My name is Charlie

Below you will find, a couple of words about me

Hello!  I’m Charlie G. and I thank you for taking the time time to peruse my website and learn a little more about me! I’ll start off by saying that being a full-time blogger, photographer, educator, and more is nothing but hard work but it’s something I love doing and wouldn’t change a single detail about how I ended up here. I’ve been blogging off and on for over 10 years but decided to shut down my previous blogs to create IAmCharlieG.com. I originally began this site in 2013 to jot down my personal thoughts, poetry,

and most vulnerable feelings of troubles I was going through. From there, blogging turned into an opportunity to grow and go full-time, teaching others to do the same. With a background in Web Design and a short-lived career as a Software Engineer, I decided to transition into blogging full-time after realizing I wasn’t being fulfilled working a traditional 9-5 doing what I thought was my dream job. It was from there that I gained more experience working with professional brands and figured it was time to teach others who want to do the same. Welcome to IAmCharlieG.com!

We’re not the popular, we’re the offbeat.

Behold. A twist out in @hautekinkyhair 4c kinky curly hair. Kinky curly extensions are always high maintenance but once you learn how to manipulate them as you first install them, they’ll be the most low maintenance, easiest, best investment you’ve ever made yet for protective styling. Stay tuned for a my IGTV video on how I did achieved this. Use CHARLIEG at checkout with @hautekinkyhair for them $$$ off 😉 • • • • • #naturalhair #teamnatural #protectivestyles #naturalhairdaily #curlyhair #naturalista #curls #afro #blackgirlmagic #melanin #healthyhair #myhaircrush #naturalhaircommunity #berrycurly #naturallyshesdope #blackgirlsrock #naturalhairstyles #braids #naturalhairdoescare #kinkychicks #naturalhairjourney #kinkyhair #curlbox #twistout #healthy_hair_journey #teamnatural_ #naturalhaircare #natural #hautekinkyhair #iamcharlieg

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Behold. A twist out in...

Went to therapy today. Confirmed that you can literally feel your energy being drained around certain ppl you have no business being around. Just dropping this tidbit to relay the message that 2020 is fasho a with or without you type of year. Real simple ✨

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Went to therapy today. Confirmed...

Sunday brunches at @theblockdetroit with my fave brunch babes and the baddest brunch DJ, Queen @playlistprincess herself. This Sunday. Meet me there? In the meantime, swipe for food porn. #the block Detroit #theblock #brunch • • • • • #onsundayswebrunch • • • • • #brunch #breakfast #eggs #brunchbesties #lunch #brunchtime #pancakes #yum #egg #avocado #bacon #eggsbenedict #sundaybrunch #eeeeeats #cafe #sandwich #frenchtoast #melbournefood

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Sunday brunches at @theblockdetroit with...

STOP asking creatives to create for free. STOP asking creatives to create for product. STOP asking creatives to create for bartered services. STOP asking creatives to create for discounted rates. STOP asking creatives to create for wasted time. STOP asking creatives to create for late payments. Respect the energy it takes to create ANYTHING. We are the not the same creatives from over 10 years ago. We use expensive equipment, valuable time, and considerable thought into making things that make ppl’s experiences feel better at high-quality. If it were simple, you’d do it yourself. If you could make an audience move the way we do, you’d move them yourself. So respect the process. Pay the invoices. On time. In full price. With no excuses. Or...simply, move on. That energy. All 2020, my baby ✨

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STOP asking creatives to create...

Still surprised how much stretch marks are a taboo. If it weren’t for how much ppl praised me for my first collab with @savagexfenty I’d be totally left out in the dark. I spoke to a fellow photographer in a casual setting. He said he loved a photo I took a few months ago. But “that” [my stretch marks] would be alllll retouched off top. A lot of ppl messaged me about how “courageous” it was not to edit the pics. I felt that extremely strange how far we go to come off perfect in an already imperfect world. Light makeup is the farthest I’d go. All in all I’m grateful that I’m too lazy to give a f*ck and I’m grateful for another opportunity to collab with a fave from a fave @savagexfenty x @badgalriri and the confidence #savagex brings to the table ❤️ #savagexfenty #savagexirl

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Still surprised how much stretch...

Body insecurity, pt2. Let’s continue to talk about it. What frustrates me most about my weight gain, is making a comment to my friends who brush me off like they don’t notice and then boom. I’m looking at a picture of myself at a party 3months later looking huger than I’ve ever been because I decided to ignore my 1st mind. It was an actual reality check to get me out of denial and the final step was validation from my peers. Who else has fallen victim to this? Sometimes you just have to get up and handle yourself w/o waiting on the validation from your friends and then some. Coming from that place, I’ve allowed myself to slack most of 2019 and that’s okay. Where I’d normally look myself in disgust and immediately head to the gym only to abruptly stop weeks later, I’ve decided to do the opposite. I’ve admired every extra pound, curve, and roll, when I look in the mirror. I’ve accepted my flaws and while deciding to still work on them, I don’t do it out of self-hate, but with encouragement for long-term goals such as health that radiates inside out. This allows me to workout CONSISTENTLY, one of 2020’s key words for the decade. This is why I’ve decided to partner with Detroit Area @planetfitness in the #BeTheBestYou challenge. This is to admire all your shortcomings, grow into the person you want to be healthily inside AND out. When you’re not working out for vanity purposes, but being your healthiest self, you’ll regularly find yourself more apt to get your workout in. Because PF is in line with showing up as the best version of yourself for 2020, I’ve partnered with them to offer a giveaway for a FREE.99 6month Black Card Membership at any of their 50 Detroit Metro Area locations. The PF Black Card membership allows exclusive access to the PF Black Card Spa featuring HydroMassage, tanning beds, massage chairs & more! You’ll also get use of any location nationwide and free quest privileges, in addition to random perks such as 20% off at Reebok.com and worldwide travel deals! To enter, all you have to do is follow myself and Detroit Area @planetfitness and post and tag this picture in your stories with hashtag #BeTheBestYou. NO PRIVATE PAGES.

