One Person, A Million Faces

Article

What do you call a person who changes their identity the way they change clothes? You might outright think double-faced, but the creation of identity is much more complex than deception. For instance, the version of you known by your friends might be slightly different, if not totally, compared to the one known by your family. We are also different than the people we were years ago. We grow and evolve, and our identities are highly dependent upon our social situations. While these changes might not be sudden or conscious, it is much more vivid in terms of online identity curation. A study by Bullingham and Vasconcelos (2013) on online identities with reference to Erving Goffman’s work brought to light that most people re-create their offline selves in the online space to create their unique online identity. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that as we grow in our offline lives, similar changes can be seen in our online persona. Here, I shall discuss the evolution of my online identity as an aspiring writer.

My first interaction with the writing community heavily relied on anonymity. As presented in a survey-based study by Keipi, Oksanen & Räsänen (2014), anonymity allows internet users to share aspects of themselves, or live their authentic selves. This is most common for people with low self-esteem and fewer offline friends. As a bullied teenager, I found solace in venting about my day-to-day struggles in form of semi-fictional entries. I made friends who were going through similar experiences and also got suggestions from mature readers and writers on the platform. My pen name during the period was lonely_girlie.

However, as the years progressed I became more and more confident about my identity as a writer and created a WordPress blog named, From My Perception. In this blog, I wrote about various taboo topics such as the Kumari Tradition of Nepal, the politics behind religion, and so on. My online persona during this period was a social activist, which was mainly influenced by my friend who was an aspiring journalist.

Soon after, I landed a few internships in magazine houses and advertising agencies. As I was exploring my career options, I fell in love with the art of copywriting and stuck with advertising. The hectic 9 to 5, which often extended to midnight left me no time for my creative pursuits. However, one night, tired of writing exactly what the client wanted all day long, I hopped back to blogging with a new WordPress blog Wild Scared Crazy. I never posted anything as I got sucked right back into the corporate cycle.

A few years later, I quit my job to pursue postgraduate education, and covid hit less than a month after. Although I was freelancing during the lockdowns, I had more than enough time for my blog and started posting poetries. Soon I made some new friends, even guest blogged for some of them, and had them featured on mine. As my popularity on the blog increased and I grew more familiar with the platform, readers, and other writers, I decided to create Instagram to reach out to more readers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shreya Joshi | Poetry (@wildscaredcrazy)

Delving deeper into each of my identities, it is crucial to note that I wasn’t the sole creator of my online persona. It was co-created by people who invested their time and effort in reading and interacting with my profiles on each platform. Communities I found on each platform highly impacted the people I reached and the kind of content I created. For any branding, in this case, personal branding, communities play a very crucial role, such as information sharing and the construction of the social structure (Hatch & Schultz 2010).

Now that I am trying to break into the Australian content industry, I revamped my poetry blog into a professional website with links to many of my previous works. With this new change, I am trying to create my online persona as a trustworthy and experienced communication specialist.

Although my online persona has evolved over time, my previous digital footprints still make an impact. As Smith and Watson (2013) stated in their toolbox about online self-presentation, anybody with simple internet skills can dig in to trace all my previous online persona. This brings to the question in relation to online persona creation. Do we create a new online persona over the years, or is it the same persona growing with the years?

Reference list

Bullingham, L & Vasconcelos, AC 2013, ‘“The presentation of self in the online world”: Goffman and the study of online identities’, Journal of Information Science, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 101–112.

Hatch, MJ & Schultz, M 2010, ‘Toward a theory of brand co-creation with implications for brand governance’, Journal of Brand Management, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 590–604.

Keipi, T, Oksanen, A & Räsänen, P 2014, ‘Who prefers anonymous self-expression online? A survey-based study of Finns aged 15–30 years’, Information, Communication & Society, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 717–732.

Smith, S & Watson, J 2013, ‘Virtually Me: A Toolkit about Online Self-Presentation’, http://www.academia.edu.

