In response to Seek Discomfort

As a human being, sometimes it can feel scary to step outside of your comfort zone.

But - it is something we all experience at one point in our lives.

It takes a lot of willpower and thought, when in fact it shouldn't really have to take a lot of thought to do.

As a writer, stepping outside of a comfort zone can be specifically hard.

For example, as a writer I used to stick to the same type of writing and never strayed from what I knew. But when I attended university - it challenged these boundaries. It told me it was ok to do something different. The things I learnt on this course are something I will never forget.

I was inspired to start something new. Poetry was something I rarely touched in high school years - but in university it became a love of mine. If it wasn't for a certain lecture I attended one day, I never would have fallen in love with poetry the way I did. i remember as I sat in that class I wanted to try something new. So I did. Since 2018, I did this and my poetry developed as I experimented with different forms.

This experimenting allowed me to develop as a writer and as a person.

Not only did I step outside of comfort zone in terms of writing, it enabled me to flourish as a human. A stepping outside of what I knew encouraged me to become more adventurous in the sense that I started to take more risks with my work and this upfront change in my writing resulted in a new sense of confidence emerging from myself as an individual.

This new way of writing (for me) resulted in some of my work being self published. Free verse poetry became something I never knew I needed.

This is the poetry I chose to adopt as the only I'd often use. Yes, I tried other forms of poetry but nothing captivated me just as this poetry did.

Talking to other writers and poets also enabled a new viewpoint and learning how these people write their own works and drafts was an eye opener too. It is great to know that we have similarities, but also differences when it comes to our works.

Not only did this removal from my comfort zone enable me to find a new love in my writing, it enhanced my writing. I do believe my writing has matured since 2018. It's all because I found something I loved and stuck with it.

My point being, if I hadn't chosen to step outside of my comfort zone when I did - I might never had discovered this love I have for poetry and then been published.

Every step is a step in a new direction, even as a writer.

My advice is, always challenge yourself as a writer and always do something new. Fresh perspectives are valuable, even when writing stories. Even when writing in general.

Grab a pen, grab your keyboard and write something new - it might surprise you.