I Might Be the Only Person Left in Atlanta That’s Actually From Here
I grew up in the Deep South where the summers started in May, and mosquitos were large enough to make eye contact. I was a chubster, as you can probably tell from that greedy photo of me.
My older sister is 8 years older than me, so I was an only child by proxy. And my hair was so thick, I had curls on my ears like a lil’ monkey when I was born.
I’d always wanted to be a writer, thinking that it must be the best job anyone could have. I mean, getting paid to read and write books? How could it get better than that?! But like most people, I was told that it was a dead end job. That nothing was worse than being a “starving artist”.
And ever the obedient and logical child, I gave up on that dream pretty early.
Sometime in the Early 2000s
My favorite thing about this picture is that it’s obviously KFC: they’ve barely changed the menu in over 20 years. I aspire to be that consistent, but alas…
Turns Out Hard Work Pays Off Only Sometimes
Fast forward to college, I chose a school in Vermont, finally tired of the heat and in need of a good scholarship. Still operating under the false narrative (see what I did there?) that you could only be successful in STEM, I decided to get a degree in Astronomy. It sounded cool, and I had no idea what else to do, so I buckled in and went along for the ride…
…and then gave myself whiplash.
How I managed to graduate is a question I ask myself often. Those theoretical math problem sets were like the final boss in a video game I hated but couldn’t stop playing; admitting defeat was not an option. Stubbornness runs in my family.
It took no blood, but plenty of sweat and tears to get through it, and I learned a lot about myself, including my love of horror movies, late-night philosophy debates with my roommates, and 70s soft rock.
May 2021
My friends and I made it through some disastrous roommate situations, very weird and last-minute major changes, and a whole pandemic. I don’t know how I got the cap to stay on my afro here, but it might have been more of a feat than the actual degree (kidding!).
Nobody Puts Baby In Corporate!
Already completely sure that a career in my degree was impossible, I worked at a Barnes & Noble for a few months after college. Stocking books and talking to customers was so much fun, it barely felt like work. Had we not been promoting Dune like King James’ version of the Bible, I might have stayed.
It only paid $9 bucks an hour, though, so I had to pivot quickly: it was time to go full Capricorn corporate. My new position was remote, so I proudly clocked in everyday, smiling brightly on Zoom while wearing sweats.
And it worked out…for awhile.
I quickly realized that dreams are a lot like nightmares: they’re hard to forget, the vivid ones often bleeding into the waking world, interfering with your life.
My dream to be be a writer just wouldn’t die. I was constantly complaining about bad movies, TV shows, and commercials during family bonding time (sorry, Mom). Always critiquing the ways that they could do better, fix plot holes, have catchier slogans.
My first dream of being an Astronomer wasn’t possible, and my attempts at buckling down and having a “real job” didn’t fit me. I was at a crossroads, the official Quarter-Life Crisis™…
So, 2 years in I started this blog.
March 2023
In my early 20s, with no kids or real bills to pay, I wasted some money on a girl’s trip to NYC, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants style. I saw my first Broadway show, walked more blocks than I can count, and realized that Times Square burns my eyes.
Dancing Through the Flames of Failure
Turns out, starting a website kind of speeds things up: just a few months after that, I learned about copywriting. All of a sudden, I no longer felt like a video game character with no mission. My skills in data science, customer service, and writing could be combined into one career!!
My love of writing as a child came back full force, now validated and blossoming under all the new attention and self-watering (see what I did there?).
After months and months of intense studying, I quit my corporate job, already helping my clients reposition their brand strategies and writing their copy (you can check out my first testimonial on my Services page)…
And now, I’m the only author of my story.
I probably could have told you about all this in a different tone, and really lamented the failures that happened along the way (and believe me, there were a lot). But what good would that do?
Perspective shapes our narrative, and I am determined to make this underdog story a triumphant one.
December 2023
Just 2 months prior to this photo, I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and potentially ADHD (the assessor was on the fence with that one). Most people wouldn’t be smiling after a realization like that, but I was ecstatic! Now I could finally do what every adult secretly craves: blame something else for my shortcomings.
Introducing Graphite Grind: Helping you put pen to paper.
I created this blog to be a one-stop shop for writers and clients who need a quick “writing pick-me-up”.
A place where you could get what you needed, nothing more and nothing less.
A website that delivered important information about all things writing in a fun way. None of that stale stuff here!!
I sincerely hope you enjoyed learning about me, or at the very least, that you got a chuckle out of it!
(Funny story: I spent over a week debating the tagline “Helping you put pen to paper”, stressed out over the fact that most people don’t write on paper to begin with.)
Questions? I have answers!
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing creatively my whole life, but I’ve just recently quit my full-time job to jumpstart a career in copywriting. In the beginning of 2024, I officially became a graduate of Alex Cattoni’s esteemed copywriting program, The Copy Posse Launch Pad Season 5.
Where does your information come from?
The content that you see on this website is all my research and observations about the world. I pull from articles and books I’ve read, things I’ve heard from those much wiser than me, and my own experiences to help guide you!
Can I hire you to write for me?
Absolutely! Check out my Services Page if you are interested in hiring me as a writer for your team. 🙂 If you’re certain that you need my help for your next writing project, book a discovery call with me on that page. If you’re a bit more shy, no worries! You can send me an email at [email protected].
(Don’t mind the official sounding email address. It’s still just me.)
Can I cite this blog in my own research/work?
If you are another blogger, influencer, or someone with a large audience, I would sincerely appreciate any relevant or helpful backlinks to or testimonials about Graphite Grind. If not…
I can’t control what you do…but maybe don’t do that. 🙂 My blogs are meant to be a starting point for you; to help you get your creative juices flowing. I’m sure your professors or colleagues would prefer you to reference higher authorities…like Wikipedia.