Images

lil artsy (n.d.) Person Sketching on Paper, Pexels, accessed 14 December 2022. Available under Free to use Pexels license

Joshi, S 2022, Summary infographics, Made on Canva

5 things to do before approaching an investor

Article

Getting funds and finding investors is one of the biggest struggles for any startup. The entrepreneurs need to plan out everything from investors they can approach, how to get in contact with them, plan out a pitch, and more.

Here are a few things entrepreneurs must do before meeting an investor.

Make a concrete plan

Your brilliant idea with no execution plan is of no use to the investor. Every year many startups with brilliant ideas fail due to inadequate planning or faulty execution plan. So, before you approach your investor, make sure you’ve everything ready from the execution plan for development, marketing, financial requirements, crisis control, and more. Don’t leave anything to be dealt with as it comes.

Have a figure in mind

The entire reason behind meeting an investor is to get funds to run your business. So, don’t go in without knowing the estimate you’ll be needing. Check out everything from recurring expenses, one-time expenses, and variable expenses. Having a figure will make your plan seem feasible and concrete. It shows that you’ve put in enough amount of work and that you’re serious about your startup.

Prepare your team

Investment in any business is risky. So, investors spend a great deal of time reviewing everything about your startup before funding it. Having a dedicated and motivated team who understands their roles and responsibilities is a huge plus point. After all, the success of a startup depends on people working on it.

Having a mock investor meeting with your team and being prepared for all their questions could be a big help.

Research the investors

Before you approach any investor, research the industries they invest in. Reaching out to investors who are more likely to invest in your domain saves you a lot of time and energy. You can also make a list of investors who might be willing to put their trust and money in your startup. It not only opens up more options but also helps you stay more confident during the negotiation.

While these five things bolster your chances of getting an investor, it is a tough market with many enthusiastic minds looking forward to building a startup every day. So, don’t feel demotivated when your pitch gets rejected. Every rejection gives you what’s needed to create a better pitch.

However, there’s also an easy way out. Join VGo Global’s startup ecosystem. Here, your ideas get a platform to grow and develop into a successful company. With everything from funding to marketing taken care of by the VGo team, you’ll be required to put in only 10% of the effort. You will also get proper mentorship to help you take your business to greater heights.

Click here to know more about VGo Global

This article is a slightly edited version of the article I wrote for VGo Global in 2020, when I was working with them as their Campaign Lead / Blogger.

Featured image by nappy

Retaining your eCommerce Customers

Article

Venturing into unchartered territories and getting new customers is exciting. But it is crucial to note that your existing customers are the life and soul of your business. Getting customers to visit your platform and make a purchase, again and again, is what makes you stable. Adding on, it costs five times to attract a new customer than keeping the existing ones.

So what can you do to keep the customers visiting your platform again and again?

Great customer service:

Go the extra mile, blow them away every time they get service from your platform. Leave no room for complaint and if there’s one, address it immediately.

From providing the friendly UX/ UI to timely delivery and quality products, make sure you tick each of the boxes. Create an eCommerce experience so great that they keep wanting to come back to you.

Loyalty programs:

Loyalty programs such as vouchers, memberships, and accumulative discounts could contribute a big deal in cultivating loyal customers. For instance, if you give your customer a discount voucher to your customer on their first purchase, which they can redeem on the next purchase, they are more likely to return. After all, who doesn’t want a special discount?

You could also send gifts to your most frequent customers, which would encourage other customers to frequent your eCommerce platform. It simultaneously also contributes to increasing new customers.

Read: Attracting new customers for your eCommerce business

Personalized service:

Everyone likes something that’s tailored specially for them. When you get some data about customers browsing throughout your platform or buying some products, your system can save the data and show products accordingly. For instance, if a person is browsing through new gadgets, your algorithm can show the items they spent more time on the homepage itself. Similarly, if a person made a purchase, an AI that suggests better products or related products would be of great help. It shows your customer that you want the best for your customers.

You could also get your AI to generate personalized emails to customers regarding products they might be interested in. If a person recently bought a camera, you could send an email about camera lenses, tripods, and more.

