Back when I was getting to know my now-boyfriend, we were talking about what we would do in life if money, or anything else for that matter, wasn’t a factor.
I said I wanted to be a writer.
He brought this up to me the other day and reminded me of how I said that I wanted to be a writer back then, and now here I am three years later actually doing it.
I wrote my first book when I was in first grade, and it was about how much I loved hard boiled eggs. I was the author and the illustrator and my first grade teacher was so impressed that she had me walk down to the principal’s office to read it to her. I remember the hallways seemed so big to little first grade me as I carried my handmade book in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag to the principal’s office.
Ever since then, whether it’s been short stories, poetry, or more recently, blogs and articles, I’ve always made a point to write.
My first actual writing opportunity in college was with CollegeXpress. During my college search, I had signed up for an account through this website that has everything from college advice and articles to scholarships and school searches. When they had a call for student writers, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I remember filling out my application and waiting day after day until I finally got the email that I had been selected as a student writer. That summer, I sat at countless soccer games, typing away in the Notes app of my iPhone, as inspiration for articles poured out of me.
In February, I received an internship that is sure to be pointing me on the path to a successful career. Visions Event Studio is a proposal and wedding planning studio, and I was hired as an editorial intern.
This type of writing is much different than advice for college students, which was what I had previously focused on. Now my articles are filled with advice on how to create the perfect wedding concept, bridesmaid duties, and showcasing local venues.
Talk about polar opposites. At times, it’s definitely difficult to get in the mindset of an incoming freshman, and crank out the Top 10 Dorm Foods, only to be image searching and drafting Romantic Holiday Proposals the next day.
It keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure. I feel like I’m writing on one end of the spectrum, college Krysten, while also trying to be future wedding planner Krysten, on the other end of the spectrum.
Regardless of which topic I’m writing about, I’ve learned that you need to be proud of the work you do. I’ve written plenty of things that feel absolutely forced, only to delete them completely. Other days, I’ve literally written an entire article in my head while I’m in the shower. I know I’m proud when I can’t wait for an article to come out. I’ll update Facebook and Twitter constantly, waiting for the notification and as soon as an article goes live, you bet that I’m sharing it and posting it on every bio of every social media platform I have. I look forward to the days that I get to see my thoughts come to life.
A lot has changed since I was a 6-year-old in first grade; heck, a lot has changed since I was a freshman in college trying to impress some soccer player with how deep and creative I was, but wanting to write and finding joy in getting the words out in the best way have always stayed the same for me. Regardless of what I get out of this materialistically, it brings me so much joy knowing that I get to put my fingers to a keyboard a few times a week and try to impact just a few people with what I have to share.
