About the publication…
My name is Dia (pronounced dee-uh).
Broke But Moisturized is both alias and project—a character evolving in online spaces, and a public diary for airing grief-stricken sob stories and party revelry. (There’s also an advice column. And bits of cultural commentary. Something for the whole family but maybe not your uptight mom please don’t show her.)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve considered changing the name.
I’m not living paycheck to paycheck anymore, nor is my skincare routine as elaborate as it once was. But I’ve become too protective of the vulnerable 20something who put a stake in the ground and said “this is who I am” to an audience of, essentially, zero.
A few things you should know before subscribing:
Since 2018, I have lost some of the most important people in my life, including my sister, my sister’s partner (the father of my young nephews), and my lifelong best friend. My life is split between Philadelphia and my rural Pennsylvania hometown where my parents are working to raise two small, now-parentless children. Much of my writing is shaped by growing up in the sticks, and processing a lot of loss in very little time.
I reject binary thinking and moralizing. I believe readers have agency, so I don’t include disclaimers about every individual piece (though, I try to include a TW for subject matter that may incite relapse). That said, I turn my comments off on some posts because I don’t feel the need to reach some fleeting truth or expanded perspective in a comments section. Should you be interested in having a conversation about something I’ve written, you can email me.
Speaking of disclaimers, this newsletter occasionally broaches hard topics, such as drug use, eating disorders, mental health, sexuality, etc. Please read at your own discretion.
This newsletter is a labor of love. I do my best to maintain a regular writing schedule on top of a full-time job, multiple side jobs, and life’s other demands. I would never even try to promise you regularity. Your patience, understanding, and support are what keep me going.
As of 2023, I’ve joined Amazon’s affiliate program. So if you buy something I’ve linked in a post, I may make a commission off of it. But, you will never be recommended something I didn’t buy myself + love.
I hope this space encourages you to find meaning in the mundane, and to lead a life of love and curiosity and breathless devotion to the things and people you care about.
What you’ll get…
The majority of Broke But Moisturized is free, and includes regular roundups of what I’m up to and into called Daily Drips, an advice column called Bootleg Therapy, and essays about whatever’s on my heart. Paid subscribers receive occasional spicy posts and bite-sized, off-the-cuff podcast episodes; they also enjoy the good karma of paying for art!
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