"Reading would make me brilliant, but writing would make me infinite."
– Gabby Rivera
I finish one book and I go put it on the bookshelf. I pick up a new book and begin reading.
It's like chain smoking but without the lung cancer and the yellow fingernails and the hoarse voice and the early death.
I don't always write about what I read, but what I write emerges from what I read.
What I write is what I write because I read.
Reading makes me informed. Reading makes me inspired. Reading makes me knowledgeable. Reading makes me worldly. Reading makes me curious, empathetic, compassionate.
Reading makes me brilliant.
Reading gives me ideas: what to write about, how to write it, who to write it for, where to write it.
Writing makes me free. Makes me interesting. Makes me relevant. Makes me unique. Makes me strong. Makes me authentic. Makes me compelling. Makes me feel like I belong.
Writing builds connections and relationships. Writing opens doors. Writing leads to opportunities. Writing makes me smile and laugh and cry and believe.
Writing allows me to express myself. To share my emotions and feelings and opinions and perspectives.
Writing makes me proud and happy and powerful. Writing motivates me to do better, to be vulnerable, to be me.
Writing makes me infinite.