The Things I Carry..

First things first, a pen (I prefer black ink) and my journal. The last one vibrantly red with tattered stickers representing NYC and recently replaced by a new, light and lavender with sparkly stickers fraying at the edges. I've carried it with me everyday for the last few month— not always using it but having the comfort of my deepest emotions, thoughts, desires, and creativity coming with me in my bag. You never know when inspiration will strike, and being able to hold my heart like a book is comforting yet dispiriting as you turn each page, seeing the happiness, heartache, rejection, celebration, and all the ups and downs bleed out on each page in chronological order. holding my brightest and darkest moments in my hands and on my body as I walk with them proudly down the streets of New York, to every place I frequent and explore.

Also on my body, a gold chain with a small emerald, a gold locket, and a gold ring that rests on my middle finger day after day. Reminders of the people I love resting on my skin acting as accessories. My fingers graze my jewelry periodically throughout the day to fight the anxieties that fill my stomach and bubble up through me. Silent reminders that no matter what inner evils I face during the day everything will be okay in four... three... two... one... and I escape.

By that I mean into a book. No title accompanies me for long, as I spend most of my days escaping reality into a curated narrative looking for inspiration, advice, a spark of creativity, a guide. I seek an outlet to share and hone my craft: The Art of Storytelling.