Flashback to about one year ago. I was fresh out of college, newly employed, and living on my own for the first time in my life. I was trying my best to keep up with my artwork in this new chapter of life, and I really wanted to start a blog about it all. I wanted a space online where I could share my art, and also share the stories behind what I was making. A place where I could tell you guys what I was excited about and what it's like to be an artist. But the problem was that required writing - and I hated writing - so I didn't put the energy into making it happen.
But the problem was that required writing - and I hated writing - so I didn't put the energy into making it happen.
If you've ever asked me if I like to write, you know the answer is a resounding "no!" Throughout high school and college, writing papers was the one thing I could never find joy doing (and I was always that kid that enjoyed working on schoolwork). The only classes I ever dropped in college were writing intensive courses that I just couldn't motivate myself to keep up with the assignments. I even dropped an Art History degree I was working on (and wasn't too far away from completing) because I hated the amount of writing it required that much.
But on the other hand: I also have an obsession with writing down thoughts and ideas, keeping notes, making lists. I have an addiction to collecting beautiful notebooks and filling them with handwritten words. For years in grade school I kept a journal about all the details of my day, everyday. Now that I live in a different state than my parents, writing daily emails back and forth to each other is our primary form of communication. There are writing outlets in my life that I keep up with consistently, and really enjoy.
So do I actually 'hate' writing?
So do I actually 'hate' writing? Of course not, because I write things all the time that I'm excited about. I think my dislike for 'formal' writing came from that fact that it was something that I had to put effort into, unlike other subjects that came easily to me. It was a time consuming task to find the words I wanted to use and arrange them in a way that made sense. I recently realized this is the case with my artwork as well. Painting is something I enjoy and that comes naturally to me, but is most definitely a challenge. There is a great amount of time and energy that goes into a painting that has nothing to do with making marks with a paintbrush, and that's the part of writing that I never considered before. That just maybe it required more effort than I realized. More brainpower and emotion, and less searching through a thesaurus. And the extra effort was the part I hated, not the writing itself.
So here we are, friends, blog number one. We're cutting the excuses and making it happen, because we have things to accomplish in this life. Start that project you keep putting off until tomorrow because it's too overwhelming today. Baby steps accomplish bigs goals, and I guarantee you'll learn something about yourself along the way.
So welcome to this little corner of the internet. I want to share my thoughts with you, conquer some dreams together, and just maybe start to love writing along the way.