Why It Matters: Sharing Your Voice Is Essential

Cut out all of the noise of the world for a moment and think about who you are.

Not what you “do”.

Not your status at your job.

Not who you’re dating.

Not how many social media followers you have.

Not what awards or accolades you’ve collected.

Not who has featured you or interviewed you for their blog, online publication or show.

YOU as a whole human being in all of your flaws and talents whose voice deserves to be heard – because you do.

Think about why you follow people online and elect to spend time with them; common qualities like humor, wit, intelligence, kindness, empathy, transparency, and skill-set connect us to each other. These qualities create a bond of relatability that help us collaborate and vibe well together. So in the midst of admiring all of the people that I do for their individual talents, I had to take a moment to understand that my words matter just as much as theirs do, because I matter. I had to realize that I can be just as impactful as them. I had to understand that I, too, can operate at a similar level as they do. Now if I’m going to be honest for a moment, it’s taken me a loooong time to muster up the courage and push past fear to even launch this blog, but I finally decided to give into my interests and talents and to tap into the necessary discipline that comes with executing even when I feel nervous.

I had to understand that no one can execute for me except for me. And I had to realize that fear was clouding my chance to be heard. 

So I hope in reading this you decide to also push aside your fear, because here are a few reasons why your perspective + your voice matter

---

Your Words and Experiences Can Save Someone.

When someone reads what you write, they are no longer a complete stranger to you because they have now tapped into your thoughts and the innermost workings of your mind. Your words can help save someone heartache, process through grief, advise them through a confusing transition period or season, nurture a new idea, etc. The impact of your words is endless. We all want to seem strong and avoid exposing our painful moments in life so often that we choose to suffer in silence. But when you factor in the internet, there's a temptation to be bold because you're not speaking directly to any one person even though your words are. Revealing your personal + vulnerable moments can help encourage or reassure someone who is going through a tough situation that they will make it to the other side because you're making it through even if you are currently working through your storm. 

What You Say Can Unintentionally Impact You, Too.

The internet is like a live online journal. You can look back at tweets from years ago, Facebook lets you know what you were doing this time last year, you can document your life online via YouTube, you collect memories with people through tags, and whoever you document yourself to be is cemented through your online persona. Think about who you were or who you created your online brand to be just 6 months ago. Seeing/hearing the quality of your content and how you used to piece together your thoughts will hold you accountable and push you to be better. Maybe you were ignorant to a cause or movement and you have now become more informed. Maybe your grammar and who you used to present yourself to be was a HOT mess. Beyond the freedom of sharing your thoughts with others, now you can look back and say “whew, I've really improved how I used to take pictures, what I used to write about, how I used to write, etc.” Self-awareness and self-reflection really are beautiful. 

Words Create Worlds, Establish Escapes, and Create Endless Opportunities.

J.K. Rowling created an entire phenomenon around Harry Potter. She imagined a place based on part of her childhood and produced a whole world that resonates with both kids and adults. James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates have expanded the minds of people across all backgrounds and ethnicities through their thought-provoking books, interviews, and speeches on topics such as race, life, and the complexities of it all. Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison have created beautiful imagery and ignited confidence with their words. Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth created terrifying yet equally-intoxicating dystopian worlds. Your words, too, can leave the page to create an escape for people living in their current reality. They can educate the uneducated, and it doesn’t have to be solely in the form of a TV show, movie, or book to matter. Your words can create opportunities to collaborate with brands you used to obsess over through the pages of your J-14, Teen Vogue and Essence magazines – hello Issa Rae. There are no limits, so share your narrative and do it now before you talk yourself out of it.  

Don’t deprive the world of your words because you claim in your own mind that they aren’t valuable. Stop believing your own lies.

Sometimes "In Progress" Pieces Of Work Need To Be Validated.

You know this is true to some extent. Go with me on this. As people in a world with billions of other people, we want to know that what we say is connecting to our audience, and to, well, anyone outside of ourselves. Do you have a thought or idea that you want to develop into a book, a script, a pilot, a web series – shoot, even an Instagram post? Since the internet – more specifically social media – has changed the way we receive + process information, doing things like Twitter/IG Polls, posting something inspirational on Instagram, or creating a Facebook post can be the beginning of a project in your mind that needs the opinion of the people you’re creating it for. Do they love it? Hate it? Benefit from reading/consuming it? It’s key to know that what you’re writing about or creating is resonating because if it’s not then it’s likely time to change course.

Becoming obsessed with validation from everyone else = No

Understanding the value of confirmation, impact + affirmation = Yes

The Need For Change and Impact Is Bigger Than Your Fears.

The internet has opened up the magical door for creatives to have insight into the mind of other creatives in order to . . . you guessed it, create. We don’t ALWAYS need to be in competition because sometimes we are much more impactful in a group. Sometimes our strength is in aligning and discerning where our talents fall in the grand scheme of things. Not to mention, burnout is real. It is our responsibility to pay attention to the needs of each other so that we can collaborate to continuously create things that will make way and give a chance for the next generation to see what’s possible. That is both my responsibility and yours. Change, in all of its forms, only takes place when we are ready and able to do something completely uncomfortable and outside of ourselves. I have the willingness to constantly learn if I don't know something because everything I'm doing is bigger than me. 

---

Whether or not my words resonate immediately, as an afterthought in your mind, or not at all, I can’t control. What I can control is making my words available to you in the first place. Putting yourself out there is both thrilling and terrifying, but one thing that’s for certain is if you never try, you’ll never know who could be affected by what you have to say.

