Read More: The advice we give, the habit we ignore, and the books that shaped my craft.

The other day, a colleague shared that they had been let go from a job they genuinely enjoyed. The reason? Their writing required too much editing.

They asked for guidance on how to keep moving forward in journalism. One piece of advice they were given was simple: “Read more.”

Later, I learned this colleague had scaled back their reading habits.

Within the same hour, I saw a post on social media claiming there are people on Substack who can't write, and it shows.

There have been seasons when my own writing felt dull. That's usually when I realize I've stopped reading. And stopped creating. Craft requires feeding.

You cannot expect depth if you're not consuming depth. 

These are the books that shaped my craft.

The Elements of Style 
by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

Anyone who writes for a living should read this book. Not just once. Revisit it yearly. It's a slim volume, but it reminds you that clarity is kindness to the reader.

Working with Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors
by Brian S. Brooks, James L. Pinson, and Jean Gaddy Wilson


A concise guide to correctness and style. Ideal for journalists. It delivers practical advice on writing and formatting for print, broadcast, and digital media.

Aim for the Heart: Write, Shoot, Report, and Produce for TV and Multimedia
by Al Tompkins


I’m a longtime fan of Al Tompkins. His stories were precise and human. This book teaches you how to think visually, emotionally, and structurally at the same time.

Make It Memorable: Writing and Packaging TV News with Style
by Bob Dotson


You don't have to be a broadcast journalist to benefit from this book. You'll learn how to find compelling characters and shape stories that linger long after they're told.

Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction
by James B. Stewart


A masterclass in narrative nonfiction. Stewart breaks down the techniques behind deeply reported, character-driven storytelling. It's an indispensable guide whether you're writing books, long-form articles, features, or memoirs.

Paint with words

There have been long stretches in my own life when I didn't pick up a book. I used to read constantly during my commute from Montclair to New York City. Those long train rides built reading into my routine.

Now I work from home. The commute is gone. So I have to be intentional. I bring a book with me on solo dates. Coffee. Dinner. A nightcap. If I’m out alone, I read.

There are brilliant writers in the world. And yes, there are some whose words fall flat.

Not every book will be right for you. But if you consider yourself a creative journalist, aspiring novelist, poet, or songwriter, you should be reading. Collect quotes. Underline passages. Squirrel away sentences that spark something in you.

One of my favorite poets once said, “Take the time to paint with words.” — Jill Scott

If you take the time to paint with words, the reader won’t just understand you. They'll see it.

Brushstrokes of Balance: The Warning Label Didn’t Fail Me. My Doctors Did

(Image created with AI using ChatGPT DALL·E)

In 2002, a government-funded study changed the course of menopause care in America. The Women’s Health Initiative linked Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to serious health risks like breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots.

The Food and Drug Administration responded by adding a black box warning to the labels of hormone therapy. It was the agency’s most serious alert, causing widespread fear. Women stopped asking for HRT. Doctors stopped recommending it.

What got overlooked was a key detail: most of the women in that study were in their sixties. Many were long past the age when perimenopause symptoms begin. But that nuance got buried, and millions of women were left without real answers or support.

I didn’t even know about the 2002 hormone therapy study until two years ago. By then, my body had already begun to change. I just didn’t know what to call it. All I had was a list of symptoms.

• Brain fog 
• Joint pain
• A weird metal taste in my mouth that only salt could fix
• Hair shedding in clumps
• Itchy skin
• Zero motivation
• Tears that came out of nowhere
• My creativity? Gone.
• My menstrual cycle? Unpredictable.

I thought I was losing my mind.

TikTok saved me.

Women my age were posting about symptoms I never heard linked to perimenopause. And to be honest, it was my first time seeing or hearing the word "perimenopause." No one ever mentioned this to me before. It wasn’t just hot flashes, well, in my case, I have sleep sweats. It didn't matter what time of the day it was; if I slept, I sweated. It was the internal unraveling I was going through, and suddenly, I wasn’t alone.

