Recently I was told by Odyssey staff to write articles that relate more to others and not just to myself. But as someone who takes writing seriously and far more personal, I realized that my best writing comes from writing for me and no one else. I tend to be more journalistic in my articles so I am already writing for myself regardless of how I write. And whether I try to make it so or not, pretty much any subject I write on will relate to others in some way or another.

I understand what the staff was meaning by telling us to write for others but in my personal opinion it is just as important if not even more so to do it for yourself because if you can’t write for yourself then you can’t write for anyone else either. Writing doesn’t have to be private but it does have to be personal. If something isn’t personal then it isn’t personable either. It can’t relate well to others if the creator does not put at least a little of themselves in it.

This can be said about anything in this life. If it isn’t enough for you to care about it yourself then why in the world should anyone else care?? People like to get into others’ private matters quite often but really they shouldn’t be doing that at all. This includes things such as appearance, clothing style, orientation, religion and anything else of a personal matter. If it doesn’t relate to you then DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. It is only of concern to the person it is related to. Do things only for you. Don’t let others tell you how to think, feel or write. You are your own creator. Take your time to get things done. Run at the pace that you feel comfortable with.

You need to take time to care for yourself in any way you see fit. Be selfish, splurge on stuff you may not use in time. Go see that movie you wanted to see, eat unhealthily from time to time, binge that series, take a long shower, text your crush first instead of waiting. Whatever it is just do it because it will make you feel better if you do. Don’t wait to make those life decisions. Love yourself enough to recognize that those things are only seen as bad from the outside. Inside they aren’t bad at all. Taking care of yourself is important and part of that is doing things for yourself and no one else’s judgements are allowed to penetrate the shield around you during that time. If you spend so much time worrying about what others think of you then it’s time to let that go and live your life!! Be kind to yourself just as you are to your friends and family.

I will continue working on articles of my own choosing. I cover a wide range of topics that I know I love. This may appear selfish or not as good as writing for other people but I don’t see it that way. Even the smallest article can help my writing skills become stronger. Besides I only write on things that are of intense interest to me. To me it is important that I write articles which are of my own doing. I am not here to talk on political stories or hard won articles. I am just here to create something special to me. I am here to have a voice of any kind. This may mean random silly ones that appear as if they are written for me but I am continuously reminded that there is always going to be an audience.