Do What You Love. Love What You Do.

The fire inside me to write burns strongly.  As the mother of two preschool-aged boys, I have neglected to make myself a priority for far too long.  In an attempt to do right by me, I have decided to go back to school to pursue a Master of Arts in Creative Writing. This is my pledge to honor myself and finally do something I love. Ultimately, passion creates success and I am extremely passionate about refining and mastering the craft of writing.

I have always dreamed of writing for a living but my crippling self-doubt and familial circumstances lead me to follow the status-quo.  When I graduated High School, I was all but certain of what path I wanted to take.  I have an appreciation for an array of subjects, so when it came to deciding on a Bachelor’s degree, my pragmatic self felt that a Bachelor of Business Administration would be the most practical and versatile area of study. Given that I was already on the fast track to becoming a realtor, my studies were a means to an end and I never quieted my mind enough to allow my intuition a chance to guide me.

Just like a broken record, all my college professors would repeatedly utter the same words, “When you apply to Grad school…” but the mere idea of going back to school after graduation was disturbing at the time.  Truth is, I had it all wrong and I was going against the current, taking the “easy” road despite it being an uphill battle for me.  I managed to graduate a semester early because I was so miserable in my pursuit of a Business Degree that my only respite was to get out as fast and I could.  The only classes I enjoyed taking were related to English, Nutrition, and Philosophy.  My heart and mind have always resonated with the Arts and Sciences, yet I fought my nature and have subsequently worked in fields that have left me unfulfilled and yearning for a greater purpose.

If I am being perfectly honest with myself, I would have to say that my dream has always been to write a novel that would be made into a movie.  This does not preclude me from pursuing my love for non-fiction by writing memoir or self-help type books, the kind that pour into the lives of those who read them.  Still, I have a strong internal struggle with my love for fiction and I am strongly driven to the metaphysical; there is nothing like a good book or script written around a plot of vampires and supernatural beings.  A good story in that genre makes me boil over with excitement, but at the same time I also thoroughly enjoy books about medicine, law, religion, and philosophy; it is as though I am driven to fulfill a moral purpose.  Whatever I write aims to speak to the moral dilemmas and humanity inside of us, and be full of wisdom and righteousness.

Despite my forthcoming accomplishments – or lack-thereof – as a writer, writing for me means living my truth. There is a simple beauty that comes from being able to piece together words to compose works of art.  There is a undeniable freedom that comes with writing because it can be done from anywhere in the world; on the ground and in the air, by the beach or in the mountains.  It feels like I am breathing fresh air when I imagine a career as a writer.  For as long as I can recall I have been living a conventional existence despite my nature pulling me in the completely opposite direction.  I’ve been stuck in the traditional nine-to-five-career mindset which makes me feel like I’m in chains and doesn’t suit my personality well.  I’m a free-spirit and just want to fly;  I want to be as free as an eagle soaring along the highest of mountaintops.  That is what moves my soul; unrelenting creativity.  I need to let go of the constraints and live my bliss once and for all.