Student, creator, Panamanian, Lebanese, extrovert, reader, news junkie, foodie, family oriented, writer.
These were some of the words that I used to describe myself when people ask me who I am. Writing is a big part of my life and a craft I fell in love with during high school.
I came to Mason to learn how to be a better writer and I slowly did, class after class. I found Her Campus spring of 2018. Her Campus gave me a space to express myself, a strong group of women that inspire me everyday, and I officially could say “I’m a writer”.
I wrote consistently for the website since, and I loved it. I wrote about everything and anything, from the #MeToo movement to Vine.
Fast forward to spring 2019, my junior/senior year. I find out I’m graduating a semester early. I take three extremely heavy writing courses. I wake up one morning and decide I want to go grad school (that is LITERALLY what happened). I pick up positions in the organizations I am involved in. I make new friends that I get super close to and get into a relationship with the most amazing boy.
So much was going on. I was learning so much about myself and I was growing to be this woman that high school me would be so proud of. And I do it for her, the girl that was scared she wouldn’t get into college. The girl that didn’t think she could make a career out of writing words. The girl who wasn’t confident and didn’t speak up. The girl that didn’t know how to love herself. I look back her and say “look at how much you can do!” (Enjoy this photo of me from the depths of my camera roll. Me holding Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Circa, 2016).
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Throughout that time during this semester, writing for fun took back seat from March until today, May 28.
I tried to write stuff that wasn’t school work. And now a few half-assed drafts of three or four paragraphs sit in my Google Docs.
I couldn’t get the words out. I tried. Nothing felt right. I thought I was losing it.
It wasn’t until after school ended that I realized, I needed to stop forcing my writing and I just needed to learn about writing.
Sounds kind of backwards. I know.
But I needed to look at different techniques and writing styles that weren’t blogging before I could go back to the style I loved most.
I learned about apologies, I learned about press releases and I learned how to write breaking news stories. I learned how to write interviews, I learned persuasive writing, I learned how to write feature stories and I learned how to write broadcast.
I learned more types of writing in four months than I did in my three years at Mason.
As I come back from my writing hiatus, I look back at my old stuff and say to myself “how can I make this better?” and I want to do that.
I also found a niche of writing that I want to focus on, fashion and the business side of fashion.
Yeah, the creative side is super cool, fashion is statement and expression of who you are. But so much goes on behind the scenes of the runway to make sure these collections make it to NYFW or to stores! That’s the story I want to tell and shed a light on. So, expect a lot of pieces from me on that subject. (Shoutout to the Business of Fashion for that inspiration).
I also have a passion for movies and television, movies reviews will also be something I will begin to focus on. Expect a piece on Netflix and Cannes soon-ish.
I’m also going to start a blog, something I’ve been meaning to do for almost a year now.
That will feature more writing like this. Updates on my life, thoughts on specific things and realizations. I don’t know what the name of that blog will be, but it will dawn on me when the time is right.
High school Salma, you’re gonna do great things and I’m doing everything I can so you can be the Miranda Priestly that you want to be. Just keep your head up and it will be okay.
Future Salma, I hope to God all of this work is worth it. if you’re not a boss-bitch killing it in your favorite city. I’ll be kind of upset. But I know whatever you’re doing is the right choice and I hope you’re happy. I also hope you’re getting more than 5 hours of sleep, because this is exhausting.
A summary of all of this: I’m sorry I haven’t been writing. I’ve been a bit busy growing. But I’m back now. And this is a whole new era.
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