Expression Through Writing at Klein Forest High School

This October, the Klein Forest Speech and Debate Club kindly invited me to speak at their Expression Through Writing Panel. Here's everything we covered, and some extra insights!

Where did you find the support and encouragement to pursue your passions?

For most of us, when we have an idea, we immediately turn to others to validate if it's any good.

I spent the first-year writing my book with that mindset. I waited for others to show their encouragement so that I had the courage to continue writing. The problem with that strategy is, most people won't support you until you've built something to believe in.

Of course, there are those few, rare people in our lives who will support us no matter what. But I've found that most people won't outwardly show their support until you show them that you believe in what you're doing. You've got to build the foundation first. You've got to support yourself first. Once you have something of substance, that's when others feel more comfortable showing their support and encouragement for you.

So while support and encouragement from others is awesome, don't wait until you have that to start pursuing your passions.