This article is a slightly edited version of the article I wrote for VGo Global in 2020, when I was working with them as their Campaign Lead / Blogger.

Photo by Pixabay

Emerging Entrepreneurs and the Challenges They Face

Article

An entrepreneur is someone who manages, organizes, and assumes the risks of starting a new enterprise or business out of an idea, regardless of their age. These are individuals who have little to no knowledge of how to build a product or find a market for it, generate a customer base and start selling. Needless to say, each of the domains mentioned here requires skill and expertise for a successful business to be built.

To be an entrepreneur means to be an individual who takes on challenges. It is synonymous. It also means to be someone who is a problem solver. Someone who knows what lies ahead is only half the battle. Below given is a list of the major difficulties faced by entrepreneurs at different stages.

Raising funds

Fundraising is the first major hurdle that an entrepreneur needs to overcome. It is one of the biggest challenges as finding an investor is easier said than done. Raising funds is not just about asking for money from potential investors. It is an extremely tedious job to come up with a pitch that will make investors believe in the potential of their idea. It is also vital to master the art of storytelling when it comes to fundraising.

Raising a round of funds can take anywhere between 6 and 12 months. Even the best startups have faced several rejections before securing funding.

There’s a history of entrepreneurs going broke as they end up taking debt in the form of funds and are unable to meet their anticipated sales target.

Product Building

The next major roadblock is developing a product out of an idea. When it comes to product creation and development, technology plays a critical role. Typically, entrepreneurs have an idea and vision of a product, but they’re unaware of the technological expertise needed to build the product. A lot of times, entrepreneurs fail to acquaint themselves with the relevant technology.

There are quite a few instances where entrepreneurs managed to raise a lot of funds but did not have any knowledge regarding the technology that is required to develop a product that would work like a magnet to attract customers.

Marketing and Sales

One could have developed the best product in the world, but if the product has been advertised in the wrong market, it’ll never be successful. Finding the relevant demographic target place for a product and creating a loyal customer base is a complicated and integral part of an entrepreneur’s work.

To make sure that the product sells and reaches the right customers, in-depth market research and assessment of product competition are crucial. Additionally, ground-level sales work is known to offer positive results. Once the groundwork is done, it is time to introduce the product and then, an experienced and proficient network of marketing and sales professionals should be in place to take it forward.

There are so many different products hitting the market that entrepreneurs find it difficult to keep up with the changing market needs and rate of growth. This is why it is crucial to always bring forth one’s A-game where marketing and sales are concerned.

Building a Team

Gathering the right team for the job is a tricky, yet important part of building a business. The biggest challenge here is finding employees who would be willing to work with you while keeping your hiring costs low. The next challenge is building a team that can work really well together. So, this process is actually more than just finding people with the right skillset. It is about hiring enthusiastic people who are flexible and bring a vast array of perspectives and ideas to the table.

Delegation of Tasks

Delegating or outsourcing tasks is another major difficulty that entrepreneurs face. It seems that most of the time, something or the other gets messed and the entire task has to be redone. This leads to delays and failure to meet deadlines. Successful task delegation comprises providing the authority and resources to enact specific tasks and also finding the right team of employees or outsourcing partners. It’s a bit of a trial and error process.

Decision-making

Some people are naturally indecisive, but even those who are not saved from having to make some truly painful and difficult decisions when running a business. It’s never easy to make business decisions, regardless of one’s leadership skills. Some entrepreneurs consider themselves to be leaders and they make all the decisions themselves. They don’t consult with anybody or have a team to help make all the vital decisions. While others believe in being a team player and discussing with the entire team to listen to their vital inputs. That being said, there are times when businesses actually work out better if one person is making all the decisions, rather than having a committee. But, this works only if the entrepreneur can understand the weight of the decisions and is prepared to be blamed in case of failure.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to decision-making and one has to decide whether to be a solo leader or a team player.

