Since we’re more than halfway through 2020, now is a good time to step back and reflect on the year so far, concerning my writing. I like taking the time to reflect on this year, because I can see what goals I have followed through with, what I have decided to stop working on, and figure out what I want to continue doing for the rest of the year.
If you ask anyone to sum up 2020 in one phrase, most likely it will be some iteration of a “hot mess”, and I am no different. The start of this year was rocky for me, because I was questioning my path with writing (especially with this blog), and I was dealing with more personal issues in my life. This was all happening in January, and at the time I had decided to take a break from the blog, since I wasn’t in a good place and didn’t want to deal with maintaining a consistent post schedule. Then in February, after my break, I decided to blog again, but use it to refocus and think about what I wanted to do on here, and in my life in general. I had also started posting on Medium, but after about a month or two, I realized that I’d rather focus on posting here, rather than on there.
Then, COVID-19 hit.
I was furloughed from my job, so I found myself stuck at home with all the free time in the world. I had already been working on a poetry collection, but it wasn’t very fleshed out at the time. Since I suddenly found myself with the time to do it, I put all my energy towards drafting the collection, as well as posting on here.
Then, on May 25th, George Floyd was murdered, and the whole world saw the last nine minutes of his life.
Around the country, protests were happening, and people were speaking up about police brutality against Black people in the United States. I wasn’t going to protests, because I live with someone who is high-risk for COVID-19, so I had to think about how I could help from home. I was sharing posts on Twitter, signing petitions and donating, but I felt there was more I could be doing. I decided to start posting on here, and sharing both Twitter and Instagram posts, along with articles and other resources for educating and helping out. I know a lot of people who don’t have accounts on these platforms, which is easy to forget that a lot of the people we should be having these conversations with, are probably not going to be on Twitter or Instagram. Even though I may not have a lot of followers on here, it’s still important to use my platform here to speak out on these issues. I also realized how even though I did read books by BIPOC, I wasn’t making as much of a conscious effort to support these authors and businesses as I should have been. I took advantage of the reading lists and picked up a bunch of books to read and discuss, and have been reading through them.
I also want to note, that as important as it is to read stories written by BIPOC discussing the issues they face, it’s equally as important to read their stories not talking about their pain. Let’s read more BIPOC telling a cheesy coming of age story, rom-com’s or even full blown romance stories. Let’s read more BIPOC stories full of drama, and sci-fi stories exploring the human condition through imaginary worlds. The more we support these stories in the publishing community, the more diversity we will see in the stories which are told, and who is telling them. We, as the reader, tell publishing companies what we want by buying books, and we have a tendency to buy what is easiest for us to access. Publishing companies are businesses, and will find more authors who tell the stories which have been selling a lot, as well as continue working with authors who have been successful. So take a little extra time to find your next read, and don’t be afraid to try different authors, as who knows… maybe you’ll find your new favorite author.
Anyways, that’s what I wanted to say on that, let’s get back to reflecting!
Now, it’s the end of July, and it seems more likely things will get worst before they get better. I could go on for a long time on how our government and even fellow citizens, have let us all down throughout this entire pandemic, but that’s not why I’m writing this post.
I’m writing this post to say: stay hopeful.
There will be an end to this year, and I’m sure we will celebrate it with all the joy in the world.
There will be a vaccine for COVID-19, and we’ll be able to safely interact with people again.
We have faced many challenges this year so far, on a worldwide scale, as well as on a personal level. This year, 2020, will be talked about in history classes in years to come, and it’s up to you to decide whether you will be on the right side of history.
Most importantly, though, is to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
Remember what you’re working towards in life. Remember the things that bring you happiness. Remember to be kind to yourself.
My writing is here for me to remind myself of these things, and as a release so that my emotions don’t remain bottled up inside me. That’s what my writing has been for me my whole life, but especially this year. I hope you have found your means of happiness, some ways to release what you’re holding on inside, and that you find peace in this time of uncertainty.
The world at large is a scary place, and it’s easy to lose hope, to become apathetic to the issues it holds. But we have the power to do so much more than we think, and we need to find healthy ways to remind ourselves of our capabilities.
So what do I want to do for the rest of the year?
- Continue working on this blog, my poetry collection and other writing work
- To be a more conscious consumer
- Be supportive and listen to those who are struggling
- Continue taking care of myself
Thank you for reading, I know this went from just talking about my writing to other things, but I want to talk about it, and it’s my blog… so I’m going to talk about it😂
Anyways, I will see you next week with a new post!
-Erin 🙂
While you’re already here, why not check these links out? 😉
Updated version: https://allcards.carrd.co/
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Medium: https://medium.com/@erin.nord87
Twitter: @ENordhof
Prose: https://theprose.com/ennord
Eclectic Erin 