My entire life, I’ve followed the yellow brick road.
I don’t know if I consciously chose this path, or if I unknowingly absorbed the expectations of those around me; the point is, I went down a path that society and convention told me I needed to follow if I wanted to succeed.
I showed up, worked hard, and followed the rules. And by society’s measures, I’ve been successful. Ivy League. Wall Street. Silicon Valley. I have a resume my parents can brag about to their friends. I’ve achieved—on paper—what I set out to years ago.
So why did I feel so unfulfilled?
For several years, a faint inner voice has been telling that I’m capable of a lot more, that I’m not tapping into my full potential, that I am not fully utilizing my skills and talents.
I tried to ignore the voice, but it only grew louder.
It woke me up at night, and filled me with anxiety. It almost screamed at me, saying “I’m not supposed to be here.”
It forced me to ask, “WHAT IF?”
What if I’m capable of so much more than I’m doing now? What if I do have talents and skills to offer the world? What if I could truly merge who I am with what I do?
Last summer, I “took the leap” and quit my corporate job to do something I’ve always wanted to do (but was way too afraid to admit to myself): write creatively.
It wasn’t an easy decision. I could easily picture my life if I stayed in the corporate world. It wasn’t a bad life, by any means, and it was predictable. Predictable can be nice sometimes.
What I couldn’t see was my life if I took another path. I couldn’t see if I was any good at writing, if I’d fail, if people would laugh at me---or if it would lead me somewhere new and exciting and beautiful.
I decided that there would never be a “right” time, that I would never feel “ready”, but that I would always regret NOT trying.
I knew it was time to leave my job when the idea NOT going for my dreams became scarier trying and failing. I’d rather try and fail than not try at all. Because at least then I’d KNOW. I’d know if I was truly capable of more; I’d stop living life with regrets.
So, I’m starting this website to document my journey into creativity, where I can share some of my concepts / feelings / general observations. Writing is pretty f*cking solitary, and it’s going to be a long road until I produce something I’m happy with, so this is It’s a way to stay connected with the world and keep myself motivated as I go through this process.
I hope you’ll follow along and maybe even find something of yourself in my posts.