Dismiss the fear, embrace the discomfort, and release the risk-free moments all 2018, friends.  

Xoxo

Sincerely, Ang.

Allow Yourself The Time and Grace Needed For Your Journey

One of the easiest and most natural things there is to do is compare. Compare the money we make, compare our successes, compare our failures, compare our number of followers or views, compare our looks, and whatever else we can measure on an uneven playing field. And social media (as much as I love it) makes it way too easy to see the award-worthy moments aka the Highlight Reel, and we easily associate that with being the everyday reality of people’s lives. It’s not, and it never is, the way anyone celebrity or regular person alike actually lives 24-7.

Let's take your favorite celebrities for example. When we see stars like Yara Shahidi or Zendaya scoring lead roles in a TV show or earn an award it can be easy to think what in the world was I doing at that age? or am I totally washed because I’m not hitting it big by the time I’m 30? While we’re busy thinking we’re failing because the focus on age is so prevalent to success, we forget to understand whether the type of projects we take on, the career path we’re on, or the person we’re becoming has anything to do with someone’s else’s level up. While every move younger kids make is thrust into the spotlight thus making us feel inadequate, looking at the brilliant Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, Mahershala Ali, or even Bianca Lawson, can provide perspective about the “silent hustle” and how more often than not many incredibly talented people often don’t receive their recognition early.

Look At Your Process As a Fine Wine  

Cheese. Wine. Kombucha. Two of the three I can actually consume easily, and all three have their proper aging process. When things grow they have a predetermined time-frame in which they’re meant to fully produce the correct nutrients to develop their best taste or structure. Wine is at its best when it’s aged – and that’s how we have to look at our journey because it’s not a sprint, it’s a long and sometimes excruciatingly slow marathon. So much like wine, you don’t want to start rushing the fermenting process of your life, because if you do you’ll end up with a bitter and unbalanced taste which benefits no one. Take pleasure in the beautiful development of your aging process because in the end it will be incredibly strong and sweet.

Support and Cheer For Others Fervently

One of my favorite things to do is to boost up those that I love. It doesn’t matter if it’s a specific event or achievement or just because I’m proud of the person that someone is becoming, I’m your personal hype woman always and in all ways. Honestly, I don’t even have to know you at all and I’m still here for your growth. When you truly celebrate the progression and ascension of others it opens up a mindset of gratitude and places you in the neighborhood to receive abundance right along with them. There’s something about sharing the achievements of others as if they were your own that just feels . . . right. Always do this while you're simultaneously climbing your own ladder to success. 

Write + Record Every Moment For Your Future Self

Did you have a journal from your first high school heartbreak? Well then if you’ve ever looked back on it you probably realize how dramatic you were but you also recognize how much you’ve (hopefully) changed and grown. I hate to say it, and it’s even harder to see it, but growth develops best from obstacles and turmoil. If you’re going through heartbreak or you’re wondering how you’re going to pay your car note this month, you’re probably not going to be able to say, “alright, I know I may default on my student loans buuutttt I’m not mad because I know that six months down the line my work is going to be published in XYZ publication or I’ll land a contract and get paid.” Nah girl. To be automatically accepting of your struggle in the thick of it is not the norm. In the moment, your perspective is likely clouded with anger, confusion, resentment and irritation. You can’t see the lesson or reason but what you can and should do is write down every event that is happening. Break down in detail every moment of intense joy and blinding rage. Be descriptive about how what is happening to you is impacting your emotions, productivity and mental health. You’ll be grateful to look back and see how you moved through the pain and now you can gracefully reflect back in order to move forward.

Reflect on Difficult Moments With Appreciation

We won’t lie to each other. This one is really, really hard and it’s especially hard if you’ve experienced personal hurt along the way. I don’t know anyone who is going to look at their current hardships with admiration while they sit in . . . like . . . literal depression. It’s almost impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel and whatnot, but just take a moment in the midst of your tears and think about what you get to look forward to that is for you. That man who never became your boyfriend and chose someone else? He wasn’t meant for you. That big project you worked hard as hell for but never saw come to fruition? Throw that bad boy in your portfolio and keep it moving. That job you went through three rounds of interviews for but turned you down? Your dream job is around the corner. If you can find a way to grasp onto the small amount of light in the darkness then you’re already halfway to where you need to be.

Your Mistakes Are Inevitable But They Don’t Have To Be Crippling

Pssst. Hey fellow human: you’re going to make A LOT of mistakes. Some people expect you to be perfect but your superpower is that you’re far from it. You’re relatable because you’re an awkward hot mess sometimes just like the rest of us. So maybe you were late on a project or didn’t put your all into it. Or maybe you said something dumb out of ignorance. Or perhaps you got distracted and forgot to do something relatively important. Guess what one of the best things in the world is? It’s this little thing called the process of learning, adjusting and improving. The gag is that walking around as if you’re immune to mistakes only helps you make them quicker, and not in a good way. When you’re unaware of how you’re acting it’s pretty easy to slip up because you’re failing to pay attention, but if you embrace the fact that you’re going to make mistakes, you’ll have them, forgive yourself and bounce back faster.

Despite the mistakes you’re going to make or the wins you’re going to have, the best part of this life is being able to take charge of your own process and realize that you are very much still a delicate work in progress. Give yourself a little grace. 

Xoxo

Sincerely, Ang