Why Do I want to write a blog?

I need to create a portfolio for university and write a blog seems like a very good starting point. I am studying Broadcast and Digital journalism at university. I am doing the second year of university, or Level 5 in the UK academic system. They - the lecturers and the career services - keep reminding me that I need to develop a portfolio that demonstrate my skills and my familiarity with different tools. I think that starting to write a blog will help me to shake up my brain and get out all the ideas that I can put in a portfolio.

I have been three years in university including my foundation year, and I feel that I have lost my inspiration, curiosity and spark. Before I started university, I was writing a lot about vegan baking and vegan cooking. I was passionate to read so many magazines about travel, coffee, fashion, restaurants, local businesses and food. I didn’t realised that I have lost my reading interesting until I read the interview with Paul Mescal in the ES magazine. I could say that the pictures of him were a good inspiration but it was the writing that really inspired me. Once I finished reading the interview I starting thinking ‘I used to read this magazine every single week religiously and loved Grace Dent’s food critique and very last section of the magazine ‘My London’.

I might seem that university stole my spark for reading and writing, but it was a very painful breakup, my very neglected mental health and the restrictions of the lockdown. During the COVID lockdowns I had a lot of time to read wellbeing books from my therapies. I recommend Attached by Amir Levine. That book really helped me to overcome the initial part of the break up, and to understand myself. I know that I do not write about mental health on this blog because it is hard to draw a healthy boundary between personal mental health and mental health as a practice when I am not a mental health professional. I might drop a few thought on wellbeing when I am sure that I am not sharing any personal stories.

I think that I am ready to go back to the online spotlight through my writing and my thoughts. I gained a lot of confidence after doing the module ‘Law for Journalist’. I learnt the things that are and are not allowed in the UK, and how journalist can avoid getting into legal disputes. We also did an exam for this module and I am happy to share that I got a 63 over 75. Is that 84%? I am very pleased with the mark. I will keep as a treasure the notes that I took for this module. The will make me feel safe and confident. Hopefully, my writing is respectful and critical without breaching my legal responsibilities as a journalist.

Sharing my thoughts on regular basis will help me to keep alive the writing and analysis skills that I am getting from my course, and to go back to the feedback that I have gotten from my lecturers. In the second year of the course I learnt two things that boosted my confidence in writing, to be give direct answer to direct questions and to not be afraid of sharing my real opinion as long as I am respecting the regulations of the UK. So far, my writing experience involves the toppling of Edwards Colston Statue, the Northern Ireland Protocol (or Windsor Framework), the Staffordshire Hospital Scandal, the Facebook Files Leak, Poland and the EU Law and others. All these topics are deep, but I intend to write lighter topics.

English is my third language and I want to make sure that I keep sharping my writing skills at every single opportunity that I have. The journalism industry is very competitive and I want to be mentally fit for it once I finish my university course. One of my lecturers told me ‘Good writing might not be essential in other course, but it has be perfect in journalism’. Writing a blog will help me to got over and over my writing skills, to search the different meaning of a words -one of my passions-, to approach sensitive topics in different ways, adapt my writing to the sentiment of an audience and revisit the different resources about grammar that I have collected over my course.

I also want to connect with journalist of all level, get their feedback, collaborate and build a network. Writing and story telling a a creative activity that I enjoy the most when I bounce ideas with others. I am happy to meet with other people to go out and take pictures, go to restaurants, events of all sorts and travel with a journalistic purpose. I am always open to learn something new from a fellow journalist. The idea is to share my thoughts on social media, create an audience, connect with other professionals, develop a portfolio and shape my voice as a journalist.

I have mentioned very good reasons to write a blog. I will share with you my experience as a student of Broadcast and Digital journalism in London. My passion for food and veganism will make an appearance every now and then. A diversity of topics will flow on the pages of my blog bringing perspective from politics, arts, social events, technology and finances. Welcome to beginning of the exciting journey a of a junior journalist.