I’ve been wracking my brain for a couple weeks on what to write. This is my first article on our new Coffee House Writers platform, and it will set the tone for all that is to come from me. Do I start with a fiction story? A poem? An amusing list? After participating in NaNoWriMo, writing everyday for a month, the writers block is so real.

I thought about doing an “about me” type of article, but who wants to read that? This isn’t a blog. I’ve written my story before; it’s time to move on. In the end, I decided to write about writing.

This new platform – our very own! – is such an exciting step! I joined this team at the end of May, after not being happy with another team. Already having known many involved in creating Coffee House Writers, it was an easy transition to make.

I don’t like change. Anyone who knows me well knows this. I like routine, consistency, and to be prepared. Change brings a lot of anxiety and stress for me, as it does with many others. However, joining this team was not a difficult change. In fact, it was a wonderful one.

Being a part of this team has truly been a blessing. We’re a community, spread out across the continent (shout out to Canada)! But while we are all spread out, and only know each other via the internet, I truly feel like I have made some incredible, life-long friends. These people, who I have become close with in the last year, have supported me through so much. But more than that, they have encouraged me to be a better version of myself.

As a writer, I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone. I have published two chapters of a fiction story, as well as a poem, because of this awesome team. Never in my life have I been able to write poetry. Never in my life have I let people into my imagination, my imagination that has been so colorful, vivid, and full of stories for as long as I can remember.

As an editor, my own writing has improved. My vocabulary and grammar have greatly improved. More importantly, I have been able to witness other writers growing. I’m so proud of my fellow writers and what they have been able to accomplish. Plus, it’s a wonderful feeling when someone tells you that you have truly helped them in one way or another.

Through this team, I have been able to use my organizational skills that so often don’t get used due to a physical disability. My leadership skills have grown, which is reflected elsewhere. My confidence and mental health have improved. I am so grateful for this team. It’s helped me in so many more ways than just with my writing. I am honored to be a part of Coffee House Writers, and I am looking forward to seeing it achieve great things.