After starting to write for the Odyssey, I learned that I was a writer. Once I was told that my active position required me to have to have two articles a week, I was excited but I was also nervous. I was nervous that I would run out of things to share and write about. But then I would always find myself turning innocent articles into articles about my feelings. I would start out with an idea and I would realize that I was pouring my heart out about what I was really feeling. Then it got to me... the reason I was pouring so much of my emotions in my writing was because that's how I could express them.

Being a writer for me means using keyboards as my asset to communication. I can't put my feelings into expressive words like other people. I don't do "in person" talks, I mean you can talk to me about your feelings, I just have nothing to say back to you. This doesn't mean I don't have an opinion, it just means that I will write about it. I strongly believe writing is a beautiful kind of artwork, it contains emotions that the writer can't physically express, sometimes images, and a story about how they are feeling inside. I love writing. It is my 100% form of communication because I feel like I can spill everything out on the keyboard but not in person. One of my favorite things is how much I can ramble on by writing, but I can't find words to explain my emotions verbally.

I didn't know how much writing meant to me until I starting working for Odyssey. This isn't an article talking about how amazing it is, but if it weren't for me being here, I don't know how I would get my thoughts out. I have written about things on here I would have never spoken about to anyone. Writing is personal to me, although I share my articles and stories but that is because I want people to see how I feel about everything. Some write in diaries and journals. While these are beautiful ways of expression, I write to share my feelings with others so that they know what I feel. Expression and communication are issues I struggle with on a daily basis, no doubt. If I knew about my writing skills earlier, I would have used them much before.

Taking writing classes were my favorite classes. I loved being able to sit in a class, take my computer out, and type my heart out. I am that girl in the back of the class who keeps her thoughts in (unless I really like the class, it's a different story). Some people don't understand that I have a hard time communicating my feelings. I tend to get "I need to know how you feel." Yes you do, but I won't tell you in person. This has nothing to do with the 21st Century and how bad in person communication is. It has to do with the fact that this is the type of person I have always been and it won't change.

It's interesting to know that there are some writers who have social anxiety. This is why writing is amazing for those who struggle with that. I personally have a little bit of social anxiety which is why communication can be an issue. Writers who have social anxiety use writing as a way to communicate to the world without having to see or actually interact with people. For example, in Nim's Island, there is a character who is a famous writer with extreme social anxiety and uses her computer to write and create stories about her life.