My return: A change

I'm not even sure to start this. I would say I literally have no idea where to start this, but that feels cliché. In fact, this whole piece feels cliché. A content creator returns from the dead and writes some long thing on the notes app about where they've been and why they're a changed person now, but I want to think that this isn't one of those. I lied. It is. Sort of. A lot of my pieces are going to look like this now. Just my raw and original thoughts. Random anecdotes, colloquial language, off-topic rants. So basically I'm going to break all the rules of formal writing.

Often, as many of us do, I find myself masquerading as a person that I'm not for fear of judgment or ridicule. But that isn't who I am, and by continuing to do it, I lose sight of the real me. I suppose this the part where I explain why the sudden transformation came about, so here it is.

I was recently discharged from an inpatient facility. I'm only saying that because the phrase "mental hospital" gives it a problematic stigma. (Expect a piece on this soon)

I never imagined finding myself in that position, let alone sharing something like that on the internet of all places, but it's important. Stigmas around mental health, especially Black women's (shameless piece plug: https://iliterallyhavenoidea.wixsite.com/website/post/the-strong-black-women-trope-a-breakdown-of-the-stigmas-surrounding-black-women-s-mental-health) are detrimental to those struggling with it, and every day I intend to dismantle those stigmas.

So I've decided to let that be the catalyst for a change in content. I hit a plateau in my writing because I was writing about things that I assumed others wanted to read. I figured that people wanted to read social justice articles from a young Black, non-binary teenager because it contradicted so many stereotypes, but I recognize that this isn't entirely true. People want to read things that they relate to. So, no longer will I write from the perspective of some insightful teenage SJW, I'll write from the perspective of me. Just regular, random, and original me.

So in short, no, I didn't go to some island and meet a monk or a shaman or find Jesus or anything, but I did find me. (God that was really corny but for the sake of sticking to my word about being transparent and original I'm going to leave it there because it was the first thing I thought of.)

So that's it. I hope you enjoy this new set of content, and I'm really excited to be writing it.

Here we go.

Take care of yourselves.

and as always,

Stay funky, spunky, spicy, and hydrated™

- Elliott★