"Mum, I want to be a writer."

I think my mum has known about my creative impulses since l was first given a pencil. I remember laying in my room drawing, making crafts, writing my mum letters and my own Winnie the Pooh short stories. Art and literacy classes were always my favourites, and fiction books, notebooks, exercise journals, stationery and diaries have always been on my birthday and Christmas lists, every year without fail. I've always loved creating and making art and so nothing made more sense than to continue this in adult life and make it my career.

(Small tangent...)

Acting came later at 10 years old when I was cast as the lead of Mary in our school's nativity, and I was bitten by the acting bug. Then at 13 years old I saw my first West end musical and knew I had to be involved in that life in some way. I was in complete awe. I wanted to write one, I wanted to act in one, hell, I would've managed the lights if it meant I could be in a theatre every day. I fell in love and found my other passion in life.

(Back to writing, however...)

Fiction had always been my forte, I had never seriously considered anything else. To be truthful I never felt capable. When it came to choosing a University course there was nothing else for me but English because I love learning, especially about art, literature and history. But then there was my passion for drama. I'll admit it was a dilemma, but then I found the perfect fit at Greenwich University. It was called 'Creative Writing and English Literature'. It gave me the opportunity for everything. Creative Writing allowed me to practice and study: Poetry and Prose, and Stage and Screenwriting. English Literature allowed me to study Poetry, Novels, Film and Drama. I had a brilliant first year. The only problem with this was that the second year is built upon narrowing down these options into what you liked best, and I loved EVERY aspect, I couldn't narrow it down. In the end, I chose Poetry and Drama, Playwriting, Short story writing and Shakespeare and ended up in a very theatrical second year of studying and honing my skills.

Thanks to these two years I have practised everything and even have myself a growing portfolio building up of 9 poems, 10 short stories, 2, 10-minute stage plays, 1, 20-minute stage play and a 10-minute screenplay (and many, many drafts of uncompleted work). It has caused me a lot of stress where deadlines are concerned but I couldn't be happier with my decision and my campus. I have well and truly strengthened my writing muscle for every kind of creative writing.

In September I will be moving into my third and final year before I can hold my bachelor of arts degree in my hands. I have chosen the courses: Contemporary British Theatre (for drama), Literature and Publishing (for fiction, poetry and plays), The Creative Project (a creative version of the dissertation for whatever my heart chooses), and Advanced Screenwriting. I will have left having dabbled in everything there is to offer. I'm proud and excited for my modules and I'll leave feeling like an accomplished person with a lot of skills and knowledge on my back (even if a lot of other people still doubt me).

Fast forward to the present day and I have a short story in a published anthology, a short play being produced in a theatre, and a poem and ten-minute play published in the newest edition of the anthology. I think, despite never being paid, I can call myself a writer. I've always received a lot of flack about choosing to be a writer and studying a degree like English. Questions such as, 'Where's that going to take you?', and, 'That's a waste of time', and the biggest pet peeve, 'Why don't you have a job?'. I've even had someone tell me that because I don't have a part-time job, I am lazy and therefore stupid. I simply explained that I'm still in education, trying to better myself for the future, I don't think someone who jumped into a 9-5 retail job after secondary school qualifies as more intelligent than me or a more successful human being, just how I don't think because I attend University I'm any better or smarter than anyone. You can't judge intelligence or talent based on someone's employment status, especially when said someone is at University doing what they love.

I will say I have a lot of privilege as my mother doesn't expect me to get a part-time job. She is one of the only people who understand. She defends me against all the above criticism when I'm not around, and always tells people writing is my job. She is my rock and my biggest supporter and I'm forever grateful for her belief in me. The thing a lot of people don't seem to understand is that writing isn't easy. You need an idea, a plan, a structure, well-developed characters, plot and world and so much more. You can't bash out a 250-page novel in a day as some people genuinely think is possible. I need to dedicate time, energy and deep thought to create my pieces and I do, every day.

A lot of people assume when I don't have University I do nothing all day. If I'm not writing than I'm at the theatre, or reading, or learning more about my craft and the world to garner story ideas, or practising filmmaking and editing by making videos, or organising my thoughts and projects in my bullet journal. I'm always trying to better myself and create something. I'd rot without creativity and I have to be busy to entertain myself. Luckily for me, my one day career is something I love so incredibly much and could never get bored of.

So Mum, when I came to you and told you I wanted to be a writer, thank you for not scoffing at me like so many people have. Thank you for believing in me so much that you allow me to follow my passion without hindrance. I know many people aren't so lucky and so I'm not wasting this opportunity to make a name for myself, to share my work and to make you proud.