ABOUT
Feel, Write, Repeat
I'd like to think that several pieces of my life were guiding me right to this point. Ever since I was little, I could be found in front of my computer drawing up stories, or on my bed scribbling in diaries. Writing was something I very much treasured as an extension of my innermost self, as my truest form of self-expression. This also meant, however, that I became very possessive and private about it. I have always been a reserved and introverted person, and my writing was certainly no exception to that.
Fast forward 11 years or so, when I decided to become an English major: a concentration that pretty much demands that you get comfortable sharing your work with others. And I'd like to think I have--but solely with work that captures my observations on literary canon (as expected of most English classes), not my daily thoughts and feelings. My stories and diaries were still locked away in the deepest recesses of my mind.
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When I got the chance to study abroad, I felt a rush of excitement and nervousness--being the afore-mentioned introvert that I am, it's been more strongly the latter. I was braced for the inevitable culture shock I would face in the transition, and given multiple ways to cope with it: one of the suggestions simply being "Keep a journal or blog." Call me irrational, but that felt like the final sign the universe was giving me to step into the unknown. Plus, I kept recalling, of all things, a favorite and famous quote: “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” (s/o to Rabbi Hillel the Elder). Thus Do Not Go Gentle was born, with the intent to share my passion and reflections with the outside world, and hopefully inspire others to do the same in their own ways.
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(Update 11/9/19): Those six months in England have come and gone, and the throes of senior year have led me to neglect this website. But that has not in the least diminished its value and importance. Now more than ever, I crave a space where I can channel my energies in a positive, even therapeutic way, where the only boundaries of creativity are the ones I set myself. I am looking forward to this blog reflecting the natural course my life will take, and how my writing and storytelling will grow along the way. (End of update)
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So who, exactly, is this blog for? In all honesty, this is something I started to process the change of being in a new place virtually on my own. But re-reading that last sentence again, such a situation can readily apply to anyone--regardless of where you are going or how many people are with you, literally or metaphorically speaking. My hope is that you can find something on this site to connect with, something that resonates with you and slips back into your mind when you need it most. But isn't that what all writers hope to achieve with their work?
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Please feel free to look around, enjoy my aggressive use of adjectives and adverbs, and most importantly remember: as vast a world this is, your voice deserves to be heard.
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-K.B.