I believe that everyone is inherently creative, that creativity is the essential nature of the universe. Then why is it hard to create new things? Why are we so often bogged down by self-doubt, procrastination, fear, or the belief that our little contribution doesn’t matter?

Besides writing, I love to grow zinnias and pumpkins, create delicious meals and cozy spaces, and build community and belonging n my neighborhood. Each one of us is creating everyday, even if we don’t consider ourselves artistic.

It’s the risky creations that cause the most trouble: the ones that reveal our true selves, that might be considered weird, or that stand up for something. And yet these are often the ones we feel the most strongly about. We have a deep yearning to be known, seen, and heard.

I’ve loved writing since I was a kid, but I’ve spent most of my life not writing or not finishing anything or not sharing my writing. Then a strange thing happened. The pandemic hit, and something broke inside me. Writing poured out like a river. I wrote, finished, and published poems, micro-memoirs, and essays every week, sometimes several times a week, for a year and a half. It was wonderful and horrible, terrifying and bonding.

Now that the crisis has waned, I can feel all things that divided us return. Categories based on the very outermost layer of our beings — skin color, age, style, class. And I feel the old fears and hesitation returning: the fear of revealing myself, the fear of being judged, shunned, or left out.

No one should be alone. Everyone should have the time, space, comfort and safety to express themselves. It’s joyous to be creative. We should help each other. This I believe and this is why I’m excited to start this blog.

I’m not an expert or a bestselling author or keynote speaker, but if I waited to have clout, maybe I’d never get the chance to lend a hand. If I waited to feel I was ready to celebrate, listen to, and take action for writers of color, then I’d maybe never start.

So here I go, sharing my struggles and my progress. Reaching out a hand to anyone who is trying to create something new and who’d like a little companionship along the way.