Wholesome Badass

Black-and-white illustration of a girl facing a man whose right hand beckons her closer while his left hand signals stop.

The System with No Name

September 20, 2026 No Comments

For most of my life, I could see the individual friction points but not the structure they shared. I experienced them as isolated interactions. A

Black-and-white cartoon of a worried girl handing over a paper labeled “OUCH” while a giant hand stamps it “DEFECTIVE.” Pink text at the top reads “When hurt gets submitted as evidence,” and a small watermark at the bottom says “wholesomebadass.com.”

When Your Sensitivity Is Framed as the Problem

September 15, 2026 No Comments

In my family of origin, and then quite unsurprisingly in the marriage I chose, I re-enacted the familiar pattern. I accepted the charge for all

Black-and-white line drawing of one person subtly tipping a bicyclist off balance while shrugging and thinking, “sheesh...always so dramatic.”

Rattle the Cage, Judge the Reaction

September 14, 2026 No Comments

If I can rattle your cage and then stand beside your reaction looking calm and reasonable, I can create a defining contrast: you unstable; me

The Advantage of Appearing Unbothered

September 14, 2026 No Comments

I am beginning to recognize and more effectively name and navigate familiar systems, patterns, and personalities. In power imbalances, the person with more status or