The Liebster Award

“For the ones who don’t know, ‘Liebster’ is a German word which means ‘dearest/nicest’.”

Thank You!!!

Thank you InspireMeMom – Melissa for nominating me for the Liebster Award! I really appreciate it. This is my first blog nomination and I was not expecting it. Visit Melissa’s blog for posts and poems about the various aspects of motherhood and family.

As a part of this award nomination, I will be answering 10 questions that Melissa created. Below are the questions and my responses:

1. What inspired your blog name/title?

My blog name was inspired by the current place I am in my life and the recurring theme of reflection. Since I was a little girl, I have always been reflecting and trying to understand the bigger picture/lessons of events of my past. Over the last year I have spent even more time thinking, trying to understand why, putting pieces together, make sense things, events, and people. I wante my blog to be symbolize this awakening of deeper understanding and reflection. I’m also a blunt and get to the point person so I wanted the title to be self-explanatory.

     2. How long have you been writing?

I have been writing on and off since 4^th grade. So I started about 9-10 years old and it has been about 12 years.

     3. What is the reason you write or blog?

The main reason I write and blog is because I want to document my life and the changes of myself (I still have all of the stuff I wrote since 4^th grade). When I am old and my memory is fading I want to be able to read my work and remember the stages of my life, thoughts, and how I got to my current point in life. Some people take pictures of their memories, I write vivid and detailed narratives and pieces. My work is my form of pictures. Even now when I read my old work from high school, I am immediately taken back to the exact moment/situation and I relive. As I grow older, I do not want to forget who I was and how I became the person I am. I am kind of leaving a paper trail for my future self.

Writing and blogging are also enjoyable and calming. My brain is constantly bombarded with thoughts and writing them down on paper makes them easier to manage. Writing is a form of self-care and a creative outlet that helps me to get in tune with myself. I am constantly busy working but when it is time for me to write or blog, everything stops and my full attention is on writing.

I wrote more about this in my first blog post So I’m a Writer.

     4. Where is your hometown and what is special about it?

Queens, New York!! The culture and energy of New York as a whole is my favorite. Each of the boroughs have their own hidden gems and energy (there is more to New York than just Manhattan). I can’t really explain it but it is a unique sensory experience that I feel when I’m in New York. I really love the amount of West Indian/Caribbean culture that is prevalent in certain parts of New York because my family is West Indian.

Sidenote: The way New York is depicted in movies and television shows is not completely accurate. Real life in New York is not as glamorous or dangerous. The media dramatize both of these extremes when in reality there are a wider range of experiences related to living in New York which is influenced greatly by the type of neighborhoods and boroughs.

     5. Does real life experience inspire your writing or do you use imagination/fiction?

My entire life is my main muse for writing. Sometimes I use imagination and write fiction stories/poems but even then if people pay attention to the details they will find little pieces of myself in the fiction. For instance, if I write a fiction piece and mention a blue wall as a way to set the scene. The connection is my favorite color is blue.

     6. What is your favorite type of music?

I have like 4 favorite types and there are equal. There are R&B, Hip Hop, the Blues, and Dancehall.

     7. Do you like any other creative hobbies like art, music or sports?

My style and overall appearance is a creative hobby. I do not intentionally follow trends and I do not like looking like people’s clones. I like shopping and looking at clothes to think of the multiple ways that I can wear a piece. I like creating looks that fit my overall image. Also I love creating PowerPoint presentations. I like using different transitions, templates, recreating the format/background, etc.

     8. If you are blogging for business or trying to grow an audience what has been the best and the worst advice?

I have not received any direct advice about blogging. The best indirect advice I heard that I related to blogging was just go ahead and do it how you want to do it.

     9. Do you contribute writing on other sites/platforms or only focus on your blog?

There are no other websites that I write for or on.

      10. What is the ultimate goal of your writing or blog? Is it just a hobby or are you working towards making a niche in the blogging community?

My ultimate goal is connecting with people, causing them to think more about their own lives, and starting discussions. I did not want my blog to only talk about parts of my life. I want to document the journey of coming to terms with whatever lesson the specific post is about as a way to prompt people to think about the lesson in relation to their life. At the end of most of my pieces, I have a “Time to Focus on You” section where I ask questions or say a few statements causing people to think about their lives. One of my favorite things to do is to make people think on a deeper level that they may not always get the chance to do and writing is one of the ways that I get people to do that. It is a hobby and I am working toward making a niche.

This Award helps new bloggers get a chance to share and get to know other blogs, definitely a nice way to appreciate writers and grow a community!  The following are some (not all) new bloggers whose content I like and look forward to reading whenever they post:

Living x Fortjie- Fortjie

The Melanated Mama – Jean Elizabeth

Uncertainity

Victoria’s Bubble Blog – Victoria

Rulla Alani – Rulla

Opinionated Womxn – Chakula

The Write Direction – Ayesha

Dolce Speaks – Dolce

Mental Stimulation – L. K. Hodge

Here are the rules:

• Create a new post thanking the person who nominated you, provide a link to their blog.
• Include award graphic.
• Answer the questions provided.
• Make a new set of 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
• Nominate 10 recently followed bloggers and share your post with them so they see it.

My 10 questions for the nominees:

1) What caused to start writing?
2) What does writing/having a blog mean to you?
3) How does the different parts of your identity (i.e cultural, gender identity, occupation, etc) influence your writing?
4) What caused you to start a blog?
5) What do you do in your free time?
6) Do you have a favorite theme/subject to write about? If so, what is it? Why is it your favorite?
7) What are some things that you like to do in your free time?
8) What are some places you would like to travel to and visit?
9) How would you describe yourself?
10) What are the top 3 best compliments you ever received?