TAYLOR ENGLE ANDERSON BRAIN

This November marks three years since I texted you and asked, “What are you doing tonight?” You said, “Waiting for you,” and we’ve never had to wait for each other since—except when it’s time to go and you’re sitting on the couch, not dressed yet, screaming, “Am I ready?! I’ve BEEN ready for 17 hours." You’re insane and hilarious—the only person who’s ever held my attention long enough to win me for life. You’re the only person I’ve ever killed my ego with.  Sometimes you’re

If you’ve ever struggled to breathe real life into your fiction characters, astrology  might be your secret weapon. And when it comes to emotional complexity, the Cancer zodiac sign is a goldmine.  Born between June 21 and July 22, Cancer is a water sign ruled by the moon. Cancers are all intuition, memory, and deep feelings. This is also a cardinal sign, meaning it initiates and leads more than the other water signs—but unlike fiery Aries or air-focused Libra, Cancer leads w

As someone who’s worked in and reviewed the industry for almost ten years, I’ve become very picky with flower—especially in California, where the industry is changing fast and legacy feels more like a buzzword than a backbone. So when I heard CAKE She Hits Different  was stepping into the flower game, I did a mental double-take.  This pause was not because I doubted their ability. I love their vapes, but because expanding in today’s Cali market goes against what nearly every

When it comes to self-publishing, your book cover is what people judge first, no matter how often we warn against it. It’s the first impression readers get, the face of your story, and often the reason someone clicks either “buy” or keeps scrolling past.  A professionally-designed book cover doesn’t just look pretty: it communicates your genre, tone, and the quality of your writing in one clean, powerful image. Here’s how to make sure your cover actually sells your book. Why

It’s summer in South County, and sure, you’ve got to be prepared for the odd (somewhat terrifying) wildfire. But otherwise, it’s where everyone wants to be .  At least that’s what we tell ourselves. Aren’t we lucky? Aren’t we blessed? California is just the best.  Although a SoCal summer is truly inimitable, it’s also not the only place to be from June to September. When I lived in Brooklyn, the annual post-spring anthem was, “We OUTSIIIIIDE!” And we were, almost nonstop, unt

After releasing my women’s magazine , which celebrated feminine relationships and connection (and included resources on syncing your life to your menstrual cycle ), my husband and I poured ourselves into creating a magazine for men: centered on mental health, creativity, strength, softness, and truth.  We wanted to make something that felt real. Something that could help men feel comfortable being vulnerable; something that made men feel supported and inspired. We wanted to r

I learned the hard way that editing your own book  can feel like walking a tightrope between perfectionism and paralysis. When you read something over and over again, it’s easy to start second-guessing everything—the plot, the characters, even your sentence structure. Suddenly, nothing feels “good enough.” But here’s what I’ve realized: reading and writing are incredibly subjective. Even grammar “rules” are flexible. They can be bent, broken, and reinvented, as long as you’re

Astrology is one of the best tools we have for character development: not because it boxes people in, but because it offers relatable energetic patterns that help us understand how people move through the world. Characters are living, breathing contradictions, and astrology is just one tool we can use to help us name those contradictions with a little more grace. Each astrological sign contains both evolved and unevolved expressions. We’re all messy, layered, growing beings,

To my first love story. Happy Mother's Day, mom. A mother is our first love story. Correction— My mother was my first love story, And I wish everyone could be loved by Lori. Correction— If you’ve met, you’ve surely felt her love: A sweet outpour, it’s generous and delicate. Correction— It’s hard-earned and self-taught, The way she really makes sure she sees you. Correction— Because maybe what she sees in you Is her own purity reflected in your gaze. What came first? The soul

I recently tried the Zen Brands  cannabis gummies, and I almost found myself wanting to eat the entire pack in one sitting. These things are delicious, and they come individually packaged inside the larger pack, which means they’re perfect for tossing in your bag or keeping in your desk drawer for a quick getaway from the day-to-day. From a flavor perspective, these gummies are fruity, tasty, and veryyyy smooth. Plus, they’re gluten-free, fat-free, and come with vegan options

