Writing for Paste this week was more fulfilling than usual. My hands and mind were working overtime as I cranked out an incredible amount of articles this week. Writing each article made me fill a sense of pride as my turnaround was better than usual. with so much personal strife going outside of Paste, it was a relief to have a place where I could write without interference. The more content I churned out the more I felt like a legit writer for a prestigious publication. Of course, there were the usual rookie writer snafus I had to navigate, but other than that I felt accomplished for the first time in a while. Along with writing, bonding was on the docket as well. My fellow interns and I traded stories and gossip back and forth about the latest news. My week ended with a great blessing as I got my first feature in the music section.

As a writer, I decided to place my toe in the features pond. I pitched my first feature on the film Black Panther for the magazine (I had to do it twice – go figure). Initially, I felt a sense of duty and pride as the response was very encouraging. I talked to Paste music editor, Michael, about my idea and how to tailor better in a market filled with features on Black Panther. As we spoke over the phone, I felt an overwhelming sense of pressure to deliver a piece that not only reflected me but my people as well. All of the sudden, I started to think I bit off more than I could chew. I mean I’ve done long pieces for websites before, but this was different. This was Paste Magazine I was creating this piece for. I needed to put on my journalist hat and write something that would speak not only to me but to the Paste audience. This only makes my anxiety go up to ten, but if I stay on top of things, this article should be a breeze. I just have to get out of my head and let my heart and words speak to my experience.