FIND YOUR THING AND
ROCK
IT!
By Ashley Boynes-Shuck
W
riting is many things to many people. For
some, it’s a hobby, an outlet, a passion. For
others, it’s a bore, a snooze, or a chore.
Some people write for business, some for
pleasure, and some for a little bit of both.
I fall into the latter category. As someone who writes
for both personal and professional gains, I’ve got to say
that I haven’t grown tired of it yet. The written word is
not yet boring for me.
To me, the written word is pure gold. It’s magic. It’s
fairy dust on shooting stars—and I don’t think I’ll get
sick of it any time soon.
I’ve been a reader and a writer for as long as I can
remember. I played “dress up” and “librarian” equally,
and even as I grew older was always this dichotomy:
half-geeky-bookworm, half-trendy-fashionista. From
journaling, to freelancing for magazines and websites,
to working for newspapers, and having three books
80
INSPIRING LIVES
SUMMER 2016
published as an adult, writing has helped me through
a lot.
It helped me through breakups and heartache and
angst. It helped me find and shape my identity—an
identity that I continue to grow and cultivate each and
every day. It led me to my truest self, my highest purpose.
Writing helped me through illness. It helped me cope
with and chronicle the dozens of debilitating—often
incurable—health diagnoses I have been handed over
the last 22 years.
Writing gave me my “thing.”
You know what I mean—everyone has their “thing.”
My husband’s “thing” is fitness—he’s a personal trainer, kettlebell instructor, and American Ninja Warrior
competitor, in addition to being a 5th grade teacher. My
best friend’s “thing” is being a savvy businesswoman
and cosmetologist: a master stylist who owns her own