In high school, I would always share articles on Facebook from a source called "Odyssey," and I always wondered who got to write such inspiring, relatable articles. When I realized that these writers were young and were in college, I instantly became interested. I hoped that one day I'd be able to share my own thoughts on this online platform.

After about a year and a half of sharing and reading Odyssey articles, I decided to join the Odyssey community at Ohio State. I had my own blog, but I thought that I would give it a try and become a content creator. At first, it was a bit overwhelming for me to think of a topic every week, but as the weeks went on, thinking and writing only became easier because I knew I could share my voice on topics that I cared about.

The truth about writing for Odyssey is that it is so much more than an "internet diary." It is a platform where people can openly share their views and voices on any subject that they would like to write about. It gives those who wish to reach others a chance to do so.

Writing has always been something I sought out in times of stress and negativity in my life. With Odyssey, I am able to continue writing in the bad times, but also during every week that is good. Being able to share my own thoughts has positively impacted my self-esteem, and I am more confident knowing that my words are out there for the world to see.

Odyssey is a platform where students are able to grow as people, young professionals, and as writers. By being able to share any topic in an article, we experience freedoms that we may not encounter in our daily lives. We are heard, and we are an important asset in our Odyssey community and within the platform as a whole.

For anyone who is an aspiring writer, I have five tips about writing for Odyssey or for your own blog:

1. Don't be afraid to explore difficult topics. You may learn about yourself and this topic throughout your time spent writing this article.
2. Understand that what you have to share is meaningful. If you're passionate about the topic, someone else probably is as well.
3. Get to know your audience for your posts. Share your posts on social media and promote them on your own pages!
4. Reach out to others to gain ideas for topics. Use the people around you to gain insight about what they'd like to see you write about.
5. Know yourself as a writer. If you enjoy writing about a specific topic or subject, then write away!

Odyssey has given me an opportunity to continue writing and to continue exploring that I am passionate about. I hope that you are able to find this in the words that you read or in the words that you create yourself.