So I went to my gynecologist. I was 48. She told me I was too young.

Then I went to my family care doctor. She chalked it all up to stress. But here’s the thing, I wasn’t stressed. I landed one of my dream jobs. I felt inspired. I felt good about where my career was heading. So why was I crying over dog food commercials?

It didn’t make sense.

I left those appointments with no answers, just frustration. That’s when two women I’d followed on TikTok for years slid into my DMs after I left a comment on a perimenopause video of another content creator. They told me in so many words to advocate for myself. To ask for hormone testing. To research HRT.

When I brought it up to my doctor, she warned me about the risks.

What she didn’t tell me? Those risks were based on outdated data from a 2002 study focused on women much older than me. What she should have said is what a recent Washington Post opinion piece made clear: the Food and Drug Administration’s black box warning scared a generation of women and doctors into silence.

So I took a different route and did a deep dive into handling my symptoms, starting with what I put into my body. I shifted my diet. I added more protein. I started taking cod liver oil, magnesium citrate, and a veggie capsule that includes freeze-dried lion’s mane mushroom and chia seeds.

I also found a GYN who practices natural herbal care. She blended a custom collection of dried teas, salves, body oils, and tinctures to help me manage the symptoms. And honestly, I chalk it up to this: before the FDA existed, what did our ancestors rely on to heal? Natural plants, flowers, oils, and remedies pulled from the earth.

I cut back on wine, too. I went from two or three glasses a night to just a few a month. And I feel better. Lighter. Not perfect, but clearer. More in tune with myself.

Now I’m working on building consistency with movement. I take long walks with a weighted vest, stretch regularly, and do light strength training. Some days, I still crash from random waves of exhaustion, but I can manage it.

I honestly don’t know how women with full-time jobs are juggling all of this while showing up every day.

Looking back, losing my dream job may have been a blessing in disguise. It gave me the time and space to understand what is happening to my body and figure out how to manage it.

Freelancing gave me room to reset and rebuild. And now, with the tools in place and a better understanding of what I need, I feel ready to return to full-time work. This time, with more balance, clarity, and self-awareness.

What frustrates me is that it didn’t have to be this hard. I shouldn’t have had to crowdsource a diagnosis from social media. I shouldn’t have been brushed off by professionals trained to listen.

And I definitely shouldn’t have been told I was “too young” when I was right on time.

The FDA has a chance to make this right. However, we can also do so by talking about it. By reminding each other we’re not crazy, our bodies are just changing.

And that change doesn’t have to mean suffering in silence.

Related Stories

• Menopause is finally breaking out of its shell
• Let's Please Talk About Menopause
• The Art of Women's Health
• Melinda French Gates Organization Launches Action for Women's Health

If you have a story, new research, or artwork that is ideal for Brushstrokes of Balance: The Art of Women's Health, please send your pitches to TamikaCodyJournalist@gmail.com. 
Please include "Women's Health" in the subject line.

Brushstrokes of Balance: Menopause is finally breaking out of its shell

(Image created with AI using ChatGPT DALL·E) 

Perimenopause has been kicking my ass. 

When I first had the "brilliant idea" to add a women's health section to this blog, I was in the thick of it. I had just lost a dream job. My hair was falling out. I couldn't sleep. I had no appetite. I cried without warning. And I was dragging around a garage full of emotions I didn't have the energy to unpack.

I had so many plans for Brushstrokes of Balance. I wanted to write honestly about what my body was going through. I wanted to amplify stories from other women facing the same invisible battles. I wanted to highlight research, articles, podcasts, anything to help break the silence around menopause.

But the fog of perimenopause wouldn't let me lift a pen.

Until now.

So what changed? Honestly, I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. The depression that anchored me down started to ease up. My curiosity came back. My voice returned. And I knew it was time to pick up from where I left off.

Just this morning, I opened Spotify to catch up on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's podcast Chasing Life. There it was, two full episodes on menopause. And not just that, he handed the mic to CNN's Meg Tirrell to host them. Finally, someone understood the assignment.

