A Spark

In third grade, my teacher assigned us the task of writing a creative story. Being a reader and one with a very vivid imagination, I wrote my first short story which I titled, ” The Vanishing Children”.

Mrs. Starr explained to me that she enjoyed my story so much that she read it to two different groups and some teachers as well.

And that made all the difference.

It set off a spark that led to a fire which is still going as I type this.

Some days,  I may not have all the words but there is always the vision of what I want to create.

That first acknowledgement of creativity led to another experience in fourth grade called, “The Haunted Cave”. After reading, The Hobbit, I wanted to write a story of my own that had a lot of adventure in it where a good guy wins.  It had magic and even a princess. Later,  I started a neighborhood newspaper that I delivered to the local stores. I continued to write my heart out in fifth grade and realized that this was something I was good at.

FINALLY.  (That may sound dramatic but if you saw my math scores at that time, you would get it.)

English was no problem in junior high school. (I just showed my age there. Do those exist anymore or is it all middle schools now?) Even in high school, I was in a core program based on writing for my sophomore year.

I learned there was a newspaper in our high school that had student writers.

Perfect, right?

Not for me.  You could only write for it if you were in some honors class or something along those lines. What a shame.

You don’t always have to be academically gifted to be a storyteller.

Then I went to college. The newspaper there called for more writers. You can read more about that here.   A shy girl walked in and came out once again forever changed.

I found my voice.

Another spark started. Only this one was more unique. It had power. I learned from others who helped me frame my thoughts and use them for the greater good or just to review a Garth Brooks album. This took me to different places and brought new experiences into my life. I can tell you I truly understand that expression, “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

The fire grew.

Remember that second story I wrote…The Haunted Cave? For my master’s program in education, we had to use art to bring a story to life. Most people chose a popular picture book.

I chose my own.

Writing continued through journals and essays. There was even some poetry although I never was as gifted at it as my grandpa or my brother.

And then it all simmered down a bit the way passions do from time to time.

When I turned 40, my blog began with this post. My mind was always racing. There were all these thoughts and stories that needed to come out. It was almost like I couldn’t breathe. Can you relate to that with your own passions?

Through a community of bloggers and people supporting me, I found a new outlet for not only my creativity but my life experiences as well. This was eye opening at this stage in life. One really never stops learning.

I take this passion and bring it into the classroom hoping to start a spark in someone’s life through writing. It has always changed me for the better. To share that energy, excitement, and opportunity is why I do what I do.

Writing is power.

This past week, I had the privilege of attending a workshop that immersed me in writing with other people who were just as driven as I was to learn more about the process as well as share experiences.

The fire is out of control my friends. Get ready to do a whole lot of reading here this summer.

This is a picture of me with my new writing friends.

I forgot to ask them if I could post this so fingers crossed they are not in witness protection.

Thanks for following me at 40 Wishes!