A few iPad drawings created on my bedroom floor and a short story written on the notes app, quickly - and unexpectedly - gained traction online. Overnight, it inexplicably garnered more than 500,000 views.in a month, 200,000 people wanted to keep reading.
The way people responded took my breath away. Authenticity. Warmth. Kindness.
Around two years ago, I applied to work as a clown.
Not clown college - although that could've been fun for sure - it was a "clown providing service". After spending some time in the fintech world, I wanted to let off some steam while simultaneously learning how to make those balloon dogs. You know the ones.
I was twenty-four. So young. I had my whole life ahead of me back then.
The day after applying, I got rejected.
It didn't feel good. I didn't NOT stand silently in the shower for a long time after receiving the email that said they would not be moving forward with my application. It felt like the perfect time to be melodramatic.
So I wrote a story. A very very sad story. So that someone else, even if they were fictional, would be sad with me.
Then I posted it online, because that's the sort of thing we do now, isn't it?
Insanity. A few iPad drawings created on my bedroom floor and a short story written on the notes app, quickly - and unexpectedly - gained traction online. Overnight, it inexplicibly garnered more than 500,000 views.
The way people responded took my breath away. Authenticity. Warmth. Kindness.
The next day, I put another story up, and then it just kept going.
A community formed. A community of support - not just for me, but for each other.There are now 270,000 people who read these stories regularly and I just can't wrap my head around that.
But I'm so grateful they're here.
HERE ARE A FEW OF THOSE STORIES:
The ship was going down and their band began to play.
HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.
ON MONDAY NASA ANNOUNCED A HOUSE HAD BEEN DISCOVERED ON A TINY PLANET 2.7 MILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY IN THE TRIANGULUM GALAXY.
FLAMINGOS LOVE TO PARTY. HUMMINGBIRDS NEED TO CALM DOWN. AND RAVENS ARE ALWAYS SO MELODRAMATIC.
THE DEMON ACROSS THE ROOM APPEARED AFTER SHE TOOK HER FIRST SIP.
THIS IS THE LAST STORY.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT VOYAGER 1 WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL IN 2025.
EVERY MORNING SHE WAKES UP FEELING JUST LIKE APHRODITE. AND EVERY NIGHT SHE GOES TO SLEEP FEELING JUST LIKE A RAT.
EVIDENCE OF LOVE.
TWO RAVENS. AN ECHO OF SOMETHING SHE HARDLY REMEMBERED.
A DROP IN HER CREDIT SCORE TURNS INTO AN UNSETTLING GREASY CREATURE.
SKIN, HAIR, MUSCLE, AND BONE.
SHE HAD IT ACT ROUTINELY BUT RANDOMLY DISINTERESTED IN HER TO KEEP THE SPARK ALIVE.
SOMETHING FELT VERY BIG ABOUT TRYING TO BE BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER.
MY MOTHER ALWAYS CRIES DURING THE AIRPRT RUNNING SCENE IN MOVIES.
POLTERGEISTS DON'T HAVE MUCH MOBILITY IN THE LIVING REALM.
MATRIMONY, TX.
EVERYONE'S A BALLERINA WHEN THE ELEVATOR DOORS CLOSE.
SHE'LL ONLY BE ALIVE FOR 28 DAYS.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE MOVIES ANYMORE.
EARTH IS A SUBURBAN GAS STATION IN THE COSMOS.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.
FALLING IN LOVE IS IDIOTIC.
HER LIMBS SUDDENLY FEEL SEVENTY POUNDS HEAVIER.