A Quiet Reflection

...And just like that, the season is over!

It’s been a pleasure writing for Simplex and I’m proud of what our team was able to accomplish this year. It’s crazy to think this all started as Troy’s idea and blossomed into a growing community. I want to give roses to Troy, Ricky, and Mia for making such a welcoming space where we can share our creativity and grow as individuals and as a team.

Coming into this I wanted to sharpen my writing skills, but I gained so much more than that. Simplex has given me a platform to share my thoughts and ideas, and a group of friends that I want to see become big in their artistic mediums. From meetings that lasted an hour a week, I found solace in front of my computer screen talking to colleagues who understand the struggles and the joys of being a creative.

I am not new to being one to share her thoughts with the world on the internet. I like to leave my linguistic footprint on this giant server, not knowing who may read it, nor caring if anyone does. But writing about other creatives kept me on my toes and forced me to think critically of the way I present my thoughts, how each topic can shape my voice into different writing styles. I used to think that wasn’t okay. At first, I didn’t like how my pieces sounded different, but the writing voice came naturally to me depending on the topic. I felt formal when writing about Deana Lawson because I respect her as an elder, I wrote about Rachel like I was walking through a dream because that is how I feel when I watch her videos, and I wrote Bretman Rock like how a viewer would appreciate it because it felt right.

Being a graphic designer, we follow a set of rules to make our designs “good”. We flush left, never leave orphans, and always make sure things are aligned. I used to think of writing so toughly like that too. I always thought I need to follow proper grammar, proper flow, proper everything to sound good. But sometimes those things don’t make writing fun, it’s unnatural, it’s unnatural because how you use words is something deeply personal and unique to you. Writing is your voice shouting a glimpse of how you see the world.

Writing so differently made me feel free like I didn’t have to be the person everyone expects me to be. I don’t want to be Carissa who is articulate or Carissa who writes well, I want to be Carissa who makes you think and makes you feel something. Someone who is freeform and nonconforming, true to herself.

When people started to tell me they read what I wrote, I was honestly shocked. I didn’t think people would take time out of their day to read my words. I thought they weren’t important nor very interesting, but I don’t mean that in a self-deprecating way. It’s nothing personal, I just simply felt that the internet is an oversaturated place for thoughts and ideas to get lost and flooded away. Yet to think that there are people out there who take the time to listen to what I have to say is equally humbling as it is inspiring. I used to think I write for myself and only myself, but there is power to words when the right people receive them, and I think through that exchange, Simplex Minds will help change people’s lives.

Whether you are just a passerby or someone looking for inspiration, I hope you find what you are looking for. I hope we help you somehow in your creative journeys, even if it’s just igniting a spark within you from a single sentence or seconds of a video.

I am so excited to see what the Season 2 team will bring to the table. This is definitely not the last time you will hear from me, but I hope to sign off and end this written series on a promising note. Thank you for all your time, your support, your energy, and just being you. Hope to give back tenfold.

Love love love,

Carissa