Time Management

When starting with a new business venture, time management is one of the biggest difficulties faced by entrepreneurs. As newcomers, they take up multiple roles and don as many hats as possible. They have to accomplish so much in a limited amount of time, and therefore, they’re always running from pillar to post.

While the limited funds and time are something that cannot be controlled, having a strict schedule that allocates money and time to each task is achievable. Entrepreneurs cannot afford to lose money or waste time, especially during the first few years of being in business. They have to be extremely smart about allocating each penny and minute. This can be done by creating a goal list that is divided into weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

All these challenges seem daunting and even the most prolific of businesspersons can face setbacks caused by these. However, it’s crucial to note that every problem has a solution, and there’s no success without trial and error. So, if there’s something in your mind that you think is worth doing, go for it. Dreams don’t just come true, you gotta make them happen.

This article is a slightly edited version of the article I wrote for VGo Global in 2020, when I was working with them as their Campaign Lead / Blogger.

Featured image by Canva Studio

April fool’s day? Life plays a prank on me every single day!

Article

I’ve lost count of the number of times life has played a prank on me. But can I blame life or am I to be blamed? After all, I’m a last-moment person who likes doing stuff and making an important decision in the heat of a moment. I use emotions or intuition rather than logic and reason to navigate through life.

I could go on and on about the time I messed up due to procrastination, stupidity, or both. But here I’m ranting about my book.

Chronicles of a Broken Heart: 101 Reasons Not To Fall In Love

Life happened and I didn’t publish it on 14th February as planned. Life happened and I couldn’t dedicate the entire month of March to the book, although I wanted to do a little pre-promotion before releasing it on April 1st. A technical issue happened and I ended up publishing it on March 30th.

But life didn’t prank me, I did.

My laziness did, my habit of constantly blaming my surroundings rather than taking action did. Don’t tell my dad I admitted it. He keeps telling me the same thing on and on, and I keep denying it. I’m still kinda in denial I guess. But it’s time to stop being a child and start taking responsibility.

So, here’re all the things I did wrong on the way to publish my book.

1. Super delayed sending an editable version to Bharath

Here’s a little-known fact. I usually send my poems to Bharath for his honest opinion about my writings. He’s one person besides my creative directors who tells me when my work is crap. So, it was a no-brainer that he’d be the editor for my book. I send him a pdf version of the book to edit, and he needed a word doc.
But I had just got a new job and got kinda busy with work. So, I didn’t have time to copy my work from Canva to a word doc. That’s my excuse. However, I should have taken out some time. I was just plain lazy. I was procastinating.

2. Didn’t blog or Instagram often

Here’s a big apology to everyone who reads my work, adores it, and waits for it, especially Rashmi. Her emails keep making me want to return to WordPress.
Here are my excuses:
– I had just got a promotion at work with which came increased workload.
– My dad was out of town and my brother fell ill, so I had to give a lot of my time to the family business.
– I just felt enervated by the end of the day. Some days I was so tired that I wanted to cry, but at the same time, I felt so unproductive.
But while all these were going on, overwork wasn’t what made me tired. It was the lack of productivity. I hated my new role at work which required me to do more administrative stuff and less writing, contrary to my previous role where I just wrote. Being involved in the family business was tiring but I had evenings to myself which I spent watching Lucifer. I wasn’t too tired to write, I was uninspired and unmotivated. That’s what made me feel drained. I should have simply pushed myself to scribble some words.

3. Not putting the book up for pre-booking as I had planned

Well, family business and college applications had me so busy that I hadn’t finished formatting the book. So, I finished formatting the book only by the 30th. So, if I wanted to use the pre-booking option, I’d have to postpone the release to April 3rd. And I wanted the book out on April 1st.

But like I’ve said before, I could have taken out the time if I tried a little hard. I wasn’t all that busy. I was procrastinating. I was lazy.

