The Penlogue 

Back then, I used to consider journaling or writing poems as one of those things that you would only do during literature class and I was never the creative one. There were always poems that were much more sophisticated than mine or funnier than mine; I was the average, no matter how hard I tried. So I decided to stop trying. I never thought I’d somehow, someday, start writing again.

There was a period of my life where I was struggling mentally, and I felt that despite being surrounded by my friends and family, I was always lonely. It almost felt like I was living a double life at that time: I had a cheerful and energetic persona at school but as soon as I got home, I became closed off and stressed.

Then, journaling came to me. It was just a small idea at first: I felt suffocated with the swarm of emotions and thoughts clashing inside my head and was desperate for any kind of release. Journaling soon became my only way of channelling my inner turbulence and soon, I started writing poetry too to reflect on my past experiences. Now, my purpose as an editor and writer is to resonate with others and allow them to transfer their internal struggles into words.

Apart from editing and writing pieces of my own, I also consider myself to be quite a bookworm. Some of my favourite books are Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. Even with the mounting amount of homework, I also try to stay as active as possible too - I play for the school’s volleyball team and also am part of the swimming team.