Let a woman lead the conversation on women's health.

• Making Sense of Menopause

• How Samantha Bee is Surviving Menopause

Then, as if the universe wanted to make sure I really got the memo, I saw a headline in my inbox from The New York Times: "10 Menopause Myths Experts Can't Stand."

    TLDR

Myth 1: It’s just hot flashes. 

Myth 2: ‘Everything’ is a menopause symptom. 

Myth 3: Hormone therapy is dangerous. 

Myth 4: Hormones are the only treatment option. 

Myth 5: ‘Natural’ treatments are safer. 

Myth 6: You just need to tough it out. 

Myth 7: Symptoms don’t last long. 

Myth 8: Your sex life will never be great again. 

Myth 9: Perimenopausal women can’t get pregnant. 

Myth 10: Going through menopause is always awful.

And just like that, the words rolled in: Menopause is finally breaking out of its shell.

And here's the good news. So am I.

This space is open again. I'm back to share my truth, tell the stories, and reconnect with the version of myself that has something to say. Whether you're deep in perimenopause or just starting to notice the shift, Brushstrokes of Balance is for us.

I may not experience hot flashes often, but when they do appear, usually while I'm sleeping, they remind me that something inside is still stirring, changing, and evolving.

Related Stories

• Let's Please Talk About Menopause
• The Art of Women's Health
• Melinda French Gates Organization Launches Action for Women's Health

If you have a story, new research, or artwork that is ideal for Brushstrokes of Balance: The Art of Women's Health, please send your pitches to TamikaCodyJournalist@gmail.com. 
Please include "Women's Health" in the subject line.

Not Grieving, Just Noticing: Catching Feelings for a Ghost

Some stories sit in your chest for years, quietly waiting to be told.

This one wasn’t easy.

It’s not even about grief, not exactly.

It’s about absence.

And the ache of what was never offered.

Better Said Than Written · Not Grieving, Just Noticing: Catching Feelings for a Ghost.

What would you do if someone from your past, someone you never really knew, ended up in the hospital… and you suddenly felt something? This episode of Better Said Than Written began with a simple text from my sister.

By the end, it became a reflection on complicated family ties, unexpected emotions, and the kind of longing we rarely talk about out loud. It’s not about closure.

It’s about noticing the silence.

And realizing how loud it really is.

Quote Highlight: “You can’t miss what you never had.” — Hunter S. Thompson

Want to share your story?

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or share your thoughts here → tamikacody.com/contact

Or leave a voice message or send a text to 2O2.57O.4554 Follow or tag Tamika on Twitter: @tamikacody

Brushstrokes of Balance: Let's Please Talk About Menopause

Wen Shen is on a mission to raise awareness about menopause, as a boom of women hit mid-life in the U.S. 

(The following is an edited excerpt from John Hopkins University's blog - HUB. Emily Gaines Buchler is the author of the article.) 

When Shen is the director of the Women's Wellness & Healthy Aging Program at Johns Hopkins, she will appear in the PBS documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause to help sound the alarm about the dire need for more research on and support for women in and beyond midlife and debunk misinformation and stigmas surrounding this natural life phase that all women who live through midlife go through.

The M Factor is the first-ever widely publicized documentary on menopause in the United States. Given the dearth of quality resources and information available to women and even health care providers nationwide, this reality doesn't surprise Shen and her colleagues. It comes on the heels of a proposed bipartisan U.S. congressional bill, The Menopause Research and Equity Act of 2023, for the National Institutes of Health to review existing research on women at midlife—and to fund additional research to fill in knowledge gaps, "of which there are many," Shen says.

 

Read more about The M Factor.

About 'Brushstrokes of Balance: Art of Women's Health'

If you have a story, new research, or artwork ideal for Brushstrokes of Balance: The Art of Women's Health - send your pitches to TamikaCodyJournalist@gmail.com. Please include "Women's Health" in the subject line.