Greetings Scholars,

This past year I took a very important step as a writer. I stopped holding back. It started with a writing exercise I did by writing my what I called my origin story to see how I became a writer and my reason for writing:

My Origin Story-How a Childhood Tradition Became my Salvation

I made a point to be completely honest in my essay and talked about my battles with anxiety and depression. I posted the essay on Medium and was shocked at the attention it received. It was later published in Zenite, a publication on Medium. 

Not only was my piece well received and is my most read piece on Medium it revitalized my writing. I have stopped trying to hold myself back in my writing and have created even more essays about my life experiences:

My Femininity-What Being a Woman Means to Me

My Crossroad-A Reflection On My First Choice On The Road Of Life

Not only does my writing now feel more purposeful and meaningful but I now approach my writing differently. I am in the planning stages of my first novel and plan on having the manuscript finished in a couple of years. At first I only saw the book as a fantasy, adventure novel. Now I realize I was creating a book inspired by my own journey with trauma. The impact of it and working to overcome it. By putting myself into my writing even my fiction now bears a greater message and meaning.

Being vulnerable is daunting. I teared up while writing that first essay. It took a great deal of energy to transmute my fears, dreams, doubts, and hopes onto the page. The experience, though, has made me a better writer. So I encourage you all to take that leap and become vulnerable in your writing as well. You may find you learn more, not just about your writing, but about yourself.

-Kelly Vislocky

Reader, Writer, Scholar

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