4. Self-proofreading

I’m a horrible proofreader, the queen of typos. I read super fast and can easily miss out on mistakes. And I should have sent the book back to Bharath after formatting for final proofreading before putting it up. But Kindle Direct Publishing can take up to 72 hours, and it would take days for him to proofread it completely. I was scared there would be some typos, but I talked myself into it by saying the typos would make it seem more human and more me. Lol! That’s such a stupid excuse. Typos make it seem as if enough effort hasn’t been put in, it shows unprofessionalism and carelessness. Somedays, I just hate myself and my lack of patience.

I found one and corrected it immediately. If you find any, please let me know. You can comment here, email me at shreyajoshi0001@gmail.com or reach out to me on Instagram.

5. Didn’t check the preview before publishing my ebook

I had my pdf file ready, formatted each page while I read the book several times. So, I was sure everything would be great. Plus, it required me to sign in from a different device to view the preview. So, I simply skipped it.

And this happened.

But this is what I intended it to look like.

I can blame it on a technical glitch. But honestly, it was simply my carelessness. To people who are looking forward to publish their own ebook, don’t use a PDF. I guess I should do a blog about things one shouldn’t do while kindle publishing.

So, I guess it’s time to stop the blame game. Life didn’t prank on me. I did!

To people who want to purchase the book, I’ve made some changes and contacted Kindle so that the final version is available in all the devices. I’m really sorry for the confusion, bad formatting and typos. I have a lot of growing up to do. I’ll keep you updated on the progess.

Now, no more excuse, it’s time to get things done. Also, I’m not missing NaPoWriMo, gotta start today. Maybe this will get me to the habit of writing daily again.

Featured image by: energepic.com from Pexels

Much love,
Shreya Joshi

Batteling loneliness to finding life long romance

Article, Writer life

When nobody held my hand, poetry held my heart. Amid the depth of pain and hoping for a change, words became my forever friend. I don’t even remember the exact year but what I know is that I wrote every time I felt a strong emotion and had nobody to express it to. I used to write on the last pages of my notebooks, only to throw them away in fear that anybody would read them. I didn’t want anybody to read my words, for they contained my deepest and darkest secrets. But then the internet happened!

The internet felt like a safe place. I could easily create a pen name and post anything that I want. Nobody would know that I wrote it, and yet I would be heard. That’s how I started posting my writings on Wattpad. Those were the days when paid stories were still not a thing, so, I would spend literally hours on the app. I read to escape reality, and I wrote to vent. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a writer.

But writing is easy, being a writer not so much. Damn! It’s tough. Especially if you have a writing job, it’s really difficult to find some words for yourself after work. So, when I started this blog three years ago, I posted a poem and forgot about it until almost 2020.

2020 was crazy! By 2020, I mean the end of 2019 till a few months into 2021. This was the crazy rollercoaster ride that I’m still somehow surviving.

2019 was great. I had an amazing job, I wrote ads that played in movie theaters, and I was finally with my parents. Then, I quit my job hoping to pursue a master’s degree, and that’s when the pandemic hit. So, I was jobless and had nothing to do and I remembered that I had created this blog. Thanks to all the meaningful connections I made here, you made 2020 bearable.

Besides awesome WordPress friends, 2020 was bleh. Jobless and stuck at home, I found the cure to boredom in sad poetry. And I guess that’s when I wrote a book, a poetry collection to be more precise. This book wouldn’t have been possible with each and every encouraging words by fellow writers and readers on this blog. So, thank you so much for being a part of this journey.

Valentines Day of 2021 was when my book was supposed to be released. A perfect book for single people. 101 emotions that they wouldn’t have to feel. But then life happened, and procrastination happened, shifting the release to April 1st. It seemed like a perfect date. A book dedicated to everyone who has been fooled by love, releasing on April Fools Day.

But damn! Kindle Publishing is not as easy as it seems, not for first-timers anyway. I’m definitely going to talk about all the unexpected things I came across.

You can find the ebook version of Chronicles of a Broken Heart at https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Broken-Heart-Reasons-Fall-ebook/dp/B091CGFFPZ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chronicles+of+a+broken+heart&qid=1617208714&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

And yeah, I know it’s published two days prior to the planned date of release but I have an explanation (more like a rant) for that too. For people who prefer the feel of paper, the paperback version will be available soon. Most probably, within this week itself.

