Why Write?

How is it that a girl who was told that she was too verbose and essentially not a talented writer, writes songs, and blogs?

Here’s the thing, I heard this expression a long, long time ago and it has stuck with me, people have opinions and opinions are like a*holes, everyone’s got one. And that’s the truth. Over the years, I’ve let way too many people shape the way that I look at myself with their opinions, half-truths, lies, and flat-out malice. This created a person that was unsure of who she was and where she was going. 

From a very, very young age, I had always loved the arts: visual, musical, kinesthetic, and written. I’ve read and studied a variety of poetry and had the unique experience of studying English and English authors in England, which was one of my best life experiences. So how could one doubt their own abilities knowing they have the credibility and talent in the area of the written word? Other people as explained above. Nothing pisses me off more in life than letting other folks creep into our heads. We doubt based on others' feedback and opinions and what is popular at the time. So, given all of that, I realized that I had to try, I just had to try my hand at writing again, this time for a more public audience. And then I met Instagram.

Publicly launching my musical ambitions in early 2020 gave me the platform to write about my journey and how I got here - how does a techie from Silicon Valley transition to being a Nashville singer-songwriter? Bringing folks along in that journey helped me forge a unique writing style as well as illuminate the many wins and challenges that I was facing. I finally had an outlet to share and to help others in a deep and meaningful way. And it worked! What I found was that as put more healing and uplifting stories out there of my journeys and lessons along the way, people were responding and sharing back. It created a feedback loop but also a community. And at the end of the day, that is what I strive for others to have: a sense of community, to feel a togetherness as opposed to a siloed life. 

What I want folks to take away from my writing is valuable as they are choosing to invest their time with me (that was the economics major in me speaking). Having read my song lyrics or blog posts, I want you to see the world in a different way and also see yourself in that world, a world that you may not have realized existed in you and outside of you. I tend to write stories with illustrations, or parables—perhaps that’s the Biblical influence over me but hey, Jesus did it and it worked, and here we are. 

And that is one other thing about my writing, I incorporate my faith into it; it would be disingenuous if I did not, especially if it is on my heart. I think our writing needs to stay true to our authentic selves and reflect our own experiences and mine has been primely shaped by my faith. However, you do not need to be of faith to read and enjoy my writing; the themes are universal and if you are open, you will see that in them. 

Understand that by opening yourself up to the possibility that you know yourself the best, you do not need to listen to others’ opinions of you. You can forge your own way and you too can do something that bucks the trends and defies the odds. Finding your own unique voice in this world, whatever that is, is very and deeply satisfying—trust me, I would know.

Michelle :)