Over the years, I’ve worn many hats: nurse practitioner, wedding photographer, creative entrepreneur, and now a professional in education tech. Even now, as I go through my first pregnancy, I’ve used this time to really reflect on my journey and what I want my future kids to see. I also want to share a little more vulnerability, a bit more authenticity and depth than what is typically required out of fast social media platforms. In a way, blogging and writing (despite me also using ChatGPT to help me draft and refine my blog — disclaimer alert!) is a way for me to slow down and be bare. Each chapter of my journey has been a story of growth, change, and rediscovery. So why blog again, you ask? Because jea dreams of feels like the perfect way to tie all these threads together – also, because I just want to.
Rediscovering My Voice
Writing has never really been a medium through which I process my thoughts, dreams, and experiences. I usually like to just express myself through photography or creativity. I think that writing is hard for me. It requires patience and iteration, knack and I always just felt that the way I talk isn’t really the most eloquent thing in the world. In the whirlwind of career changes, launching businesses, and navigating personal milestones, blogging fell aside. I started back in 2022 but the types of topics that I was going through at that time just felt all over the place. I mean, even looking at my feed, it just felt like I’m going through so many evolutions and I have way too many hobbies. But now, as I prepare for motherhood and reflect on how far I’ve come, I’ve realized that every hobby, every career switch, every cringy moments I’ve had, are all a part of me.
I think what’s different now is that when I share these stories, I feel that I have something more to offer and also I want to share the things that matter to me. Like how much I want to see more people embrace and celebrate their cultures, my love of expressing myself, and my overwhelming ambition to learn new things.
Blogging allows me to slow down and give time to reflect on the things that matter most—whether it’s celebrating cultural traditions, navigating marriage & pregnancy, or pursuing creative projects. It’s not just about putting words on a page; it’s about documenting a life lived authentically, my life.
Celebrating Life’s Layers
Like the weaves of intricately woven fabric, life is never one-dimensional, and neither am I. Jea Dreams Of is my space to embrace the intersections of culture, career, creativity, and motherhood. Whether I’m sharing about a Filipino-Chinese tea ceremony, a lime-wash DIY project, or the journey of blending professional growth with personal fulfillment, this blog will reflect all the different threads that make me who I am.
The Influence of Social Media
In today’s social media-driven world, we’re often influenced to chase trends, create bite-sized content, and present ourselves as polished influencers. Stories and reels are captivating, but they rarely tell the whole story. They’re snapshots—beautiful, engaging, and often temporary—but they don’t capture the depth of our experiences or the lessons we learn along the way. I feel that I’ve been in this loop – do I want to be an influencer or do I just want to share my story? I feel that we’ve forgotten how to tell genuine stories through writing in pursuit of being “liked” or for the sake of having views.
Rather than aiming for wide audiences or riding fleeting trends, I want to dig deeper. Plus, I just had a big – oh s*** moment when for some reason, everyone talks like an influencer. It annoyed me. Like how did we learn to talk like that? Do I talk like that?
Blogging allows me to move beyond the surface and explore what truly matters—stories that resonate, inspire, and challenge. It’s about fostering authenticity and depth in a world that often prioritizes virality over value. Also, I’m kinda just tired of filling my phone with too many clips that never get edited. I both equally enjoy and dread it. Don’t even get me started on me trying to find the right trending song. I’m just a bit over it and just want to use my time intentionally.
Representation Through Storytelling
While scrolling through Pinterest for nursery inspiration, I couldn’t help but notice a glaring lack of representation for AAPI culture, let alone designs that reflect blended or mixed heritages. This realization struck something really deep within me. Where are the spaces that celebrate and honor the diversity of lived experiences? Where can I find more people that are proud to share their cultural heritage. As I reflected on my own journey as a Filipina-American and also think about how my future kids will be growing up in a Chinese-Filipino household, how do I honor that? How does this look like? A part of this is also just seeing how people have this deeper craving to connect with their roots, something that I’ve really seen through my work at Dreaming of Clay and LAROWAN.
My hope is that this blog contributes to bridging that gap of showcasing heritage & individuality and how we can honor and weave it in our lives. Whether that’s in the home that we design, the clothes we wear, the traditions we evolve, or the DIY projects we make.
By sharing my own journey, I hope to inspire others to embrace their unique cultural identities and create spaces and stories that reflect who they truly are. Representation matters, and I believe storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to foster understanding and connection.
Looking Ahead
As I embark on this new chapter of motherhood, continue pursuing my career in education tech, or think of another creative endeavor, Jea Dreams Of will be a place to document the journey. From cultural celebrations to home projects, from personal reflections to career advice, this blog will grow and evolve alongside me. I hope that this space fills your heart with joy and your mind with dreams.
Why blog again? Because life is worth sharing, and dreaming out loud makes those dreams all the more vibrant.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my story and I hope that this blog gives you a bit of inspo to share your own stories and follow your dreams.
Jea Dreams Of 
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