Throughout a large portion of my life, I struggled with my mental health. I hated myself, I hurt myself, and I planned ways to leave the world. It was a long and painful journey to get to where I am today. After moving out, I was able to properly face my problems and find ways to healthily cope with them. It’s still an ongoing battle, but it’s gotten so much better and I haven’t lost the will to live yet.

Spring is brighter days filled with cheerful sunlight Springing clocks forward in time Golden rays shining into the late evenings Warmth and light guiding new life Spring is growing, changing, and teeming with life Flowering buds turn shades of green Air filling with with nature’s music Baby creatures learning to walk and breathe Spring is colors popping through shades of green…

Are you a leader or a follower? As the oldest child, I tend to be more of a leader. I often had to help solve problems or just help take care of the kids in general! I am also typically the oldest in my friend group and the most likely to make a decision when no one else knows what to choose.

Daily writing prompt What does freedom mean to you? View all responses Freedom is defined as many things: the ability to speak against the government without repercussions, exemption from responsibilities, liberation from power, etc. I live in America so I could talk about how we have freedom to speak against injustices, but we still have to live within the constraints of lower class.

This week was a difficult one for me. It started off going really well. I felt great and I was getting myself on track with the new routine! Then, on Tuesday, I received the news that I had lost a friend to cancer. I've spent most of this week feeling low energy and lethargic, even taking Wednesday off. I've been doing what I can to get myself back into a better headspace and move through this grief.

Daily writing prompt What's one small improvement you can make in your life? View all responses There are a lot of different ways I can improve my life. Most of them feel like small things and they are things I've done in the past but they are difficult for me to maintain. Whenever I start to reach burnout, it feels nearly impossible to even get out of bed, much less take care of myself.

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite? There are a lot of fun holidays throughout the year. I tend to spend most of the holidays with my family. I go to dinner on Easter, I spend the night at their house Christmas Eve so I can wake up early to open presents with my siblings, and while it isn’t a holiday I do try to spend the Super Bowl with them.

Grief isn’t foreverObserve all your friendsOffering peace of mindDon’t dread the futureBreathe now and restYou live in our heartsEndlessly lovedNever forgottenAlways admiredYour memory lives on Smile on old friend, I hope you find peace 12/30/1996 - 05/11/2025

Daily writing prompt What was the last live performance you saw? View all responses I don't go to a lot of live performances. I suppose the last performance I saw was a recital for the sister of the kid I work with. Her and her mother did a piece together, her mother on piano and her on violin. I don't get a chance to go to a lot of her performances though since I watch her sister so her parents can go without disruptions.

When do you feel most productive? I only really feel productive on good days when I’m feeling up. Usually I feel up whenever I find something to be passionate or excited about. That’s usually when I start going crazy and doing as much as I can instead of pacing myself. On days when I’m feeling good about life, I can clean the entire kitchen, get a bunch of writing done, go to work, and still cook dinner when I get home!

This week my girlfriend and I started working on applying for houses. We've finally narrowed down our list and started sending out questions and applications for the various homes we'd like to get. However, most of them ended up having stipulations that were deal breakers for us. For example, one person wanted up both to have credit scores above 700. We've both been struggling with our finances for a long time.

Emma could barely sit still in her seat, practically vibrating as she stared out the window, watching the familiar houses pass by. A beautiful soft blue sky smiled down on her as thin wispy white clouds glided leisurely across the endless expanse. Small brick houses with dark gray shingles and white or green doors flew by as the turned through the small residential streets.

Have you ever been camping? Camping is not usually my kind of activity. I’m not big on the outdoors in general mostly because of bugs, especially ticks. I can’t stand the idea of a parasite climbing onto my body and making me sick. It gives me the creeps. Taking walks with the kid has sort of helped me get used to the outdoors again, but I still try my best to avoid ticks every way possible.

Daily writing prompt When are you most happy? View all responses Happiness feels hard sometimes with depression. My ADHD doesn’t make it any better. There are so many things I love doing and want to keep doing, but it can be difficult when it feels like life just wants to push me and kick me while I’m down. I suppose my happiest times are when I feel passion again.

