It is SO MUCH MORE than a fun hobby. It's truly something amazing to be a part of.
As a recently promoted Editor-in-Chief, EIC, I just want to start out by saying that I want to bring writers onto my team that look at Odyssey as something fun... not a task in need of completion. I don't want to just collect and add people to my team as if they're baseball cards that are completely disposable. So far, I've on-boarded an amazing group of writers (who write for all different reasons) and remind me every day why I became involved with Odyssey in the first place.
I simply want to help them find their place in life through their joy, appreciation, and love for writing.
I want to build my team up into something great, something admirable (not that we aren't already).
So what if we're writing to entertain our readers or even to express our inner thoughts? All that matters is that WE HAVE VOICES that ARE WORTH BEING HEARD. We do matter. It is not just click bait. Whether our target audience is the crazy cat lady, the stay-at-home mom, the delivery boy or the person struggling with mental illness, we all have the same goal: to make sure that no one feels alone in whatever they're going through.
In writing for Odyssey, I've learned that I have a sincere, burning desire to help people reach their goals and express themselves on a more personal level.
It's not a hobby to me that I only think about on the weekends... I LOVE my position with Odyssey because, for me, I feel like I can finally give back to others in a way that truly enhances my life as well.
I've always loved to write. I feel as though I've always had a knack for organizing my thoughts in a productive way. It's not that I think I'm amazing or anything... because I'm definitely not. I make mistakes and have to go through multiple drafts just like everyone else.
But what does set me apart is my outlook on Odyssey as a whole. The day I got brought on as a creator, I told everyone that mattered to me...and I do mean EVERYONE. If you don't believe me, ask my mom or my sorority sisters. The day my first article was published, I sent it to everyone in my contacts and posted it on all of my social media.
I loved the fact that people were finally listening to what I had to say.
And at that, I wasn't just being heard. I felt as though I had been genuinely understood for the first time in a while. It felt as though something clicked in me, letting me know that I was on the right track.
No matter how small of a win that was for me, I will always be thankful for that moment. It truly changed me (and my major... again).
So, to those of you that find my dedication to the team a bit overbearing, listen up. I am here for YOU. I am here to help. I am no longer here for just myself and my own writing. As a team, our writing also represents one another... you know, the whole "my success is our success" thing. Sure, our individual pieces will get different view amounts, but our success as a team will be earned as a team.
That right there is what I'm getting at.
Odyssey is your family. It will accept you, love you and support you like one for as long as you let it. So please, pretty please, don't hesitate to love it back. It will equip you with an immense amount of knowledge and experience that will guide you not only in your writing but in your life as well.
Read your teammates' pieces. You'll get to know them so much quicker (and probably in a more honest/open way) if you simply take the time to read and support each other's work. It's incredible, knowing that I've never even met half of my team and that they still feel like close friends. It has been a truly inspiring experience so far, and I hope you find a place in your heart to write it's name on too.