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Body insecurity, pt2. Let’s continue...

You say bathrobe, I say causal wrap dress. Let’s not get caught up in details. @savagexfenty #savagexfenty #savagexirl

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You say bathrobe, I say...

Body insecurity, let’s talk about it. I’ve fallen off from training in the gym for about 8 months. I’ve seen severe weight changes and once you get on the other side of 25, things don’t just fall back into place like if you decide to forgo eating unhealthily for a few days like they used to. My metabolism has slowed down. I’m seeing weight distribute to places I didn’t even know they could, like what the hell is that over there? And yes, I now have rolls. Something I wouldn’t even thought twice I’d see for another ten years. Reality has sunk in hard and having severe anxiety and depression hasn’t helped me with getting out of the bed and hopping on the treadmill either. That’s why I’m so pleased to be partnering with Detroit Area @planetfitness who’s committed to helping US commit to OUR long term goals of being the best US we can be all 2020. This is opportunity was too perfect for me to pass up if I wanted to overcome my depression and it’s well known that working out regulatory helps combat depression and anxiety. We’re in the perfect season and decade to snap out of our previous limitations and make 2020 our best decade yet. That means working on our minds with therapy, our health with mindful eating habits and regular doctor’s visit, our finances by being fiscally responsible, and of course our bodies by training healthily and regularly. And in doing so, Detroit Area @planetfitness is willing to help us get on track by offering my followers an exclusive offer code to get your FIRST MONTH FREE on any membership, now through 2/29. Simply use one of the codes below when signing up! WC2020 for your 1st month free on the $10 a month membership OR BC2020 for your 1st month free on the PF Black Card $22.99 a month membership. We all know, we can’t be healthy in one department and lack in another. Our whole personal environment must be copacetic and synchronized with one another. It’s simple to join and there shouldn’t be any excuses now as you can join any of the 50 Planet Fitness locations all over Metro Detroit! So, see you there? #PFBeTheBestYou #PlanetFitness #JudgementFreeZone #ad

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Body insecurity, let’s talk about...

Are you in the right headspace to date a bad bitch? • • • New 🔥 from @savagexfenty. Hit the link in my bio. #savagexfenty #savagexirl

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Are you in the right...

Just 3 of your fave Detroit blogger babes enjoying a #COZY event held by my fave trio @whatupdoeimlee @thor_jones_ @mrslaceyjones which was completely lit. When’s the next one?

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Just 3 of your fave...

Fashion says “Me too”, style says “Me ONLY,” Look styled by @sicarrablack Shot by @crossoniam Edited by @backdropcharlie

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Fashion says “Me too”, style...

This morning I woke up feeling very in the middle. I binged a few shows and went back to sleep. I woke up again with the intent to cook, clean, and complete all projects I have deadlines on. After I was done cooking, all the energy I had forced me back to bed. These past 2 days, I could barely leave my bed. I realized that while cooking, I began to feel extremely melancholy. Something about the food I was cooking was making me sad. What the fuck. The food was delicious. It was serving. I over ate and still, something about the food I prepared before I was able to consume it, made me feeeeel extremely sad. What the fuck. I did the steps. I forced my mind not to go there. Not to instantly seek death. I tried to talk myself out of it. “Nothing caused this sadness, Charlene. This feeling isn’t real, continue on with your day,” I’d tell myself. I listened. It allowed me to push through cooking the rest of the meal. By the time I was finished, I felt gloomy. And full but dissatisfied. Against my plans, I went to bed. I laid there. And the tears started flooding. I couldn’t think of why I felt this way. What the fuck. I cried on the phone to my friend for about 2 hours until I fell asleep. I woke up hours later, instantly felt guilty. I hadn’t done anything I planned to do yesterday and today. What the fuck. This makes me inquire, is this really how my mind is going to be for the rest of my life? Feeling completely normal 1 minute and then uncontrollably yearning death for no particular reason the next? How does one combat this and why the hell does depression seep in so easily even when trying to remain positive? Stepping into 2020, I’ve decided to speak positivity into my mind no matter how much I don’t believe it bc my friends made me realize that no matter how much I’ve tried to die, it won’t happen until I fulfill my purpose and with such a negative mindset, I’ll always attract detrimental negative circumstances to my life bc I keep wishing death on myself that never comes. Being mindful is hard af and requires great intention. Something I’ve always lacked. What things do you all do to get through? How do you plan to be better at it going into 2020?

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This morning I woke up...