I was pleasantly surprised last week when an old boss congratulated me on my current work anniversary. Not only did she send warm energy my way, she also rekindled my writing dreams when she said she hopes I still make time for my “creative writing talent”. I cringe at the word “talent”, not due to insecurity, but because I always want to improve. I don’t want to jinx it, y’know?

It’s been five years since I last worked with my old boss. It was a paid on-campus internship turned contract position upon graduation. It was one of my first writing jobs post college. Though I wasn’t doing my childhood dream of fiction or songwriting, I had plenty creative control in the newsletters, social media posts, and feature articles I crafted. It was a beautiful time, artistically.

Poor pay and a three hour commute caused me to leave the job. I landed at a conservative company that was controlled by a government organization. I hated going to work because, although I was still writing, I couldn’t add my own flare. My newsletters there were flat, dull and cookie-cutter, per the government organization’s restrictions. 😩

I ultimately found a path in IT support. Now that I think of it, I write daily in my IT role because of the documentation required to update and resolve our support tickets. I note my troubleshooting steps in clear detail and it’s not too challenging to communicate with clients who speak English as a second language. Clear and concise writing will benefit you in any industry!

I’m glad I went to college. I’m glad I had the constricting job with the government afterwards. I’m glad I took up an IT trade when things seemed gloomy in the Comms field. I’m glad I can use writing to express my feelings after losing Mom. Writing is part of who I am. I can’t lose myself.

It’s far too easy to give up on your dreams after losing a loved one. When I fell into depression last winter, I barely got out of bed, and I didn’t write or vocalize my turmoil. I just stayed in my childhood bedroom and watched YouTube gamers while ordering embarrassing amounts of jerk salmon from a local Jamaican restaurant.

Now that I’m feeling better emotionally, I need to finish one of my childhood novels, write more songs, and post more on this blog!