FROM OTHERS’ EYES TO MINE
- Padmaja Padwal
SY B.Sc. (2023-2027)
Editor-In-Chief, I’m Game
I have dreaded writing this particular piece because no matter how self-aware I think I am, I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHY I WRITE! I know that this is not something you want to hear from a writer, but it is what it is. And hey, even if I do not know why I write, I do write, right? (please don’t be disappointed with the pun). So, let’s go on a little journey as I figure out how all of this began.
My whole life I have been that person who does best when I don’t force things and just let things flow naturally. Writing, for me, has played out this way too. Like everyone else, my writing journey began with school essays and essay competitions. Oh, what can I say? That last 5 marker question in the English paper was my favourite because I could just take a break from everything happening around me and let my thoughts flow.
Growing up, I never believed myself to be a good writer (part of me still doesn’t haha) but the good marks and prizes kept me going and instilled confidence in me. I was always praised by my teachers and parents which made me realise that “okay yes, maybe I do write well”. This, however, also came along with a certain amount of self-imposed pressure. I felt as though every single thing I wrote MUST be good otherwise the world around me would collapse. However, with time, I realised that whatever a person writes must never be to gain praise from the world, instead it should be to understand yourself a little better and just put yourself out there. Writing started as something others saw in me, but over time it turned into how I see myself.
As someone who has always been extremely reserved, I would take a bullet before I share my feelings with others. Through writing, however, I found a safe space to express myself and put a little part of myself out into the world which otherwise would never happen. After I got into GIPE, one of the first things I decided to do was to become a part of the newsletter. Throughout my time as a content writer and now, the editor-in-chief of the sports section, I have written several articles through which I have gained a much deeper and better understanding of not only the world around me, but of myself as well. And with this, I hope to leave a small but meaningful mark.