Events

📅 March 22nd, 12-2pm: Writers Lounge with

BlackStack

. Bring something you’re working on (or want to work on) and let’s write together! You’ll meet other Black writers, work on prompts, and have the opportunity to get feedback on your work📍IRL in Oakland, CA. RSVP to come.

📅 March 27th, 4-6pm PST: “Rewrite Your Financial Story & Create a Feel Good Relationship with Money” with financial therapist and author of Feel Good Finance, Aja Evans. A financial wellness workshop where we’ll untangle our relationships with money for better mental, emotional, and financial well-being. There will be a raffle for free copies of Aja’s book! 📍Virtual. RSVP Here.

📅 April 6th: Story Stretch is a live chat with me, you, and one of our story authors. We’ll kiki and discuss topics from the story in a fun conversation amongst Black women.📍Substack Live

Thanks for making this community what it is! If you want to keep the convo going outside of our stories, hop into our brand new Carefree subscriber chat! You can ask questions and start conversations about anything, but please keep it PG-13.

See you next week! <3