Solomon Lucy

When I was younger, I always feared I would not be accepted. This caused me to keep a lot of my emotions and thoughts locked inside my head. When I came to the University, I learned about creative writing. I have always liked to write, but recently I have started to use it as a form of expression and self-care. I find it especially useful during times of hardship because I see it as a way to decompress and properly express my thoughts in a medium that is both creative and timeless. Whenever I write, I enter into another world of endless possibilities and creativity. I have always considered myself to be introverted and am a strong believer in the phrase “everything does not need to be said.” And for the things that don’t need to be said, I like to express them through my writing. It is almost like a therapy session with myself and I am so happy to share with the world some of my thoughts and mental processes, as it is sometimes difficult to express them verbally. During the time of me composing "I Breathe Out, I Breathe In," I was processing a lot mentally and I used the piece as a way to properly organize my thoughts. I took the theme “Respiration” and applied it in a literal form by writing a piece that depicts a typical self-care exercise I would do to help keep me calm and happy in times of turmoil. Breathing has been proven to be helpful when a person is struggling physically and mentally, and I wanted to apply this concept here. I hope to inspire my audience to observe all of the bad things that may be impacting their life and how these impact their mental health, feeling and processing every part. Then, "breathing" it all out and finally, taking in, or "breathing" in all of the good things. Once I am established in my career, I would like to continue this process, writing and publishing a book that discusses my personal journey and how I overcame my tribulations — with the ultimate purpose of inspiring young, gay Black men.