It's easy to get lost in the fact that there are millions of books, plays, and articles already written. So why write? With literature having been around since the beginning of time, it seems as if everything noteworthy has already been said. Yet what makes writing incredible is that it can never die out. There will always be more words to be said, and new opinions and ideas introduced. And what many fail to realize, is that writing itself is not something that necessarily needs to be shared. You can write for a high end fashion magazine, critiquing the latest trends, or, you can write in an old notebook about the incredible day you had. A writer is simply someone who writes, and there is nothing else to it.

Writing for the Odyssey for a few months now, I find myself enjoying both the challenge and excitement that comes along with it. Initially, I began writing due to a sudden obsession for the pretty notebooks made out of various materials with printed quotes. Needless to say, a corner of my room became dedicated to these notebooks, and one day, I decided to do things with them. I began to write. About bad days, good days, books I liked, people I missed, just about anything that came to mind. Soon enough I found myself writing quite frequently, and enjoying it. Paper serves to be the best listener, as it offers no judgment or criticism, just lines that continue on forever. And there was something therapeutic about that, so I stuck with it. The most important thing about maintaining a journal, is to not have a schedule. Writing is something that should be enjoyed; it should not feel like a responsibility.

And whether you choose to keep your words to yourself, or share them with the world, is completely optional. Sure, I enjoyed writing essays in schools, and journaling about my daily life as a teenage girl, but it was not until I began to write for an audience that I found a new love for it. The idea that my writing has been seen and even enjoyed by someone, is seemingly unfathomable. Whether it be just my family, or 50 strangers that read something that I have produced, it is collectively frightening and exhilarating all at the same time. There is something empowering about sharing your vulnerabilities with the people of the internet, and even more exciting is receiving positive feedback. You have the ability to persuade, inform, and entertain a group of people by the powers of your fingertips. It does not take a Phd in English to be able to write. All you truly need is an open mind and an honest perspective. I've learned that the very things that you think and feel, regardless of what they are; there is at least one other person in the world who is thinking the exact same thing.

Writing has the ability to bring people together, while considering the differences and perspectives of virtually every person in the world. And as you begin to connect with people in all of these new places and are introduced to the viewpoints of many new people, you get to know yourself better. There is a strong sense of hope in rereading old works or entries, in times of when you were hopeless or sad, and realize just how easy it is for people to change.