Hi , I’m Reese Grey.

Growing up, my capacity for wonder was, for lack of a better word, quite annoying and frankly unfathomable. I truly believed anything was possible. I was the type of kid who believed Disney magic was real, animals could probably talk with the proper training, and I would regularly attempt to jump directly into storybooks (like they did in Blues Clues). And when jumping into books, of course, failed to work, it didn’t bother me at all because I believed that someday it would work if I kept trying. However, as I transitioned into adulthood, my sense of wonder began to fade, replaced by the misguided belief that the vague and shallow notion of “success” was life's ultimate purpose. And what success meant to me as a young adult was graduating with a masters degree, finding steady work and getting married.

Once I graduated with my master's degree at 25 years old and slipped into a career & marriage, life generally slowed down into a steady pattern of nothing more than work and sleep and I began to feel as if life felt heavy and still. The anticipated sense of accomplishment, contentment, and happiness I assumed would accompany age and experience never materialized. I came to realize that although I could check off all the boxes of "success," I wasn’t owed happiness or fulfillment solely from achieving things for the sake of accomplishment. And so, in an effort to reclaim lost time and set healthier, more meaningful goals for myself, I vowed to dedicate a significant amount of my time to creative projects that could bring me joy and share that happiness with others.

In 2021, I took my first dive into a creative project by streaming games on Twitch with my14-year-old brother, Benny. Going as far as joining Smash tournaments with zero prior experience. We started recording our Game Plays to commemorate my late-in-life plunge into not only gaming, but also meme reviews & challenges. Thus began our journey, where we found ourselves building a cute little community of individuals who share our joy in imperfectly gaming together.

In 2022 I recognized my newfound creativity comes from the same place where I found passion in academics. Through my Reese Grey Analyzes podcast & video essays, I delved into analyzing pop culture and how words on their own can hold so much power to cause pain, joy, and laughter, but then at the same time be disregarded as “just words”. Art and entertainment have the power to revolutionize movements, enact protests and policy, but then at the same time be disregarded as “just art”. I believe using pop culture and entertainment as a jumping point to have difficult conversations that challenge belief & encourage growth have the ability to lead us towards empathy & kindness. The amount of kindness and intelligence I’ve seen in both comments and DM’s have filled me with so much joy.

In 2023 I started Reese’s Treats. Flipping through the pages of my loudly colored, sticker-infested Lisa Frank diaries, I rediscovered my childhood dreams of owning a fancy patisserie, with cakes stacked six tiers high. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the excruciatingly detailed depiction of my dream bakery, drawn entirely in glittery pink and blue gel pens. Rekindling that dream, I obtained a small business license and began selling my homemade rice cakes, cupcakes, and bbeungopang waffles at local farmers' markets. I take particular pride in crafting my friend's wedding cake with100 cupcakes to match.

Now, in 2024 I continue to keep all of these projects near and dear to my heart and continue to grow them. In my newest adventure, due to my love of reading autobiographies and watching documentaries, I’m nearly done with my own memoir tentatively titled Reasons Why: In A World of Hearts Minds and Algorithms.

And though my creative projects vary widely and vary in tone, with open arms I welcome you into my cozy corner of the internet, where I can guarantee you nothing but entertainment through mood whiplash. I stand by each and every weird little project. Adulthood doesn’t mean you have to let your capacity for wonder evaporate. After my first trip to Disneyland at 22 years old, I still believe in Disney magic, I talk to my cat but she hasn’t talked back (yet), and with how quickly technology is progressing, you know what, maybe someday we can jump into storybooks.

I’m glad you’re here.