Young Writers Society

If I could offer you one piece of advice, color. It is a very relaxing way to gather your thoughts and create masterpieces masterful only to you. It also brightens up the page. When I color, I don’t think about life. I don’t think about the air we breathe, the sights we see, and the things we hear. I just take a gel pen, and color.

Because Life can weigh you down. It really can. And sometimes, I just want to slither into a hole and smother myself with the darkness. I want to shield myself from Life and its peering eyes. I have wanted to hide from Life ever since I first went to Elementary school. I spoke to no one unless they spoke to me first. I was so sensitive and scared to open a conversation, which was why I never made friends. Why I never made true friends.

I look back and I laugh at myself, because I am so different than who I was before. Middle School opened new paths to the horizon. I realized there was no room for introvertedness. I had to reach for the hands to pull me up, not wait for them to reach me. I reached and reached, until they had a firm grip and pulled me up.

In all my school years, I’ve been afraid to walk up to a person and say ‘hi, how’s it going?’ and then offer to be their friend. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t wait for others to approach you. Approach them and smile. Make small talk. Sit with them. Chances are they’re not going to bite back, unless they’re being jerks. So, just ignore them. Let them ruin their own day.

Besides, it’s the end, the very end, of eighth grade! High school begins next year: a new chapter in our lives! Which means a fresh new page. And the first thing to do is clear our minds. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Think of your favorite color, or a color that most appeals to you. Paint a scene that is filled with the best things that ever happened in your life. The present that you’ve been waiting for and hoping for all year long on your birthday or Christmas. The day you finally succeeded in facing your fear. Can you see the mural? Just with that single color, masterpieces can arise. Now, tell yourself, or whisper, ‘I am amazing. I am beautiful. I don’t care about what anyone says about my body, my name, my interests. I love myself.’ Tell yourself all these positive thoughts. Because whatever you look like, you are beautiful. You are handsome. And no one can tell you otherwise.

This is your future; this is your life. Have fun with it! Dance, sing, write, paint. Do anything, just don't get arrested while doing so. I know Life can burden you with negativity, but there is more good in the world than evil. You will bathe in the light soon. But remember, when all hope seems lost, just take a deep breath and color.