Introducing The Disco, the digital manifestation of my long-neglected need and desire for creative expression.
Start today, find the way
Use your youth to find the truth
Make your choice to raise your voice
Take thе time to make up your mind
- from "Truth Is The Key" by Tarika Blue
I retired from creative writing, screenwriting, photography, graphic design, and filmmaking in the summer of 2019 after one particular attempt to monetize my work left me exhausted, angry, and wounded.
I fled inward, hoping that in my own mind I could create without judgment. But no matter what I did, nothing felt fun anymore. I had lost all trust and confidence in myself as a creator, so I put the camera (and the pen, the software, the equipment) away.
Since then, I've been relying entirely on journaling to satisfy my need for expression. It's been a beautiful time filling these Peter Pauper Press hard-cover journals over the years, but it simply won't do any longer.
After over two years filled to the brim with self-sabotage, self-compromise, bouts of depression, persistent social anxiety, life transitions, unwavering singleness, and incessant self-policing on top of an entire global pandemic, my therapist finally rang the bell.
"Have you thought about starting a blog?" she asked during one of our weekly sessions on a chilly December 2021 afternoon. The extended pause before my response likely gave her my true answer before I could utter a lie. She waited for me to say something, anyway.
"I haven't," I lied. I proceeded to explain to her my very well-developed reasons for not starting a blog, including the crushing fear of it being poor quality or it causing the people in my life to reject me the same way those clients unabashedly dismissed me and my work three summers ago.
Thankfully, soon after that session ended, I decided that I would not allow my fear of rejection to wring out of me every bit of courage, expression, and voice I had. My voice was (and is) pungent and flowing because I spent my entire youth honing it to be so. Who am I to lock that away?
Who am I to silence myself? To deny myself visibility? Out of fear?? Absolutely not.
I will not die a slave to my insecurities.
The sun will not set on me with fear in my heart.
The Disco is the digital manifestation of my long-neglected need and desire for creative expression. I've designed this space to create freely and exercise the courage to share it for others to see. What you read here will essentially be unrevised, truly raw cuts only edited for brevity and clarity.
This is my little corner of the internet where I can dance and get free. I'm glad you could join me. Welcome to The Disco.
