Here's Me
I don’t know every type of creative on the planet, but from the handful I have met, we don’t know how to take a compliment. The Creative Writing Director of the English Department complimented me with the word "renowned." I immediately tried to downplay the compliment by stating, “I don’t know about renowned; no one knows me.”
Even though not everyone knows who I am, my coworkers and even the students know of my work and how great a writer I am. So, for the small circle of people who know me, I am pretty renowned. I need to learn how to take a compliment, but also market myself better. Thus, here are a few things to know about me.
Queen of PowerPoints - while I did bequeath this title to myself, it is nonetheless true. For every class that I teach, I create a PowerPoint and spend hours on making it perfect, or at the very least, understandable. I may, in the future, post these lesson plans on my website. But for now, if you’re interested, just let me know.
An Avid Reader - If you have read my last post, What I’m Currently Reading, then you know I am currently reading three books at a time for my own welfare. However, on average, when I’m not working, I can read a book in a week, and can read four or five books a month. It just depends on my mood, but I love reading and can never get enough of the written word.
Earned My Master's During A Pandemic - While I don’t recommend anyone ever do this, I still feel proud of myself that I earned my Master's degree while working a 40-hour-a-week job, and having Covid while finishing up my thesis. There were so many times I wanted to quit–I was bawling my eyes out–but I never gave up, and I did achieve my degree.
Moving Out On My Own - Last year, I moved out on my own for the first time. I wasn’t scared, but I will admit I was nervous. Not because I would be living by myself, but because of the situation I left behind, and pushing myself not to fall backwards. Learning to deal with the uncertainty and anxiety, and not going back to the familiar, and embracing change.
Participated in Panel for the First Time - Earlier this year, I attended the CACE, Conference on African American and African Diasporic Cultures and Experiences. I had attended conferences before, but I had never been a participant on a panel. I was nervous, but the audience seemed to be receptive to what I had to say, and I made connections in my professional field.
Published A Book - Of course, the book I published should be on the list. For those of you who don’t know, I self-published a collection of short stories and poems titled Adventures in Camland, which is on sale on this very website. I always downplay my book because I don’t feel it’s my best work. I feel like I could have and should have done better. However, at the time, I didn’t know a lot about publishing, and I served as my own editor at the time. With that in mind, this was my best work. Next time I publish, it will be even better because of the knowledge I gained from that experience.
I say all this to say, don’t sell yourself short and tell people about yourself. You’d be surprised what they don’t know and what they’re willing to learn about you.
As always, thanks for reading.
