Not Lost Anymore

I had almost given up on writing. Before this, all I had to show for my blog was a terrible attempt at poetry, a weight loss post, and my 2021 diary entry which collectively garnered 56 views. My aversion to writing came from the delusion that my experiences cannot be unique to me. The countless voices on the internet proved that what I was feeling and experiencing is not exclusive to me. I used this delusion to counteract any urge to write, believing that I will be embarrassed.

I repeatedly told myself that my experience of low self-esteem or bullying is not unique. After all, everyone goes through these things. The internet has countless testimonies for the experiences of so many people. What could I possibly share that is not already on the internet? Using this excuse, I stopped writing on my Vocal blog. To be truthful, I stopped writing altogether, barring the occasional journal entries.

Even though my excuse is valid to a degree, I couldn't possibly be more wrong.

But, on a random afternoon, I came across a quote from Tara Westover's brilliant book Educated.

"But in the end, all stories are one person saying to the other: This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I'm saying? Does it also feel this way to you?"

Ruminating on those words, I realized that they embody the aim of storytelling. The purpose of blogging, vlogging, and other forms of content creation is the same. Content creation is just one person telling the other person that this is how I feel or this is what I know. What about you? These things fulfil the basic need of humans: belongingness.

Every time you venture out to share your seemingly ordinary experience, it can add value to someone else's life. The moment your story resonates with someone, it can make someone feel like they belong. You unknowingly can foster a community and surpass the physical borders that divide us. You might think that your voice will get lost in the sea of voices sharing their experiences online. Like multiple tributaries coming together to form a river, yours will amplify theirs. You may never know how many people relate to your content. All content creators are just telling stories.

We also have to realize one thing. Even though two people may experience the same thing, their perception of the experience will be different. How our brain perceives an experience is largely dependent upon multiple factors like childhood experiences, education, trauma etc. It is quite possible that two children brought up in the same home will have a different perception of their parents. So if there is anyone out there hesitating to create content, throw away your hesitation. We all are here to tell our stories. In the vast infiniteness of the internet, your perception and opinion are welcome.

With the same realization I provided you with, I also decided to restart writing on my vocal blog. If there is anything worth sharing, you will find it on this blog, called Metanoia. I have yet to choose which niche I will focus the most on. I have too many interests and too many ideas, all wanting to materialize in the physical world. I might dominate the category of "Weird Correlations" or climate change-related sci-fi. Without worrying about how perfect I should be, I will put more emphasis on authenticity. Likewise, I am still flourishing as a writer. I know I have a long way to go as a content creator. I promised myself that I would not let the fear of embarrassment or petty excuses ever stop me from writing again.