djenne g.

HELLO FROM LONDON!

*This was written a week before being here but it sounds nice so I’m leaving it*
I have a strong feeling when I return I’ll be coming back with a much more positive mindset. I have one of those feelings that I had before summer of reluctant and nervous excitement. I noticed that my body naturally rejects change when I know that it’s coming. This is something that is so obviously in the cards for me. The way it came up for me was a complete surprise and so I know that this is something for me. I am excited. I am ready and I am also hella nervous!

All that being said. Here is the post for today. lol.

Writing has been a constant to me all throughout my life and I never noticed it. It’s been one of those things that charmingly snuck up on me.

My mom gave me a journal at a very young age and told me to write out my thoughts and dreams onto it and so, I did. I wrote all about my days and experiences as a young child and I can honestly say that I have no remnants of my childhood thoughts and I wish I did. I know how much I wrote about boys I liked. I distinctly remembered having pros and cons list for the boys I liked and I obviously wrote about my day and whoever upset me that day or week. Many of my childhood journals have been scavenged through and thrown out.

I also remember writing stories. All throughout my life, I’ve had a very vivid imagination. Paying attention in class is so hard when you have the amazing stories in my head my dreams are also hella dope. They’re so complex and I love it. My most recent dream had a dog in it that can turn black and white at will. He was so cute. About 1 years old and I was so determined to adopt him, I’m hoping to adopt a pup when I return from London.

Okay but back to my imagination, I have a deep love of writing because I daydream so hard with so many crazy and vivid things and I’d like to share the things on my mind. It excites me so much when I write and weave in my thoughts and visions of the world. I feel like I’m droning off…

All of this came to mind because Neil Gaiman came to speak at my school and if you don’t know already, he is an author or American Gods, Coraline, Sandman, etc. I honestly wasn’t too excited when I heard he was coming, I’ve never read anything of his but I knew his name. I only went because my teacher offered us extra credit. I was pleasantly surprised when I got this feeling; it’s a feeling that I felt before when reading Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield. It wasn’t the best but I do enjoy reading and learning about the background of being a writer. The moments that writers share together, bonding over their own creativity and growing and learning new things together. I enjoy that support and getting advice from other writers.

Neil Gaiman told us writers in the crowd that every and anything can be mythic and that we can create an entire world or new creation by the most mundane of things. I mean, obviously but sometimes it’s just good to hear it again. To be reminded of the power to see the world differently. I really enjoyed that now that I’ here in London, I am hoping to find things to add into my stories. I’ve also been seeing characteristics within the people around me that I want to incorporate into my writing. I feel like my eyes have been opened.

He also said to just write; if you don’t write then you have nothing to edit and nothing to offer so just continuing writing will only help me grow.

I really want to be in an environment of writers and also writers of color where I can hear their stories and how they overcome their own struggles within their own writing. I feel like it will be so helpful if I were in that environment.

It also made me realize my dislike with critically analyzing literature as I’m doing now in school. I’m almost finished with my degree and I do want to further my education in writing afterwards. I just need to push through it all and I know it will be rewarding when I finally walk across that damn stage and get that paper.

I just want to carry on writing until then. If you are a writer, you now know what I’m looking for and please, feel free to contact me. I’m trying to reach out and find my crowd. I am really excited about this.

My advice for this week is to follow your dreams and your heart and stop caring about the thoughts and feelings of other people because everything is temporary. Life is too short to care about the thoughts and feelings of those who are temporary. Just take in the positivity that comes your way and try to give the same back. Mind your business and keep it pushing. Be impulsive and take risks towards your greater goal. Everyone has their own journey so jsut focus on your own.