I remember when I fell in love with writing. I was in 5th grade and it was talent day. A girl in my class read a poem that she wrote, and I thought to myself, “I can do that”! I started writing poetry after that, and have been writing ever since. The girl who read her poem to the class sparked something in me. A fire that I never knew was there before. That’s quite a beautiful thing about life. People are sent into our lives to teach us something. The girl in my 5th grade class shared her talent, and I believe that’s how it works. We share our love and it sparks a trail for others.

My grandpa always said I was a good writer, too. He heard a poem I had written and said that one day I’d be a writer. What grandpa didn’t know was that I already was a writer! A writer doesn’t have to be famous with dozens of published books to be called a writer. A writer is anyone who has a spark of an idea and writes it down; whether they write it in a notebook, on a laptop, or on a napkin.

A lot of times, I feel like I have nothing to say if I’m not inspired. I’m learning that that’s not necessarily the truth. If I don’t feel like I have anything to write about, or if I feel like nothing’s worth the energy to write down, then I’m not being honest with myself. Let’s face it, there is always something on our hearts that we need to make speakable.

A lot of my poems are dark in nature. It’s because, in those dark moments, I’m trying to release my pain into something constructive. Some of my most beautiful poetry came out of depression and fear. It just works that way for me. That’s not to say everything about my writing is dark. The most beautiful writing I do are writings that are relatable and connect to other’s experiences and feelings. It just so happens that a lot of people are hurting.

I love writing because it flows for me. It’s a gift that I have; to be able to create a poem through metaphor, or a story of hope through sharing the wisdom I’ve collected from others through the years. Writing comes so naturally to me, and I’m honored that I was given this gift. It’s something I immensely enjoy doing, too!

I should tell you: I intend to collect some old memories, poems, and personal experiences together telling of courage, resilience, and hope. I intend to write down these memories, poems, and experiences in the hopes that they’ll reach someone who needs to hear them. If my writing reaches just one person in this world and helps them to know they are not alone, then my work will have been successful. I have the time and energy to carry this out now in my life…so, I’m taking the opportunity! I’ve waited my whole life to “feel” like writing a book. I know I’m not going to be hit by a lightning bolt one day and expect this book to already be written for me. I know it takes immense work, dedication, frustration, writer’s block, edits, and there will be many times when I’ll want to quit. The purpose of writing, I think, is to share. Share how I got through my dark and twisty. Share how I got through elation. Share how I’ve navigated through life.

I know I have something to say. It’s about time to start saying it. And, hopefully, it’ll mean something to someone out there who needs to know that they aren’t the only one… they are most definitely not alone.

Sending love and light, Kel.