I think that one of the greatest cultural phenomena to come out of the digital boom is the return to autobiographical writing. While some may scoff at my categorization of something as simple as a tweet or a Facebook post as autobiographical, I think there is much to be said for writing about the self in any capacity. After all, diaries and personal letters of historical figures are often regarded as exceptionally valuable, as they provide firsthand insight into the individual’s life and experiences.

My opinion may be biased, as I’ve been a formal student of Creative Writing since my early teenage years, and was even trained as a Creative Writing teacher. I soaked up every lesson available on the subject and was a voracious reader. As the years progressed, memoir writing quickly became my favorite genre, as it helped me sort out every new feeling that accompanied another year of life.

I remember speaking about wanting to write autobiographically as my profession during my college interview for an Ivy League university. The professor scoffed and replied that a seventeen-year-old had no stories worthy of telling. Another teacher mentioned that although I was clearly a talented writer, there was no money in this craft. In my eyes, opinions such as these are the reason why women’s voices have been erased from so much of history. As you can probably guess, I listened to no one.

At just shy of twenty-five, I can reflect and see how clearly this path was laid before me. Nothing had ever resonated with me as deeply as writing my stories and sharing them with others, finding the human connection in this simple yet profound act of intimacy. This year, my New Year’s resolution is to return to my personal writing. Although I love writing the copy you read for our beautiful handcrafted treasures, my New Year’s Resolution for 2018 is to remember to keep telling my own stories, and this blog will be a great place to start. I am forever grateful to Terri and to Uno Alla Volta for giving my voice a platform, and for helping me prove the naysayers wrong.

-Anna, Assistant Marketing Manager- Content