Becoming a better version of me.

In addition to continuing to write about what interests me, and attempt to win a challenge to earn extra income to support myself. My goals for 2024 with Vocal, are above all, to encourage other writers to write about what they love, and to pursue their passion of writing. The purpose of Vocals’ challenges, are to inspire writers to improve their writing techniques, to enjoy the topics they are writing about, and enjoy the audiences they are writing for, rather than solely focusing on winning.

In my opinion, the challenges serve as a means of motivating writers to enhance their storytelling skills, and writing comprehension. Like many young people, I believed when I first joined Vocal, that this would be an easy way to make money, but in reality, it is not. Despite having worked in daycare, local events, and hospitality since I was sixteen, which I enjoyed, I realised that working for someone else is not for me.

By working remotely, allows me flexibility, not just in terms of choosing when I want to work, but also in terms of choosing when I can accomplish a task, and when it should be done by. This is why I prefer working remotely, and for myself, it allows me the freedom to chose when to do something in my own time. Vocal allows you to express your thoughts, and how you would like to write your thoughts. Vocal offers themes, provides samples, and guidelines of how to write a challenge. I love the support Vocal provides, not just in community, and guidance, it has allowed me to grow, and expand my writing skills.

Vocal has encouraged my change in career, as I was unwell throughout the pandemic; I got pneumonia, bronchitis, and by the third year had Covid twice! My past few years have been somewhat difficult, and last year I underwent surgery to remove a cyst while having endometriosis. So working physically was out of the question, and even worse, I was evicted from my flat while working on my business abroad at New York Fashion Week, for not renewing the lease which I thought I had done so.

After much health issues, having to relocate and travel abroad for work, I made the decision to work online, and use platforms such as Vocal to support myself financially. I think my problem was that, I felt unworthy of writing, and telling stories—a condition known as "imposter syndrome"—not because I did not understand the task, but because I thought my stories would not be good enough, or no one would read them. When actually, I have made $10 from people reading my stories. Yes I know some people will say, that is not much, but my Dad always used to say, “it’s better than nothing”. Or, “there’s always room for improvement”.

Has this happened to any of you, perhaps? Feeling you were not good enough to do something or perhaps some of you are just accepting the idea that "I cannot do this." When in fact, you can do this, it all comes with practice, and the ability to not give up on yourself, and your skill. As someone who struggles with hearing loss, I founded a fashion company since it was a simple method as a creative for me to express myself, the same way I am able express myself by participating in Vocal challenges.

I developed hearing loss while I was a university student, which caused me to graduate a little later than the due date I meant to. Can you imagine how something so basic may impact one's entire life? I had been tried to listen to online classes, and even with the volume all the way up, I was still unable to hear very clearly what was being said, and there were no subtitles to the lessons.

With Vocal, everything is written, so this allows me to understand the task at hand. It allows me to express myself, and it allows me to focus more on my health. People would say things like, "she does not want to work," but the truth is, I have no problem working or completing a task, I always put my best foot forward.

It was my inability to hear, which affected my outcome to perform physically at my job. Despite owning a three thousand dollar pair of hearing aids. Imagine that—a basic need like hearing—becomes more expensive the worse your hearing becomes. At thirty-three, I has already lost fifty percent of my hearing in both ears! So by participating in challenges with Vocal, helps me express my thoughts and emotions through writing.

Vocal also allows you to see previous participants work, this has allowed me to understand one's writing skills, and methods. It allows me to improve my writing, to support my chances of winning a prize. Like they say, “Practice makes perfect”. Vocal allows you to be part of a community where you can interact with other writers, see their thoughts on what they are expressing. Whether it is through their imagination of creating a story, or sharing their experiences in a story, you can always learn from reading. I was surprised when someone commented on my post, and said it moved them. That meant a lot to me, as I was not sure how people would feel about my thoughts.

A writer's success is determined by more than just telling their audience a tale, or sharing an experience. It is their ability on how they structure their writing, a talent that they have acquired over time, which has allowed them to improve their skills.

So that is what I will be doing in 2024, putting my best foot forward by learning from other writers. I shall be aiming to participate in every challenge, regardless of genre. I shall be attempting challenges, not to win, but to improve my writing skills, in hope for feedback from the wider Vocal community.

I have always believed in supporting other people, growing up, I was not taught to compete with other people, there is not point too. Everyone is a winner, you just have to keep trying. If you lose it’s okay, shrug it off, get up, keep going, and try again. That old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”.

Supporting others is how we learn about other people, and ourselves. We need to focus on being a community, in order to grow as an individual.

As author Robert Louis Stevenson quoted, “To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life”.