It can be scary to allow other people to read your writing. There are definitely some things that can come through that are for your eyes only, but there are also things that might benefit a reader or that you're really wanting to share with a few people or a global audience!

At every step of the process, sharing our writing and being visible with who we are as writers can prompt some of those critical and scared voices to come through.

"What if they don't like it?"

"What if I'm the only one who thinks it's meaningful?"

"This is so dumb, no one will want to read it!"

Here's the thing. Not everyone will like it, not everyone with think it's meaningful. The good news is, that's okay! Your story, your message, it's not FOR everyone. But it is for the people who need to hear it, who are yearning for a reflection of their own struggle and the hope that it could be different some day.

So keep writing, and keep sharing your story in safe spaces first to work those visibility muscles. And...

You're staring at this blank screen. Cursor clicking. It's so cliche, but cliches are a thing because there is so much Truth to it.

How do you write something meaningful? Uplifting? Authentic? True?

Well, you just start. Like I'm doing now. 

No more thinking or planning. Nike says it best, "Just Do it"

So I'm here. Just doing it. 

In the moment, one letter at a time.

Despite the cold. Despite the pandemic. Despite the odd tweak of pain in my shoulder which demanded I take a break from a lot of things yesterday.

The body knows well. Much better than the conscious mind sometimes. These paths of energy and dis-ease running through our spaces where we can't see them.

Only feel them.

If we just take a moment to 

Breathe.

I grew up with two older brothers, each with their own way of moving through the world. I always wanted to emulate them in one way or another, and--as little sisters do--became a little tough girl.

As a teenager I like to think I exuded a rough and rebellious exterior and a deep belief that I didn't need anyone. I went through a phase of punching mailboxes and being angry at the world. I smoked cigarettes and hid shots of vodka in my Wendy's sprite cup. 

But I wasn't a "bad" kid--or all that tough. I was in show choir, got decent grades, and preferred to sleep in my own bed and write poetry in my journal instead of staying late at the party. I just surrounded myself with a bunch of guys and a few close girlfriends who knew me well enough to call me on my BS and hug me when I needed it most. I love them still.

Growing up without sisters, I navigated the world of girls differently. I always felt one degree off from my girlfriends, even if it was just a misperception. I just...

According to Merriam-Webster, there are three definitions of the word, "visibility." 

The first is, "the quality or state of being visible." Seems pretty self-explanatory. A state of being seen.

The second definition has a few variables attached:

2a: the degree of clearness (as of the atmosphere or ocean)

specifically : the greatest distance through the atmosphere toward the horizon at which prominent objects can be identified with the naked eye.

Ah, there it is, a trigger word... able to pinpoint with the naked eye. It is easy for the seer to see, but not always so easy for the one being seen. The nakedness mirrored in the eyes of others. Not literally of course, but sometimes being visible--putting yourself out there for the world to hear your message, follow your lead, or critique your creative endeavor feels just as revealing. Exhibitionistic, perhaps. Or maybe just a little fragile.

Other variables from the second definition are what we typically use in...