About Me

“I’ve learned that secrets make you sick. I’m learning how to be a voice and not a victim … I’ve learned that love is necessary, heartbreak is unavoidable, and loneliness is brutal. I’ve learned that the key to being happy is to tell your truth, and to be okay without all the answers.”

—Demi Lovato, Simply Complicated

“I’m rolling my eyes right now, but that’s who I was. It’s who I am. I have a hard time just existing. I always think that if only I could be somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else, then I would be happy, finally. The hole would be filled. I know that’s not how life works. But it’s always been the thing that drives me.” 
—Busy Philipps

It's Not That Deep is owned and written by a professional introvert named Jeffrey, who is an enthusiast of all things pop culture, books, music, movies, and TV. He started his first blog in 2011 after his aunts told him to start posting his movie reviews on the Internet (a blog which may still be active but he's too scared to look) and has been blogging on and off ever since. He's been reading for as long as his arm muscles good support books and has wanted to be a writer for pretty much the same amount of time. He believes that you're never too old for a Disney movie and anyone who disagrees should be cut loose, and that any problem with adulthood can be solved by watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He has seen every episode of Desperate Housewives at least five times, and will gladly debate with you which Britney Spears album is the best. Follow him on Twitter @teeveejeff, Instagram @jeffreyreads, and also find him on Tumblr. You can also check out his website, where he writes about books, music, pop culture, movies, TV, and everything in between. His writing can also be found at Book Riot, PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, and other places. Additionally, he is the co-host of a Gilmore Girls podcast, Coffee With a Shot of Cynicism.

He started It's Not That Deep for a very simple reason. In her documentary Simply Complicated, Demi Lovato states that she is learning how to be a voice and not a victim. Trying to maintain good mental health is something that affects literally everyone, but merely because it is a topic that has been unfortunately stigmatized for most of history, there are still very few readily available outlets to express feelings and struggles with it. And as much as children growing into adults has been around for as long as humans have, there are shockingly few ways to genuinely express the pains of growing and those feelings and struggles, too. Being a human is hard, and we don't talk about that enough. That's what this blog is all about. A place for Jeffrey, but also for anyone else who wants to join in, to express what he's learned and how he is still learning how to be a fully functional adult human being. He hopes his words, feelings, and opinions will resonate and bring sighs of relief to anyone who might need them, and to let anyone and everyone know that everything is going to be okay, life is messy, and it's really not that deep!

Follow It's Not That Deep on Instagram — @areyouthereanxiety — and listen to my playlist of mental health songs on Spotify and Apple Music

“It’s just that I believe by starting an honest conversation about the things we fear, the things we feel uncomfortable talking about, or worried about revealing, we can help each other feel better. We can become more connected and less alienated. Solidarity is a powerful tool. Togetherness is unstoppable.” 

—Elizabeth Day, How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned from Things Going Wrong

“When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example.”
—Roxane Gay

“Anything bad that’s happened to me, I try to put it in my work. And afterward, I feel lighter. It’s like spring cleaning.” 

—Krysten Ritter

Disclaimer: I am not professionally licensed in mental health care — this blog is for personal/inspirational/motivational purposes only. If you find yourself in need of further assistance, I highly recommend finding an educated and accredited professional of mental health in your area. You can learn more about the process of starting therapy here.