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.