Am I A Writer? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Am I A Writer?

I’ve come to realize that boxing myself into different identities as a writer only hinders my creativity.

27
Am I A Writer?
Thor / Flickr

I have never not written.

When I was in first grade, I wrote. I had this little notebook whose binding has since fallen apart; I can still see the blue and green of its cover, and feel the pulpy texture of its pages. I wrote poems in that little blue and green notebook about anything and everything I could think about. Sometimes I would write in pencil, and sometimes I would write with a skinny red Crayola marker.

When I was in fifth grade, I started my tradition of writing during class. I wrote a fantasy story in the back of my two-inch purple plastic binder that I used in class. I never finished the story; I think I was trying to write a book, and I’m not sure how I had planned on it ending.

In eighth grade, I followed the lead of a friend of mine and began writing on legal pads, again, during class. I wrote angsty poems about what I later realized was adjacent to depression, and poems about what I thought love as an adult was like. I wrote, and I wrote, and I wrote.

Eventually, I had to stop writing during class. I’m not sure what stopped it. Maybe it’s that I stopped being able to effectively zone in and out of a lesson and still know what was being taught. Maybe it’s that teachers noticed I wasn’t participating. Maybe it’s that I stopped writing whatever came to mind and started discerning between what I deemed good poetry and what I deemed bad poetry.

But I still wrote. I wrote whenever I felt the words clawing up out of my stomach. I wrote when I wanted to console a friend. I wrote when I had an idea for a young adult novel that just wouldn’t go away. I never finished any of the half-baked attempts at a young adult novel, but those characters I never finished creating are still near and dear to my heart, however many months and years later.

This summer, I’m working as a Teaching Assistant in the Creative Writing major of a pre-college arts program. The students with whom I’m working are creative, kooky, and passionate.

They remind me a lot of myself when I was in high school. On the first day, we went around the table in a circle and shared what kind of writing we did. A lot of the students shared that they only wrote in a given genre because they "can’t" or aren't "good at" writing in other genres. And I nodded in empathy.

Since I started writing, I’ve gone through a lot of transformations specific to how I view myself as a writer. I used to think I could only write poetry, but then I wrote a novella as my senior thesis in high school. I used to say that there was no way I’d ever keep a journal, and now I have two Moleskine notebooks on my shelf at home full of two years’ worth of journal entries.

I’ve come to realize that boxing myself into different identities as a writer only hinders my creativity. I can be a poet who writes for the page and the stage. I can write plays and flash fiction and short stories. I can write journal entries that will never see the light of day, and I can write reflective pieces that I post online. I’ve come to realize that as long as I consider myself a writer, I’m a writer, whatever I decide that means on a given day.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

2601
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

449116
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21476
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44503
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments