Well, I am getting on Substack. Who knows where it will go. I am figuring this out (writing again, and Substack in particular) bit-by-bit. Since Substack is a separate app, I will post the same content on this blog for now. It’s odd looking back at this old site with old writing. I cringe at some of my previous blog posts while smiling at others…but in the spirit of authenticity, and since they are a part of who I was then/informed who I am now, I will let most of them live on in this blog. However, I have changed so much in the last several years especially. My political and cultural viewpoints are not the same. My internal landscape is vastly changed. Cheers to the gift of transience!
As for the writing part…
Throughout childhood I dreamt of being an author. I remember that, back then, it felt like a natural part of who I am. I was a child that thoroughly used up notebooks from cover to cover. Each contained fiction stories with their own maps and languages-alphabets and all. As I grew into that treacherous era we call puberty, and self-awareness was born, my attention shifted to avid journaling about my life. This included detailed accounts of my experiences as a mixed-ethnicity kid with an unusual upbringing. My journals recount the many woes and triumphs of high school, all the way through my adventures as a first-generation college student. I am startled when I read them now, recognizing how much thought I had put into my role in my small world, my larger community, and the process of identity development. It is evident that, at that time, writing was as second nature to me as walking. I even had a few publications along the way that were noticed and published by platforms like Country Squire Magazine and Voyage Denver.
However, as happens to many of us somewhere in the realm of growing up, adults and prevalent culture steered me toward “better, more serious” career plans. Yet, here I am writing again. It is one of the truest methods through which I self-express, learn, and get glimpses into how others experience the world. I am not sure what, if any, goals I have for writing again. I will not pretend that my writing is well developed by any means- one of the consequences of letting it fall to the wayside for too long. However, I am about to turn 30 and I am on the precipice of quitting my “big girl” job. There is so much going on in the world at large right now, and in my own world. I can’t think of a better time to remember and nurture this part of myself.
If you feel like plotting along with me, I’d be happy to have the company. I welcome thoughts and comments, advice on writing techniques and ideas, discourse, and recommendations on other great reading and writing to explore.
Jeremy Rill Portrait Photography