It was the height of the pandemic. Many of us were just trying to stay afloat, learning how to exist amidst widespread uncertainty. But for LumiBloom  founder MacKenzie McClain Hill, something else stirred beneath the surface.  In the quiet, she heard a call. And from that sacred pause, a brand was born. A BIPOC-owned, CBD-powered wellness company founded with intention and anchored in lived experience, LumiBloom honors the wholeness of women—body, spirit, and mind. “This ver

A few days after visiting a local animal fair, where I saw a sloth chilling on a branch, I received a package from ZZZ’s Collective . I cracked it open to find a rolling paper booklet graced by a laid-back, wonderfully illustrated sloth—and I laughed out loud. It was whimsical, clever, and oddly timed—like the universe was showing me something I needed to see. But beyond the animal art, I quickly realized there was something more meaningful happening here. What is ZZZ’s Colle

Imagine the cruel fate of being a Pisces sun with a Leo rising: deep need for solitude paired with a karmic duty to be seen and perceived.  I moved to New York City to get lost in a sea of performers—the ones in LA weren’t Old World enough. And as my skin grew paler from Northeastern living, I drew closer to my sun, learning to let the tides carry me. Emboldened by the softness of my sun, I could finally end the performance. I became addicted to silence: the ideal I’d been ch

“We are energetic beings,” a voice resounds, “interconnected like a giant web. We are all one, reflections of each other’s states.” A crowd shares in a disbelieving laughter that begs the question: Who’s this crackpot? “False. We are all ‘His children,’ created in His image. At the same time, we are fallen and flawed, and He is our only chance at redemption,” a rival voice declares. A large portion of the crowd sign off on this one; the idea of an exclusive, male-led salvatio

As writers, we know the ever-burning question: Is my novel truly done?  After months (or years) of work, it can be hard to stop editing and hit publish. Many of us worry about whether our book is perfect enough to share with the world, but perfection is a myth. Being ready is all about confidence, preparation, and a whole lot of trust in the process.  In this article, I connected with author of The   Sea of Green  Triston Smith to learn more about his experience with self-pub

This weekend, I had the privilege of exhibiting as an author at AWP  in LA—a dreamlike space where book lovers, introverts, and creative souls gathered in full force to share, create, and connect. Imagine an entire convention center buzzing with literary energy, brimming with writers, publishers, and readers: a fever dream of book nerd heaven. The vibes: Creativity with a touch of gentle chaos Walking through the LA Convention Center, you could feel the passion in the air. Ta

I’m 30 years old today. As usual, I’m wearing green.  The day started out with this birthday-themed yoga practice —which I’ve been doing for years—followed by an intense kickboxing session with my husband, my newest St. Taylor’s Day tradition. Now I’m sitting at my favorite coffee shop and writing this intro: reflecting on thirty years of learning, growing and experiencing. I spent the weekend surrounded by all of the people I love most: people who’ve seen me go through sever

This is an excerpt from A Magazine For Women (He Can Read Too), a special-edition literary magazine I created for International Women's Month. For full access to all of the stories, poems, menstrual cycle-syncing resources, and works of art and photography, click here  for your print and/or digital copy. Spread out across the country, seven women go about their lives.  Stilettos smack against the streets of Manhattan. They are attached to a sharp-featured woman who is making

You just wrote a novel. Congratulations: you’re already amazing. But you might be grappling with the inevitable followup question: What now?  If you’ve dipped your toes into the world of traditional publishing, you’ve probably noticed it’s not for the faint of heart. Between the endless pitching, the waiting, the rejections, and the inevitable realization that even if you do land a deal, you might have little control over your own work—it’s enough to make any writer consider

This project started with me writing down some prominent relationships women experience in life: partner-partner, mother-daughter, the gentle dynamic of a group of friends who feel like sisters. I then created fictional worlds around the standout sentiments, like how it feels to fall in love with yourself through someone else, or to find out you’re about to perpetuate life. As you read the magazine and follow the cycles of womanhood, you’ll begin to see it: we were always su