please keep writing. the world surely need it.

"I never really thought about writing as a lifestyle. I always thought about it as a way to exit the life I had, to be carried elsewhere."

-Hanif Adburraqib, Author & MacArthur Fellow"

i visit this page often.

dance my fingers over the ink.

admire its permanence.

appreciate its certainty.

& acknowledge its truth.

as a young girl i grew up, with my eyes closed, flipping through the pages of books thicker than my mother's oatmeal. discovering new worlds through old text. singing new lyrics to old songs.

admittedly discipline has always been a downfall of mine. mostly when left to my own comforts. structure through postsecondary education and extracurriculars always provided an rhythm for me to follow. lately i've been finding my own song to write the lyrics to.

becoming vocal

"consistency yields results"

- Coach

this year, i seek to become more consistent in using my voice. when i first joined the vocal community, i reveled in the opportunity to be considered a founding member. it felt significant to know that i was able to be a part of this beautifully growing community, especially during a time when the world had stopped. time stretched like an elastic as the tension of year grew. life before that moment had been so touch and go. i found myself lost floating down the lazy river of complacency.

this love that i had found at such a young age felt like a best friend who had moved away. i tried my best to maintain the relationship. i would check-in when the moment presented itself. i would convince myself that i was better for at least thinking about writing a new piece.

and then i saw my first vocal challenge.

challenge: quarantine playlist - share a playlist of all the music you've been listening to in lock down

i had never submitted my writing for a competition before. the competitor in my heart was intrigued. prior to that moment, most of my words lived and slept tenderly tucked between the covers of my private journal.

my first submitted piece was entitled, a day of peace in a time of isolation: soul therapy. the story spoke to my journey through the experience of connecting with my mind and body through yoga. as art often imitates life, i found myself immersed in a cathartic experience as the words filled the page. when i sat down i couldn't find the words at first. but as i closed my eyes, hit play and allowed my finger tips to guide themselves across my keyboard the words found me.

i din't win the grand prize of the competition. but i did win back my enjoyment of the process of writing. of editing. of creating new ways to use words. you may notice that i choose not to capitalize letters. after literary genius, social critic, educator bell hooks passed, i picked up this style as a homage to her spelling of her name. i loved that her reasoning for doing so was to amplify her message and not her name.

that was the message that i received from the first challenge i wrote through vocal and the reason that i aspire to write in the most organic and intentional ways in my being for every vocal challenge that i submit to.

at first this began with an interest in winning a competition. now it has become to share my message to the world. to speak to the reasons that i'm still here. to write for those who the words haven't been able to reach them. my opportunity to become vocal.

i met hanif adurraqib in a small community center and education extension center. this was prior to him being awarded as a macarthur fellow. i listened to him share his story of being himself. and the significance of being himself. when i asked him to sign a copy of his book, i told him i was a writer. and he told me.

"Daryl, please keep writing. The world surely needs it."

this year on vocal i aspire to learn. to unlearn. to discover. to grow. to create. to share. to write. the world (strike) - i surely need it.