Introducing Voice Notes
Hi, I'm Leslie—the host and author behind west & ease. Voice Notes is my way of exploring my voice, and I'm sharing that journey with you.
Voice Notes is a series of personal thoughts and anecdotes where I share questions and answers that I hope to explore with myself and others.
I've always struggled with what it means to have my own voice. In the past, I'd thought of "my voice" as something I needed to find. So, I've sought it out through my family, friends, career, and everyone around me. At some point, it was easier to let what everyone else was saying to be what I was saying. And when that happened, I started to lose a sense of myself and my identity because I no longer had one that was truly my own.
One could argue (and probably the harsh critic in my own head would say) that "how could one have a sense of self or identity if they don't even know their own voice?" But that's the point.
I believe that everyone learns and grows no matter where they are on their journey. We start forming our beliefs and identity as we continue through life.
And specifically, it's fluid. When we make active decisions to try and experience one path or another, we're always free (ideally) to explore further what it means to expand and grow. I knew that seeking others to define my voice and ultimately speak wholly for me was not right for me.
And so, Voice Notes is my manifestation of learning and practicing putting my voice into the world. And I invite you to come along on this journey with me.
Often, the easiest path is to put off doing something, especially something like this, until later. However, as the Lunar New Year approached, I wanted to challenge myself to make a few active choices that would allow me to invite this part of my journey to begin. And so, instead of waiting for permission from elsewhere or for the perfect inspiration to strike, I'm putting metaphorical pen to paper to make a promise to myself to explore the themes and ideas that have been swirling in my head my entire life. So instead of thinking, "why now?" it's more "why not?"
Voice Notes will be a collection of pieces that will continue evolving over time. Like any project, I believe in trying, iterating, refining, and learning as I go. So, there will be pieces in my voice where I hope to talk about topics like heartbreak, healing, making decisions, processing, and more.
And I'd like to extend and connect Conversations, where my friend-guests share their perspectives on topics such as the creative process and their identities, with Voice Notes focused on my perspective. After all, we learn and grow and are influenced by our communities.
If you're interested in following along on the journey, I invite you to subscribe to west & ease, where you'll receive occasional posts directly in your inbox for both Conversations and Voice Notes.