It is the biggest compliment when someone says that they can relate to my writing. I only hope that I have done their thoughts justice. Throughout my life, several interests have grabbed at my attention and there are numerous paths that I could have walked. When I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian, then a dancer, and then a counselor. However, writing has been the one passion to stick. I’ve been infatuated with love letters and quotations, but my love for writing didn’t pick up until my senior year of high school.

Writing can involve books and so much more. People who like to write can be lyricists, poets, commercial writers, and script writers. It’s amazing when someone can take you to a different place with a word or a uniquely phrased sentence. When you read something, you can make a visualization of it in your mind. You can take the black and white words on the page and make a vibrant scene in your mind, which might be a totally different interpretation from what someone else was thinking.

For me, writing can be an escape. It helps me to find new ideas, to fill a void, and to create new ideas that the universe might not have already had. It’s therapeutic for me. I write for myself because it makes me happy. It’s an added bonus when someone else acknowledges my writing, but I mostly do it to express how I feel. It’s also easier to edit something that I have written than to take back or re-word something that I might have said in person. I believe that I am able to explain myself more clearly through writing. It feeds a longing in me that I am unable to fill in life.

This journey to becoming a writer was not an easy one. My teachers, past educators, and supportive friends and family have done wonders for me. They are the backbone of writers and they should get more credit. If it weren't for these people who pushed me because they saw my potential, I might not be where I am today. Writers need someone to encourage them, even when they might not believe in themselves. For instance, Stephen King's mother kept telling him to write even after several of his pieces got declined to be published in magazines.

So, if you’ve been wanting to write something that matters, go for it. Hit the ground running. Write your ideas in a journal and use your life experiences to add to those visions. Take notice of things around you and research new interests. Most of all, go into writing with all of your heart, even if you’re only doing it for yourself. You might change someone’s life by gaining the courage to share your words.