Expression Beyond the Stage

I never thought writing would be my thing. But life had other plans.

The place where I felt understood

Picture a little introverted girl who feels most alive when she's in a ballet studio. That was me. While other kids were learning how to express themselves through words and friendships, I was at the barre, learning how to say everything I felt through movement.

Ballet gave me a language that didn't need words. And for a girl who found small talk exhausting and social situations draining, that was everything.

So school? Writing assignments? Yeah, I showed up. I tried to do what I had to do. But writing never felt interesting. It felt like someone else's superpower — not something I was destined to have.

Then came the mission

The first time I remember truly wanting to write was while I was serving as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As an introverted person who never naturally gravitated toward constant interaction, serving a mission stretched me in ways I never expected. Suddenly, I was meeting new people every single day, listening to people's trials and challenges, and dealing with my own personal struggles. No studio, no music — just a lot of feelings I didn't know what to do with. I needed an outlet badly.

The night I started writing

So that's when I picked up a journal.

It was rough at first. I'd sit down, stare at the blank page, and think, what am I doing? Putting feelings into words felt stressful. I didn't know how to organize my thoughts. Half the time, I wasn't even sure what I was feeling.

But I kept going. And little by little, it started to click.

I still remember one particular night after a long day of missionary work. I sat at my desk with my journal open, emotionally exhausted and unsure how to explain the heaviness I felt. But once I started writing, the words kept coming.

Writing became my way of actually processing my days. Before my nightly prayers, I would sit down and let everything out onto the page — the hard moments, the funny ones, the small blessings I almost missed. And that's when I started noticing God's hand in my life more clearly.

The weight I'd been carrying around started to feel lighter. By the time I finished writing and knelt down to pray, I actually knew what I was grateful for. My prayers became deeper, more specific, and more meaningful because I'd taken the time to slow down and pay attention.

It hit me that writing and dancing aren't so different after all. Both ask you to slow down and find a way to express what's happening inside of you. I just never expected a journal to become my new dance floor.

What writing taught me

Here's what I know now: expression shows up wherever you're willing to meet it. If you've always thought, Writing just isn't for me, I get it. I really do. But I'd encourage you to try it anyway. You might be surprised by what comes out when you finally give your thoughts somewhere to land.