When I was four years old, I had a birthday party at my house with family and friends. When it was time to open gifts, one of my friends at that time presented me with a very colorful card that she created using crayons, markers, and paint. The story goes that I threw her card aside and went straight for her gift. This proceeded to make my friend cry because I dismissed her beautiful creation. This story makes me laugh now when I think about it because the person I am now would put all my attention on the card and simply throw the gift aside.

I’ve always been drawn to writing and the power that words can deliver. On the subject of birthdays, I will always hand write or hand-make birthday cards for friends and family. In turn, I keep every card I ever receive (not an exaggeration) and truly cherish any personal note or letter I receive from a loved one. When it comes to consuming media, I write lists of the different movies, television shows, podcasts, and books that I want to consume. When I do consume these media forms, I’m often going back and re-watching or re-reading different lines and quotes that stand out to me. Music is also deeply personal to me because of the impact lyrics can have and the connections that can be made to them. I find myself listening to the same albums on repeat when the words just hit or compiling songs into playlists that fit my ever-changing moods. And I always conclude each day by writing in my five-minute journal about my day and reading my nightly affirmations.

I’ve strived to find ways to harness the power of writing and words through my professional life, whether that be through publishing and editing articles when I was in undergrad or crafting marketing emails and campaigns as a marketing assistant in the hospitality industry. It feels natural to blend my backgrounds of communication studies, multimedia journalism, mass communication, and digital marketing together because they all hold a common thread: the powerful ways words can be expressed to an audience to truly connect with them.

Through my music notes & book ends blog, I want to create a space where the topics of music and books can create a discussion surrounding the heart of the words behind the mediums. I hope to enlighten readers with insight and discussion surrounding popular music and lyrics, and I hope to engage in conversation surrounding book quotes and books and their respective adaptations.

My goal in life is to continue to fuel my passion for writing and express it in positive and encouraging ways. I think vulnerable, heartful communication is one of the sincerest things to exist and is something that I can apply in both a personal and professional sense. If I keep that up, then hopefully none of my birthday letters will ever be thrown aside in favor of a present.