mx. (an honorific, pronounced “Mix”) or dr. (lowercase, please!) j. nyla, j. n., or ink, as well as other known variations of their name known by community.

The preferred lowercase typesetting of j. nyla’s name is political, like that of bell hooks or adrienne maree brown.

Within the organization of the City of Long Beach, j. had been referred to as Dr. Commissioner McNeill from 2024-2025.

Their pronouns are they, them, and theirs. If you are unsure about the importance of pronouns, check out Pronouns.org.

In 2020, I rejected an acceptance letter and opportunity to attend my “dream” traditional PhD program to undertake a self-directed course of study within a cohort united by shared values and critical engagement with their own prior experiences within in higher ed. From 2019 to 2025, I learned and built a foundation within a process called the DIY PhD.

This process supported mastery of self, offering free services to community, and the development of a philosophical understanding of DIY/collective approaches to knowledge production.

Through sustained study, formal research, travel, and collaboration outside traditional academic institutions, my work remains grounded in participatory research, public health, movement, entertainment, and knowledge systems merited by community.

It continues to be in relationship with community members, artists, master gardeners, medicine people, educators, organizers, doctors, and practitioners who have critically engaged this work and, in many cases, moved beyond formal academic pathways alongside me.

I publish, teach, and facilitate from this foundation. I use the title “dr.” as a cultural and creative signifier of this work, in the same dope spirit that Dr. Dre used “Dr.” as part of a name rather than an accredited medical or academic designation. The title was bestowed upon me by community—just like my middle name, ink—and not an institution, despite of the depth of my praxes and body of academic work.

This practice lovingly serves individuals with big dreams, institutions with the will to change or make change, and organizations who support community-based efforts committed to systems transformation aligned with justice for historically oppressed peoples. These are intentional parameters that support mx. j. nyla’s overarching goal to build a more creative, restful, and inclusive future for youth, cultural workers, creators, freelancers, work-owners, and change-makers. They typically serve LGBTQIA2SP+ neurodivergent people, youth-serving institutions, and those looking to integrate medicine and/or rest into their life and work.

Sliding-scale pricing provides multiple price points per service based on fund and exchange accessibility per each client’s financial situation and size of the entity. This practice uses Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s Green Bottle model, which may help determine where one falls in financing services.

The goal is to reduce financial barriers, and to support a tradition of paying forward donation-based for no-to-low cost for those who need it.

The model takes into account the historical and current economic disadvantages faced by those affected by historical disenfranchisement.

In addition, rates for universities and other complex institutions reflect j. nyla’s reparative asks as a person whose ancestors were—without consent—held to serving elite and owning people for little to no compensation, only 1 through 5 generations ago.

Service prices vary between $45-$250/hr and are established during a brief Chemistry Call, contract development, and/or written budget proposals and MOU’s. Due to the large size of the pricing matrix in the sliding scale model, they are not displayed on the website, but are available to view during our call or upon request.

Tarot readings with mx. j. nyla mcneill are a powerful, entertaining way to experience non-contractual and motivational coaching.

From managing money to navigating relationship, tarot provides structure to the most tender and difficult conversation while providing a buffer and boundary between reader-practitioner and client.

It offers the magic of collective archetype, exploring the inevitable complications of being human in an intuitive, fun, game-ified way.