To people who’re trying to make sense of the blog title, it’s writing. Writing is my one true love, my lifelong romance.

While I can’t make any promises, I really am hoping to be super regular and follow the NaPoWriMo 2021 prompts.

Much love,
Shreya Joshi

Writing is easy; being a writer, not so much!

Article

I remember the time when I used to hold a pen and words formed in mind, seamlessly, with zero beak it fell beautifully onto the paper. I remember writing for fun, the blissful feeling it gave me. Writing was my therapy, something I love doing.

From school essays to poems in my diary, each piece I wrote gave me kind of thrill that made me want for more. I wouldn’t say I was the best in class, but I was the happiest when I wrote. That’s when I decided writing is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Being an above average student, my decision to take up Arts as a major definitely shook my parents. I persisted. I fought tooth and nail, and now I’m a writer. I got what I wanted, but now that they journey began I realized it’s not all fairy tales and roses.

I started off as a freelance writer for a magazine then went on to become an advertising copy-writer. Believe me, I love my job. But it’s always not that easy. While everybody expects me to come up with snappy, quirky, humorous and amazing lines; some days I can’t even come up with simple words. It gets frustrating at times. Some days I question my skill as a writer. Some days I wonder if my parents were right, should I have chosen a different profession?

And while work-days pass, by hook or crook I whip up some lines. While some lines pass, most come back to be rewritten, it gets kinda demotivating. The flare that I once had, seems disappearing. It’s hard when words don’t come out.

But being a writer, you’re getting paid for writing. You can’t just write when the words hit. I gotta take the words out, the blank sheet must be filled. It can’t be filled with just anything, I should be nice stuff that sells. That’s where the trouble begins. The nice stuff! That’s how everything comes spiraling down.

After putting lots of pressure on my brain to write good stuff, I gave up. I started writing crap. Literal crap. Something I’d not show to anybody. But as crap lines followed by more crap lines comes, so does words. I don’t always get the perfect lines, but at least I get something. I keep writing until it’s not so crappy anymore. Then I edit, re-edit, and make something that’s not as crappy as the first draft. I send it off, and hope it’s good to go!

Some days it works, some days I gotta start from scratch. But here’s something I learnt: to give myself the liberty to write crap. That’s the only one way I can go on, putting pressure on myself to create a masterpiece will only kill my creativity, nothing else.

So, I’m gonna hold my pen, embrace the joy of writing and have fun.

Happy writing!!

Take a KitKat break instead!

Article

‘Can I light you a cigarette?’

‘Do you have a lighter?’

‘Can I borrow a cigarette?’

‘Let’s take a cigarette break!‘

It’s so common. Ice-breakers and networking among smokers are so much easier.

I can’t comprehend how it goes, you share a cigarette and suddenly you are best friends. Maybe I’m exaggerating but look around you. Two people who smoke together have so much better bond in a shorter span of time.

Yes, there are exceptions, and non-smokers are amazing friends. But it’s so much easier to network and build up a rapport when you’re a smoker. And that’s what I hate about it!

I’m a non-smoker. I have friends who smoke, and I have an amazing relationship with them. They are amazing human beings, and I adore them. The real problem arises in the work space where taking cigarette breaks are so common.

People go for cigarette breaks, have some discussion, finalize everything, crack up some ideas, and we the non-smoker are nowhere in the loop. Isn’t this isolation of non-smoker from important discussions awful?

So what do we do?

We go along the on the break, sometimes sipping coffee, sometimes standing idle and many a time catching the same habit. But do we have any options? Either we can go out along inhaling the toxic smoke exhaled, or we lag professionally.

I know we need breaks in between work. Things get hectic, the mind gets clutters and we need to clear it out. So, can we take a KitKat break instead? Or a coffee break? Or anything else that doesn’t affect the people around?

