Not Really A Writer

HI!

My name is Annie Vogel, and I am the author of this blog, Not Really A Writer. You can read more about me on the About page!

My blog consists of reflections on events and details in my daily life, and I find inspiration in the little things. I believe that balance is essential, so you will definitely find a bit of light humor in my posts as well! It is my hope that my writing inspires readers to pause and really think about the deeper questions in life which will lead to recognizing their own personal value, the value in others, and the beauty in life around them.

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved to write.

When I was little, I used to write countless stories about pretty much anything a child could write about – ballerinas, children playing, and talking animals (oh my!). I would sit and watch as I made my mother read my every one of my stories to the very end.

I started writing in a journal when I was about eleven years old. I found that writing about my day and forming thoughts and feelings on daily events really helped me to find myself and to develop my voice. Writing became the only way I found that could thoroughly express my thoughts and feelings into something tangible. It was at this point that I also became extremely reflective (even if I was only writing about the cute boy in homeroom who I had a big fat crush on or how much I loved the sparkly top that my parents had gotten me for my birthday). I filled out more than ten notebooks/journals throughout middle school and high school. At this point, I still continued to write stories, but they shifted from being about arbitrary fictional characters, and I took to writing characters based on real people in my life. This is when my writing became much more personal, and I never shared it with anyone.

When I started college, I tried my very best to keep up my journaling, but it was very difficult to find quiet time alone freshman year, and unfortunately, the habit died. The only time I wrote was for the purpose of sharing with others via social media. I wanted my friends and family back home to feel more connected to me since I was not physically there with them to speak to them about my thoughts and just daily life. And so, I wrote every so often to give updates on college life in D.C.

Because I had stopped consistently journaling, my writing for social media began to shift. I began to share some of my thoughts and reflections mostly out of habit from my days of journaling. Since then, I have continued to sporadically share my writing on social media. I noticed over the years that sharing my writing made a positive impact in the digital world in a small capacity. Even if my posts went unnoticed by the majority of my connections on social media, if my voice inspired even only one person for a moment in time, that was enough for me.

Obviously, I did not pursue writing academically nor professionally, so I am Not Really A Writer, just a woman who enjoys to write. I wanted to keep all of my writing in one place, so I created this blog. Sharing my writing publicly is a big change for me, and I hope you enjoy my posts. I thank you for joining me in my journey!