Waiting for a chanceHanging onto hopeYearning for the dayAlmost giving upMaybe I don’t have itI know I’m slipping upAny day nowLuck be on my sideWatch the clock tickAm I even trying?You only live once, right?So why can’t I get upTrying everythingResting’s not enoughAppease my inner child…

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often? I've talked a few times about a small mantra I repeated to myself in high school to keep my hopes up. "I deserve a chance." It gave me enough hope to keep pushing and reminded me that no matter what I still deserved a chance to prove my worth and make my dreams come true.

Daily writing prompt Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you. View all responses A few years ago, I decided to meet a friend for coffee to catch up and talk about life. We were friends through church and I had a massive crush on him for a while before getting over him. It was a nice chilly day, so I wore my favorite purple sweater.

My girlfriend and I spent the entire week this week looking at houses. We'd like to rent a place and while my girlfriend found her dream home, there was a $35 application fee. We're finding some places with $80 application fees! These application fees are for every tenant over 18, meaning we'd have to pay $70-$160 just to apply to rent the house!

The quiet presses against my ears in the surrounding darkness, only my sharp breaths and beating heart break the silence. My eyes quickly adjust, soft light streaking through the window casting an eerie glow over the living room furniture. Shakily adjusting my blanket, I scan the room. My mind, plagued by the fear of a dream I refuse to remember, warped the world around me; nothing felt real.

What are your favorite sports to watch and play? In all honesty, I don’t spend much of my time watching or playing sports. However, that does not mean I don’t go out and watch an event with friends at time. In elementary school, particularly third grade, I was obsessed with basketball. My dad bought me and my brother our own balls and a hoop which he filled with sand and placed a giant rock on top to keep from falling over.

What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it? Honestly, I have a list of things I would never do: sky diving, spelunking, bungee jumping, rock climbing, hiking up a mountain, jumping off a cliff, scuba diving, etc. I know some people get a thrill out of defying death but I think I’m doing just fine with my TV, games, and puzzles, thank you.

CirclesHead spinningVision swimmingGoing in circles Trapped in a loopBanging on the wallsRun through the doorJust to fall down the stairs Slipping and slidingEndlessly fallingClawing at the wallsBack into the dark Am I getting better?Or only getting worse?Two steps forwardTwo steps back Schedules and timersIdeas and actionsFinally getting better?

What books do you want to read? My favorite genre has always been fiction; more specifically, fantasy. My favorite author is Garth Nix. He is particularly good at bringing his worlds to life. He builds an adventure that leaves me hanging with every word. I can never put down his books until I finish it. I have read two of his series: …

What would you do if you won the lottery? If I ended up winning the lottery, my first instinct would be to find out how much might be taken from taxes. I also believe it is crucial to plan how best to invest some of my money for my future in case of emergencies. I would learn to invest in stocks and real estate; creating homes for people to rent.

Last week has been absolutely insane and I don't even know how to process it! On Easter last Sunday, I went to my parents and my teenage brother and I got to talking. He has this idea for a really cool difficult sandbox survival type game. He's decided to start taking coding classes next year when he starts high school! However, he's not much of an artist, that is where I come in.

The night was quiet, only the gentle breeze blowing between the tall buildings of the city and the soft pitter patter of the cat’s footsteps against the concrete breaking the silence. The young black feline followed the scent of trash wafted by the winds until it came across an alleyway with a trove of tossed food spilling out of the large dumpster.

What's the most fun way to exercise? Exercising is hard in general, especially for someone who struggles with motivation in general. I know it's good for my mental and physical health, but that doesn't make it any easier. However, there are certain exercises I do enjoy. Personally, I've always really liked biking. I used to bike every day after school in the sixth grade before I flipped out and broke my bike.

Daily writing prompt Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you. View all responses This is just an excuse to talk about one of my fondest memories with my father. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it, other than I was in elementary school. I must have been about eight or nine at the time since it was just me, one brother, and one sister at the time.

Water soaking sandsWaves crashing against the shoresBirds searching for food Few clouds in the blueSeagulls fly through sunny skiesDipping into water Wind blows over shoresA girl stands in Marram grassFabric flows freely Children laugh and playInflatable balls flyingSplashing as they wade Boards cut through the wavesBalancing to keep the rushTwists and turns to cheers…

Daily writing prompt Write about a random act of kindness you've done for someone. View all responses I try to be kind whenever I can. I don't want to talk about everything I've done because I feel that negates the purpose of doing something kind. I could talk about all the random kind acts my girlfriend and I do for each other like buying each other our favorite sodas or random treats.

