how i fell in love with writing.
I have a vivid memory of sitting at my dining room table in third grade, typing on my parents’ typewriter. It was an overcast Saturday and I was creating a story with a beautiful character–a young high school girl who had big dreams, pretty outfits, and lots of friends.
It wasn’t an assignment from school. It was me simply putting my imagination on paper. On my own. In third grade.
Then there was my pink diary with unicorns on the cover and a silver lock. I wrote in that puppy every day. About my feelings. About friends I liked and incidents that upset me. About boys I liked and boys that made fun of me. It was a form of self-expression that felt necessary anytime I needed to vent. Even at 9 years old, I felt relief when I put my pen to paper.
I still do. To this day, I’ve kept a journal. I have hundreds of pages of feelings, life events, breakthroughs, and challenges on my computer and in stacks of multi-colored journals. It’s been so interesting to go back and read about past dramas, revelations, and personal growth. I love seeing how much my perspective had changed on the world and how many amazing nuggets of wisdom are in there…like this one.
We never stop growing. It’s constant and it often feels uncomfortable and scary. The uncertainty around it just reinforces that nothing is permanent. Everything is always changing. And in the moments where comfort sets in, that when the growth is stabilizing … a brief chance to catch our breath and recuperate. But very soon, the growing, expanding … it starts again.
Isn’t it the truth? I want to give my younger self a huge hug when I read what she wrote.
Personal inventory aside, story-making and word-smithing is what I love most. Beautiful phrases. Alliterations. Descriptions of emotion and scenery. And although being a writer is what I started out doing in my career, life’s twists and turns led me on an adventure of self-discovery.
I went for a dip in the crazy, cool world of fashion at Harper’s Bazaar. I jumped compassionately into the do-good, feel-good world at Dress for Success. And then I landed in the vibrant universe of health and wellness at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
All along I wrote. Documenting my experiences, yes. But also creatively crafting web pages. Emails. Blog entries. Video scripts. Playing with words. Putting them together. Pulling them apart. Until they were just right.
Naturally, I felt the itch to create my own stories again. To share some personal lessons. To give people a peek inside my life. So I started a blog. And I’m realizing now in hindsight, that was the catalyst for all of the writing I’m doing now.
Writing has become my profession–well, one of them. And it feels so funny because that’s what I started doing when I was only a little girl wearing Gap leggings and growing into my big teeth. Perhaps I always knew this was my thing, life just needed to take me through all of the other adventures to bring me here.
When we’re young, we gravitate towards activities that we love. It’s in those activities that our passion lies. Perhaps, even our purpose. If you’re someone who’s searching for your calling, something that feels good and fills you up, consider what you did as a kid. What creative pursuit came naturally to you? What did you love doing more than anything? Would it be something you’d enjoy today?
If you’re in search of someone to coach you through your own self-discovery or you could use a creative copywriter–well, you can find both kinds of support in me. I’m here for you!
Hello Blair!
I am an IIN grad & saw your post highlighting your offerings as a copywriter & coach.
I would like to connect & discuss how you might assist me.
I am located in So. CA. Where are you located?
Thank you!
Erin Marie Bradley
[email protected]