What Gets Us Through
The Weekly 007: From the Super Bowl stage to small cafes in Brooklyn and Atlanta, we all just want to feel human again.
“The world is in peril,” Mrinank Sharma, a former AI safety researcher at Anthropic (the parent company of Claude), shared in his recent resignation letter. He added that his sentiment was not solely about the state of artificial intelligence, but rather “from a whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment.”
“We appear to be approaching a threshold where our wisdom must grow in equal measure to our capacity to affect the world,” he continued, “lest we face the consequences.”
We are living through very strange times, I think the vast majority of us are conscious of this. And while it’s important to be aware of what’s happening around us, and hear multiple perspectives outside of our own, I’m also getting a little tired of just talking.
Each of us have a choice: we could sit here and endlessly complain about everything wrong with the world, or we can actually to do something to change it. I’m choosing the latter by making time to gather with real people, in real life.
This past Friday, I traveled to Atlanta to co-host The Word Salon with my friend Audrey Williams. We discussed the work of writer Kristin Hunter, then had an open conversation about bell hooks’ communion and the state of love in culture and our lives.
It was raining, the skies were grey, and the highway was plagued with traffic—yet the room was filled with women who were hungry to tuck their phones away and pour into one another. We put pen to paper, connected face-to-face, and all left with our souls feeling a lot richer.
A week prior, my friend Akili King and I hosted a pleasure-focused journaling event in Brooklyn. It was More Pleasure’s first IRL event, and I was so thrilled to partner with her collective Joy Letters Journaling Club.
When we were in the planning stages, neither of us realized the date we decided on coincided with Super Bowl Sunday, but it didn’t matter. Not even the frigid temperatures or one of the biggest nights in American sports could stop the majority of people who RSVP’d from showing up. Our collective yearning for physical community overpowered it all.
Each guest from both events went home with carefully curated gift bags, all featuring products rooted in care, beauty, and self-adoration. The first enjoyed Cmpressd Beauty’s gorgeously-scented and nourishing zero-waste Hyaluronic+ Solid Shampoo Bars, along with Dame’s Massage Oil Candle and cozy socks. The second enjoyed Maed’s Signature Lip Pigment.
When I got home a few hours later, I scrolled through social media to watch whatever clips I could find of Bad Bunny’s half time show. I was curious to see what people were saying—ignorant comments and all.
The vast majority of people shared they felt moved, both spiritually and emotionally, by what they called one of the most timely halftime shows to date.
I did not engage with any sort of negativity, but I did actively cackle while watching a bunch of boring, racist former Housewives and their covens grasp at whatever water-soaked paper straws they could find; trying to justify why a Puerto Rican-focused performance—yes, the same Puerto Rico that is an American territory and whose people hold birthright U.S. citizenship—was more anti-American than their lack of knowledge of basic geography and history.
Anyways, once the full performance was uploaded onto YouTube, I snuggled under my heated blanket and pressed play on my TV.
I know very little Spanish, and I did not understand much of anything Benito was saying verbally. But the imagery, the dancing, the symbolism—it all made perfect sense. The show was entertaining, timely, relevant, moving, and just an absolute joy to watch. It felt like being witness to the culmination of his ancestor’s work.
Cloaked in all white, Bad Bunny’s set was a gorgeous tribute to Puerto Rico. But ending with performers flying the flags of every country that makes up the Americas, with the final message of “Together, we are America,” written on an football—was the loudest statement of all.
Whether we gather at local cafes to journal and talk, or around our TVs to watch one of the most historic and relevant performances of our lifetime, there’s a reason why these experiences bring us so much pleasure. They give us a feeling of belonging, of being seen, understood, and heard. They make our experiences valid. They make us feel human.
I’ve said this before and I’m going to say it again—and again, and again, and again: In a world that has subtly fragmented every part of our natural existence through tech dependency, misinformation, and the celebration of ignorance—to the point where original thought is starting to be discouraged—the only thing that’s going to get us through is leaning into the one thing that’s innate to all of us.
Being human.
This week’s What’s Good consists of three products, all created to nourish the largest human organ and tap into our inner child’s natural creativity.
Highbrow Hippie Instant Silk Vitality Mask - $68
We often forget that the scalp is skin, and it, too, needs nourishing. I’ve been testing Highbrow Hippie’s Instant Silk Vitality Mask over the past few weeks and definitely understand why it’s a best-seller. It’s the first conditioner I’ve used that is recommended for both scalp and hair, and it has left my roots flake-free and moisturized—even during the most brutal days of winter. My hair quenched, yet weightless, and the subtle scent is so calming.
Tatcha The Longevity Memory Cream - $84
Even after being in the beauty industry for over a decade, I still struggle to find adequate facial creams for winter. At the end of 2025, I met up with makeup artist Daniel Martin and the Tatcha team to give this new launch a try, and I have been a dedicated user ever since. I apply it both in the day and at night. I love that I stay glowing, supple, and moisturized all day into the next morning, but what really does it for me is the sensory element. It’s a bit jelly-like, and melts into the skin as it heats up from the warmth of the body. You can feel the barrier of moisture wrapping around the skin, without feeling heavy or clammy. Think of this cream as a welcomed hug for the face.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Glidr Smudge Proof Cream Eyeshadow Stick - $34
Couple the fact that I am eczema-prone around my eyes with limited the space in my NYC apartment, and you’ll understand why I’ve never been much of an eyeshadow girl. But I have been having so much fun playing with ABH’s Glidr Eyeshadow Sticks. Easy to both store and apply, you can use them solo or mix a few different shades together. They blend just enough to create the look you want, but truly do not budge once they’ve set—even if you accidentally rub your eye (which I’ve done). I love my signature mascara-and-red-lipstick look, but it’s also really nice to get creative with makeup.
This week’s Pure Bliss playlist is just under an hour long, starts with the sounds of nature, and reminds us to keep going and feeling through all the ebbs and flows of the human experience.
It’s easy to forget, but we have to remember we are not here to perform through perfectly curated social media feeds—we are here to experience real life, which means going through all the highs and lows, all the ups and downs, and all the pleasure and the pain.
Before I go, have you read the latest issue of Slow Burn yet? I spoke with two sex experts, a lipcare brand founder, and over 100 anonymous people to learn more about the science of the kiss, how to get the softest lips, and why we all love (and miss!) kissing so much.
That said, it’s officially hump day. Do with that information what you will!
Until next week, wishing you More Pleasure.
Love,
Kayla 💋
Must try those eye shadow sticks (I do not do “brushes”)
Atlanta misses you! It was so great having you here 🥹