Art is an outlet for creative expression. You are allowed to use and express your art in whatever way you choose. Your art is your words, your art is your meaning, and your art is your purpose. For anybody that watches One Tree Hill, to quote Lucas Scott, “Your art matters.” (And for anybody that doesn’t want One Tree Hill, you should probably get on that). As a performer, I am allowed to perform whatever I want and use art as an outlet for my inner truth. As a writer, I am allowed to structure my narratives in a way that I feel is necessary- because it is mine. Singing is art, painting is art, writing is art, ART is art.

With that being said, I am at a loss for words when I am told that the platform that I write for is not valid. That my words and my purpose as a writer are not standard because the platform that I produce them on does not have a ‘positive reputation’ amongst a certain community. To be told that the only requirement to write for my platform is to “be an idiot” is just truly rude, unnecessary, and extraordinarily false. I am a bright individual. I am an individual who writes articles for enjoyment and not for a homework assignment. To be called an idiot is to be deemed as inept, which is simply not something I would identify myself as. On top of being intelligent, I am an artist in every sense of the word. I create art, I produce art, I bleed art. The platform I chose to present my art on does not make me any less of an artist.

And so when you are scrolling down your Facebook feed and a headline catches your attention from a website you aren't fond of- read it. There are different writers on every platform. Some are good, some are bad, but they are all writers. They all have the right to express themselves on whatever platform they choose. They all are proud of their work and want to showcase their progress. There is no website or blog out there that is without flaw. There is no writer that is perfect either. You can find a flaw in the most exquisite of pieces if you’re looking at it with a negative lens. Art is subjective. It is based on the individual's morals, views, and opinions. Your art should not be broadcasted to please anyone other than yourself.

In more or less words, this article is a big ‘screw you’ to any of the people who look down on me for writing for The Odyssey. My art should not be confined to fit your standards. My art should be expressed wherever I please. My art is out there to inspire and inform. My art is out there to be art, not to be a statistic.

If you would like to be a part of a community where you are allowed to express your artistic wisdom without any judgement from your peers, consider writing for the Odyssey. Expressing my words makes me feel liberated and alive which is something that I simply cannot get from bottling up my words inside. Indulge yourself. Teach yourself. Express yourself.