My Voice Through Writing

Writing has become an important outlet of my expression. It has given my endless opinions substance, pushing me to discover the significance behind it. Without it, the things I had to say would remain unfinished and would have a sense of incompleteness that would disrupt the developing relationship between me and my voice.

Writing has become a process of educating myself and my audience. Every piece I have written was done in an active manner. I was not only interested in looking in my opinion, but also the interpretation of others in similar topics. By taking in new information from other creators was like a breath of fresh air, especially because their ideas were so matured and sensical. It was heartwarming to know that there were other people out there speaking on the same issues and recognizing their importance.

I loved challenging myself in expressing my interpretations of certain topics and using new jugular to do so. I started and continue to develop my own unique writing style that separates from others. I have discovered the importance of voice because it makes your piece authentic and not systemic.

I think my studies of other creators in their choices of words in speeches or language or diction in their written pieces has influenced my persona that spreads throughout my work. I have uncovered a level of assertiveness that is most definitely intended to state my truth and the truth I see from my experience to the world. Seeing passion in other creators has influenced me to show my audience my passion.

Writing has clarified the consciousness of notes in my head. The works I write about are channeled from questions I have had about myself and my experiences. Not only can I spit it out in words, I can understand them in a clearer way because of it. It’s easy for me to be drowned in so many ideas, so many ways I can express them, so many connections that can be made, the patterns unveiled that connect to a universal truth, and how relevant they are to the most unsuspecting audience. Being able to put such a jumbled mess into a written work helps me say it expressively while also organizing everything in my head. Even when there’s another wave of ideas and emotion, I have structure to resort to to collect everything as it pours out without losing an ounce of passion.

My identity has also been expanded and interpreted in new ways because of my indulgence in writing. In the process of writing about an important part of my identity, being a Black woman, and my passion in the well being of the Black community, I interpreted my identity beyond the surface. For instance, I was able to channel my experience with mental health and apply it to common and thematic responses to mental health in the Black community. I brought relevancy to my personal concern with mental health in hopes of showing relevance to personal mental health troubles for other Black individuals.

I love writing about the little details I think are overlooked in major conversations. Bringing to light even the smallest details will not only unveil more truth, but it will also unveil those that suffered under false pretenses. A lot of my writing has surrounded justice. From feeling the pressure as a woman to marry and have kids young to the importance of joy in the Black community. I wanted to unpack the major concepts that reside in the tiniest parts of greater topics, which tend to be overlooked or completely unaware of. That’s the importance of writing that I have found. There is no end to interpretation and explanation, making it more difficult for disregarded concepts from truly dying out. I have found that writing exposes truths, truths that I have found in other works and in my own.

Without writing I do not think I could grasp deep concepts or go into depth over broad ideas. Writing for me has deleted any generalizations I have made and forced me to not look at the bigger picture. Writing makes me look at the pieces that puzzle together that picture. Ideas are often lost in broadness, which is something that I have struggled with when conveying my views. However, writing has been like a key that unlocks the blocks of simplicity to dive into the complexity of what I write.

Dealing with complexity is much more difficult than mundane and repetitive focuses. It channels greater significance requiring much more thought and inspiration. While I have yet to find a consistent process to writing, I do know that the overall task brings structure to the most complex ideas. When you start with one explanation, a pathway opens up to release the great capacity that can be filled with opinion, voice, and interpretation. I’ve learned that that path can strike you right away, or it demands you to learn and listen to a variety of views to reach it.

The relationship I have built with writing has diversified through my recent work. I have worked on structure, focus, and ideas that run past my mind or straight to the paper. I have found importance in its difficulty and pride with its reward. It has strengthened the bond between me and my voice. I have uncovered ideas I did not know I had because I took the time and had the patience to dive into a range of subjects. If there is anything that I have grasped, it is that writing has served my psyche well.

With all the aspects I’ve acquired and learned from writing, it all came down to the birth of my voice. It has given my identity great representation. Representation of a new young voice. Representation of a young Black woman. Representation of a broke college student. But, most importantly, representation to an individual who feels like her words can be enlightening.

Writing in itself has given me validation of my work. The ability to picture what’s in my mind and concisely elaborate it upon paper, has served as my channel of endless yet passionate thought.