Getting back Out There

Deciding that you are going to escape fear and go for what you SHOULD be doing and not just what you THINK YOU CAN DO is an exciting ride. I have been a journalist at heart for almost my entire life. I have been a writer. A lover of pictures, videos, and magazines. I always knew I wanted to write.

Fast forward to adulthood. 32-year-old Danielle, confused, unsure, and afraid. Life gave me fear and I accepted it. I have a journalism degree but I am not as good as XYZ. I am not really a professional writer even though I have over 50 writing credits for a local arts paper and just about that for my school newspaper. I have done this. Each time I have gone into it TERRFIFED, but then I finish out strong. I hesitate at first because who do I think I am? But then it gets done. But there is always this fear following me.

In 2024, I want to decrease that fear and do more of what I love. I love to write even if I do not feel like I am the best writer in the world. I am good at multiple mediums. I can do audio, video, and print. Just like I always wanted to do....be better than Oprah. lol

This year I am going to try a new thing. I am going to decide today to put myself out there. I fell away from blogs because the perfectionist in me couldn't get into the look of them and I felt no one wanted to hear what I had to say. That's on me. That's my baggage. 

But now I want to start telling the stories that I want to. Get back to my roots. 

I just found my old camera and the cord. It has motivated me to start telling stories, big and small. I was excited to take pictures again (not for work). So I will use that and other opportunities to start posting to my blog. Whether it be stories, pictures, audio, or video, I am going to get back into Journalism and do it my way. 

As a black woman with a Jamaican and American background, I find that I don't see enough respect for the expansiveness of my Caribbean culture and the Africanness of my American culture. There is much confusion about the Black Diaspora and our deep connection to each other worldwide. I want to tell those stories of us through my lens. A connector, educator, and hub. 

I am inspired by SO MANY that are out there teaching about both (three if you talk to some circles about the African in the black american or their view of a lack thereof, but I digress) cultures separately but I want what I do to reflect my specific intersections and the whole of the Diaspora. Close and connected by writing as it should be in real life. That is what I want to dive into (and whatever else I desire to get into, honestly).

Thank you for being here and for following the journey. Let's do this together!

Here's to the start of a great journey!