Guest blog by Charlotte Underwood Writing Is In My Blood

I’ve always loved writing, I have so many fond memories of my childhood where I would write my own little world onto the ripped out lined paper from my school workbooks. There is something quite beautiful about being able to capture just a fragment of your imagination onto something more permanent, which you can see right in front of you.

Over my teen years I had to admit that I became distant from my love of writing, somewhere between school and the pressure to fit in, I just developed a slight dislike for anything that required any work, in a way, I suppose I associated writing as a chore because I was not writing for me.

The one day, I just found myself writing just little things, from snippets to my dreams to one of the many diaries I have kept, I did these things online on a more private blog but I had no idea that this was just the start.

I never actually planned to be a blogger, though I still don’t class myself as one, originally my website was for news on my books and things but then I fell into being a mental health advocate and loved it so much that my blog was born.

I decided I wanted to create the most real blog possible about mental health, talking about taboo subjects and removing that shame because there is no shame at all in having a mental illness. So, I started writing about everything and anything that I had gone through on a personal level and before I knew it, it seemed that my words were helping people and I can tell you that there is no greater feeling than making a difference.

I think I will be writing about mental health for the rest of my life, it is now my passion and my purpose, maybe even my actual true love. But, there are days when things get hard, writing can make you feel so high and in a state of bliss from the therapy it provides but at the same time, it can leave you with a sense of exposure and self-doubt, it’s scary to have so much of you out in the public world.

There have been times I have wanted to give up because I felt like I wasn’t good enough or that people just didn’t care, sometimes it felt like I was preaching to a brick wall and that hurt. But in these moments, that is when our passion will shine because deep down you will know that you will not stop doing something that fills you with so much joy because that would hurt more than the pain that is felt now.

So, I may take a week or three of writing or I may just focus on another aspect or platform, knowing when to take a rest and a step back is vital to maintaining your mental health. But the thing is, regardless of how long it takes, I will always stand up and start unleashing my unfiltered opinion into the world, I mean, if I don’t, then who will?

You do not need to be a literal genius or have the ability to write a novel, all you need is an actual passion for writing and inspiring others. Blogging is so easy and yet so darn heavy but it’s worth it in the end and the best part is that everyone can do it – don’t give up on your dreams.

Charlotte Underwood

You can follow her blog here

Twitter: @CUnderwoodUK