MARISSA UNPLUGGED

Here we go! Thanks for reading the first post over here on Marissa Unplugged.

I feel like every time I go to write a first blog post (…yes, I’ve been here many, many, many times before) I feel the need to justify that this isn’t my first rodeo. I do the same thing when I journal after taking a bit of a break as well. I don’t entirely know why I feel this need to make sure you all know that while I’m “new” at this, I’ve also been here before. I have to let you all know that I’ve started and stopped. What I am sure about, is that by doing that I’m essentially setting myself up for failure and I’m making sure I set your expectations low so you aren’t disappointed. Let’s keep it low stakes for everyone! That’s the best way to get off on the right foot, right?

This time I’m done with all that self-doubt bullshit.

In the spirit of honesty, which I’m basing this entire blog off of, a psychic told me that I need to start writing again. So thank you Betsy and the mystical powers that be for giving me the extra push I’ve been needing for the past few years.

To give you some context for the whole “I’ve tried this before” thing, I’ve attempted to start a blog off and on for literally the past 12 or so years. I tried to start a cooking blog, a photography site, a travel blog during my semester abroad during college, a fashion and lifestyle blog during COVID, and even a poetry Instagram page if we want to count that too. I believe the reason those past attempts didn’t end up sticking came down to two things. The first one being that I was trying to fit myself into a specific niche when the reality is that I just want to write about my life. I want to share a trip I take just as much as a I want to share a recipe or my favorite skincare products or my latest revelation from therapy or my thoughts on a life experience I’m going through, and I felt like for whatever reason I wasn’t allowed to do it all. I can’t fit neatly into a box, the same way most of us can’t, and the idea of trying to come up with things to say about one particular topic felt way too stressful and overwhelming (and at times boring – which is probably thanks to my diagnosed yet completely unmedicated ADHD). The second reason is because of my self-doubt. I didn’t want to come onto the internet and take up space I didn’t feel I deserved to have. I felt afraid that people would find me cringe, or not like what I have to say, or think I’m trying to be a real-life Carrie Bradshaw, or that I wasn’t “qualified” to share my opinions on certain topics. Again, just all internal reasons that were holding me back from doing something I love (and honestly am pretty good at) – which is writing.

So hello! If this is the first post you’re reading and you’re here at the very beginning with me, welcome. I’m excited for this little journey we’re about to embark on together. If you’ve read a few of my posts and you stumbled across this while catching up, thank you for taking interest in what I have to say! I can’t promise you’ll agree with everything I share, but I hope that something here inspires you, connects with you, or at least makes you laugh.

We’ll talk more soon –

Marissa