Skin & Tattoos✎

If you are passionate about something strong enough to mark it on your skin permanently, consider yourself lucky.

Yesterday, on the 18th of March 2018, I was brave enough to make that step; to make a promise with myself.

I put a small sign of quotation mark on my right wrist (as you can see in the picture.)

What it means for me is this:

Something to give me courage to seek for my voice, the stories inside of me, the things I wish to say... and write it all. To be brave enough to look at it every day and say, "I'm a writer. A goddamn writer!"

It's a reminder for me to never doubt myself again, deny my dreams or force myself to walk away from who I want to become because such dreams "ain't practical," and "have no use in real life."

Because who can define what's real life anyway?

Most of the time, fiction is more real to me than anything else. I believe in the power of words, in their beauty and ways of leaving their marks on this world, our skins, souls.

I reflected a lot on my future. I was mad at myself for being so caught up in something that will clearly make my life harder- Should it stay as a hobby while I study for a 'real job'?
Am I good enough to allow myself to take a risk and try something different?

So many doubts pushed me to chase dreams that were never even my first option, just because they considered safe, in my comfort zone, and this ugly word 'practical'.

Life is too short for us to fight against our hearts. What are we so afraid to lose?

Money, social class, popularity?

We are chasing what we grew up to believe is normal, always jumping from a system to system -school, university, job, family-, not stopping for a damn second to think, is it really what I want? Am I passionate about what I do? Does it make me excited and happy?

Find the things that make your heart skip a beat and keep them close. Maybe even so close it becomes a part of you.