As much as I wish smoking in the workplace to be banned, I know it’s not possible. Many people are addicted to it, and most of them are trying to quit. It’s not easy to stop smoking. But wouldn’t it help if offices created an atmosphere where taking a smoking break isn’t a norm?

It’s going to be a slow, very slow change. But it’s gonna be worth it!

Let’s advocate for KitKat break instead!

Spread the message. Be the change!
Tweet

To Mr. Ghoster

Article, letters, Writer life

Heyy,

You hopped into my life out of thin air, like rainbow without rain in a sunny day. And like any normal person, I blinked, not once but twice, thrice and so many more times I lost count. But there you were, unmoved with a vow to be there. I’ve seen you all through my life, but getting romantically involved with you wasn’t there in my thoughts. Not even in my wildest dream. You were just there, a familiar stranger always in my sight, but never in my life. And that was great, you are a great stranger.

But we talked, we went on and on. Almost all day and night, it was fun and I loved it. Little did I know, I’d be addicted to it. I had long lost my hopes for forever and always, my broken heart saw a little glimmer with ‘one day at time’ with you. It was nice, until I realised my own heart had tricked my mind. Cause when I said ‘one day at a time’ I didn’t mean only one day. I meant ‘one day at a time for the rest of our life.’ It was crazy when I realised it cause I had long erased those words and hopes for it from my mind. Well, at least I had tried. A futile effort, to save myself from another heartbreak.

No no, you didn’t break my heart. I wouldn’t let you. So when you came up with lamest of excuse I believed it. You said you have a weak internet. Okay, but a weak internet and being super busy may stop you from replying fast, or even within a day. But days went on and I waited. I waited and waited, to the point it almost broke my heart to keep waiting. You told me not to wait, but how could I not, I was addicted to you. You were always on my mind, and I needed to get you out of it. Cause, your thought, the need to talk to you drove me insane. I kept checking my inbox, hoping to see you reply. You were on the top my mind, and top of inbox; haunting me with your silence.

So, I did the only logical think I could think of. I pushed you down. The old friends I didn’t talk to, families I lost contact with, and all the people I lost touch with, they all crawled up on my inbox as I pushed you down. It was beautiful getting in touch once again, solved a conflict with a school best friend, got to know the interesting deets about my cousins’ lives that I had no time for before. Well, it was amazing.

But, alas! While I pushed you down on my inbox, I still couldn’t push you down in my mind. So, I did the only thing that has always kept me sane. I wrote. And now that I’m a lot calmed down, I’ll continue writing, but the next thing I’m writing would be stories I left incomplete, not letter to you or poems about you. This is how I choose to stop your thoughts invading my mind.

And next time you hop to the top of my inbox, I won’t reply. Cause then, I wouldn’t have to wait for you to reply back. It’s a promise I’m making to the sanity of my mind, I won’t let you drive me insane again. I won’t waste even a single alphabet texting you, won’t lend you even the tiniest place in my mind.

Cause babe, I like you a lot, but I like being in control of my mind a lot more.

Love,

A girl who is crazy about you!

Zero Reads and The Joy of Writing

Article, letters, Writer life

To the one who’s reading this,

Yesterday I saw 7 views, 4 likes and I was like, yoohoo there are people reading!

Zero reads, zero visitor, zero likes… that’s how most days goes by.

It does kinda feel lonely looking at blogs with a lot more followers.

But at the same time, I truly respect all the time and dedication they give to their blog. The SEO, SEMs and the amount of research put into it.

While I’d love to have a well-functioning blog someday, right now I can’t even make up what do I write about.

Everything I write about are things that touches me, things that move me and the things that abruptly pop up from my imagination. And being a very fickle minded person, no two days are the same. I just write for the joy of writing. It’s a therapy to me, helps me collect my thoughts.

Now I guess being read feels really amazing too.

It’s like, ‘I’m not the only person reading my blog.’

So, thank you for reading. I mean it.

Lots of love,

Girl who loves to write