As of August 2015, I have been a writer for Odyssey. With this experience I have learned that individuality and creativity are the key factors that help you stand out among the rest. Although we live in a more indirect world where the majority of the population has a strong online footprint, there are some things that I learned from being a writer that I can take with me as I move on to my next chapter; graduation.
1. The amount of shares that you receive does not determine if you are a good writer or not.
It is the society we live in. "How many likes did this get?" "Wait, did you not share my article? I am so offended." These things don't matter. At the end of the day, yeah, publicity is what encourages traffic flow; however, it does not define how great of a writer you are.
2. Writing out how you feel can sometimes be a blessing.
Having the ability to create an article that is just so difficult to express in words is an absolute gift. Too many times I see people suffering to express how they feel. The good thing is that now, in todays world, people are able to copy a link and send it to their friends. Not only that, it means the world when it is your article portraying that message.
3. You are able to learn what you can and cannot handle.
Writing is not for everyone and neither is a specific topic. I have learned that, although I love sports, I have a hard time writing about them. When I talk about my faith and my journey through Christ, it comes easy. Needless to say, writing for Odyssey has the ability to teach you where your strong and weak points lie. Because of my experience with Odyssey, I am able to see that the impossible is actually possible; however, you have to do what's comfortable in order to get there.
4. You learn how to hold your ground.
Being a writer for Odyssey, you are blessed with the ability to hear the opinions of thousands around the nation. Whether the conversation is political or whether it is athletic, opinions differ among the crowd you are around. Because of Odyssey, if I did not agree with what someone was saying I was able to understand where their point of view came from while at the same time creating my own opinion. At the beginning, it was hard to stand your ground in a debate. Over the course of a year, this tool is going to be necessary in the work place.
5. The only one you need to make happy is yourself.
Although this ties closely with my first point, the only person you need to make happy is yourself. There is no one else in the world that is able to fill in the whole that you have except for you. Do you want to know why? It is because when you fully are comfortable with who you are and what you are able to do, that in turn will lead you to where you need to be. At the beginning of my Odyssey journey, I had no self confidence whatsoever; however, after the course of a few months, I was able to look myself in the mirror and say, "You are an amazing writer, you beautiful being. You will influence someone's life, just keep going."
6. It is going to be an experience you will miss forever.
For the first time, I felt as if I was finally going somewhere with my life. As an English major, having the opportunity to express your feelings is amazing. Just like a job, there were times that I hated the experience and there were times that I loved it. Although, overall, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Every single person at Odyssey has taught me to see that no objective is achieved on your own. There is no way to reach the top of the mountain without someone or something holding you up. The team that I was a part of was phenomenal. They were supportive, they were there for me when I hit rock bottom and they believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Just like everyone else, there is bound to be a mistake, but my Odyssey crew always kept pushing me enough to keep believing in myself.
Although I am not finished with Odyssey, I am glad that I agreed to putting myself through this experience. I am fortunate to have learned that my voice is never perfect because there is always room for improvement. On top of that, I am proud of Odyssey for being the one place where I got my start.
To those of you are graduating, moving on or moving up, never forget where you plant your roots. Never forget where you get your start, because you have to have roots before you can have branches.
