"This MY House": Why I Started My Own Writing Space
It’s been a year since I’ve started my own site to house my writing. I was riding the Metro, on my way to work and started drafting ideas in my phone. I go through moments where my dreams get lofty in my head and I have a burst of creative energy. I feel the need to write and organize my thoughts and ideas. I had lists of things that the site was supposed to be. I guess I was going back and forth, trying to figure out if I wanted to pay for a site or continue to use Medium.
I made about $30 from Medium in 2018, which showed me if I worked really hard at it, I can be compensated for my work. But, that was when I had time to be on the computer for about 5hrs out the day during down time at work. Now, I work an immersive full-time position, barely having time to even figure out what’s trending for the day to write a timely story. Algorithms are a thing and time, placement, and relevancy are factors in wide viewership to monetize. That’s too much work for me these days, so I wanted to opt for a space where I could publish my work but create it at a pace for myself. No trending topics, no gossip, no flash stories, I wanted to feel what I was writing.
If I was going to start something I was putting my money into, it would have to mean something.
In the homepage, I talked about the things I loved reading about growing up. I was a big fan of content that highlighted the culture of my time and those snapshots meant a lot to me. Now we have those snapshots in the form of social media and for me, that’s hard to get around. I used to be able to keep up with light gossip about my favorite celebs, and even throw a comment or two in the box on Necole Bitchie. But now, there’s an abundance of social media accounts guised as spaces that highlight the culture. Under it all, it’s just problematic spaces that reinforce the stereotypes we’re trying to get rid of in this post Obama, current Kamala America.
Public social media and me expressing my opinions, and takes weren’t a good combo. I try to limit my usage to commenting on things I specifically care about or convos, if I feel I something valid to contribute. This was my “dodge the trolls” formula but it often backfires, leaving me confused looking at my phone trying to understand why a stranger is yelling at me in all caps.
But having my own website, where it’s just me, love it. Nobody else actively judging while reading and readying their fingers to attack. If you’re reading this, you’re here because you chose to be. And I appreciate it every time. I love that readers can access this at their free will and actually want to read the things I talk about. My snapshots are from my perspective but ultimately, there’s a deep appreciation for whatever Black culture means to all of us, and I’m driven to capture it. I just want to make quality work about the quality that my culture provides to me, particularly through the arts.
I consider the commentary section a portfolio of some sorts and it makes me happy to see the things that I’ve talked about thus far. I’m free to talk about what I choose to and that’s empowering. I hear a lot about censorship with writers and how they must watch what they say, working for certain conglomerates. I always wanted to have a sense of ownership when it came to the things that I create, and my writing would be no exception. I also love that I can do everything in my own time. My favorite line of Frank Ocean’s is “I ain’t on no schedule”, referring to why he releases things on his own time and not at the traditional industry demands. That echo’s in my head when I’ve missed a deadline, or a time to finish a piece. I can contribute whenever I want, THIS MY HOUSE!
I wanted to explore both pros and cons while writing this piece because I never want to express that I think this has been an easy feat. It hasn’t. There was a time when I completely wiped this site from the public. I got so frustrated because I was comparing myself to what I saw on my screens. I had to reinforce what helps me center myself, “What’s for me is for me”.
Comparison is truly the thief of joy because I lost the true sight of what I wanted this space to be. A creative space for me and creativity, nothing else. No, I don’t sell bundles but I can weave together words to tell stories, and that’s a skill I feel is worth sharing. I must tell myself my skill Is valid, and that is tough! But believing in yourself is the most important thing of all and I’m making strides.
I’m happy to have had this space for a whole year and looking forward to more to come. #CreativeBlackGirlEnergy is something I believe in and I know there’s a lot more women out there like me with skills and talents that deserve to be shared with the world. I hope that in this next year, I’ll be able to highlight the special Creative Black Girls I know personally.
Thank you for reading, thank you for supporting, and thank you for sharing!
Peace,