Daily writing prompt What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can? View all responses It took me a long time to think this over. I do tend to skip a lot of important things that should be in my daily routine, but they aren't often on purpose. The reason I struggle to brush my teeth in the morning is because I'd rather brush them after breakfast so I don't ruin my breakfast, but then if I forget breakfast or do something else immediately after breakfast, I forget to brush my teeth.

What job would you do for free? As far as typical jobs go, I wouldn't work for free. I need to make ends meet so I'd like to get paid for my labor. However, there are a few things I actually do for free because it's what I enjoy doing. While I'd like to be able to make money writing, it's not the reason I write.

Everyone excitedly filed into the gym. The teacher lead the young students through warm up exercises before making them run a few laps around the gym. Finally, once everyone was done, Ms. Bradley pulled out her clipboard. “Alright everyone! Today we’re doing the pull-up test! You can choose to do pull-ups or the hang! When I call your name, come up to the mats.”

How do you relax? Relaxing is hard with anxiety. Even when I am trying to relax my muscles feel tense for seemingly no reason. It's exhausting. However, there are a lot of activities and ways to take my mind off of the stress and just chill for a bit. I know there are probably better ways to manage anxiety, but there's nothing wrong with just allowing myself to be distracted for a bit.

Daily writing prompt Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. View all responses I love the way music makes me feel. Ever since I was a kid, I've used music to help me deal with my auditory processing disorder and just feel normal. When I was in elementary school, I had this CD called "Girl Authority" which is just a bunch of songs empowering girls sung by younger girls.

Sifting through fields of LilacFingers brushing fragile petalsPlucking perfect fragrant stemsDelicately placed in a woven frame Little feet scurry through the rowsTaunting pretend monsters to followLaughing at the face of deathImaginary heroes saved the world Mother works with steady handsThe scissors glide through thick greensSnip. Snip. Petals come looseWicker fills with shades of lavender…

Daily writing prompt What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? View all responses My morning routine recently changed as I started focusing on writing again. If I'm completely honest, the first 30 minutes to an hour is me just laying in bed trying to get up. My alarm goes off at 10:30 and I try to get out of bed by 11 or 11:30 to start my day.

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals? I've wanted to be a writer since I was 11. Some may think it's a bit short sighted to work on something I've wanted as a kid. Things change as you grow, right? Over the years, I've only grown in my passion. I know it's what I want to do with my life and that isn't going to change.

Daily writing prompt Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow. View all responses I moved out when I was 21. I moved in with my now girlfriend and her family for a bit before we got our own apartment. Shortly after that, we started dating. This friend and I both agreed on a lot of things and we knew getting a place together was going to work, and it does!

Daily writing prompt How do you unwind after a demanding day? View all responses My girlfriend and I call it decompressing. It doesn't even have to be a demanding day, just a long day or honestly any kind of day. We're both introverts and we're neurodivergent, so we tend to burn out very quickly. Even though I'm usually at my job for about five hours a shift, driving two hours to get to and from work and all the socialization it takes to work with this kid is exhausting, especially at the end of the day.

Daily writing prompt Describe your most memorable vacation. View all responses I have a lot of memories of going on vacation with my family. We used to go to the beach every year growing up. I remember a lot of bits and pieces but as I grew older I stopped enjoying the beach. As a kid, my brother and I would dig for mussels and sand crabs and store them in a bucket of sand and water until we left and we'd release them all.

What do you wish you could do more every day? There's a lot I want to accomplish in a day. I don't necessarily need to feel like I've climbed a mountain at the end of each day, but it would be nice to know I was taking the right steps to care for myself. Mental health is a difficult battle that never really ends.

We all have demons, plaguing our minds We all have darkness, consuming our souls Run as you might, but you're still behind Fight as you might, but you still won't be whole You start falling, into the abyss Fear grips your heart, your past is catching up Crying, no one can save you from this Climbing out, but thrown back in from loose shrubs…

Daily writing prompt What's the coolest thing you've ever found (and kept)? View all responses I wouldn't call it the "coolest" thing I've ever found but I have a cicada I found while I was still in college on one of my shelves. It's still in one solid piece and holds fond memories of that day. I had just pulled into a parking spot on campus when I heard a noise in the road in front of me.