writing advice passed from me and now it is bestowed unto you, dear readers

Near the end of my senior year at Lyman Hall, my Humanities teacher pulled me aside after class to talk about my paper I had written. She commended me on my hard work and could tell I really enjoyed writing. She said if I truly believed in myself just as she believed in me, that I could go all the way to the top with my writing. She told me I was talented and could do so much with it. Having this little reinforcer that my writing isn’t completely unexceptional made me gain a bit of confidence in what I was producing. 

I question the strength of my writing all the time and putting it online makes me feel even more vulnerable to backlash. But I’ve learned. I’ve learned to give less of a damn and write about what makes me happy, regardless of who may ever read it. I write for myself to make myself happy. I’m not concerned with pleasing others with my writing because I’m the one who’s thoughts spill out onto the page; not theirs. Writing is the freedom of my expression and I shouldn’t feel obligated to write about something that will only please someone else. 

So, my advice to writers is this: write about what makes you happy. Don’t question yourself because it’s all too easy to put yourself down with your own words. Be confident in your writing and know that you’re not alone in your creative insecurities. Keep writing, keep creating and keep doing what makes you the happiest. 

-Ariana 🙂