Feathers and Tassles

Hello and a huge welcome to the first blog post of 2022! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and start to a new year. I can already tell these next eleven months are going to be filled with memories and motivations. Speaking of, let’s get right into my writing antics from this past month…

First and foremost, it seems only right to begin this month’s blog with the very exciting news regarding my Masters in Creative Writing - each part you will have no doubt seen on my Instagram. First off, my official university postgraduate degree has arrived safe and sound. It is thrilling to see the words and qualification bestowed upon me, to see the results of all my hard work on the official certificate. Even though, I must admit, receiving the honour in the post does seem somewhat anticlimactic until the actual graduation day where we can finally celebrate, there is nothing that truly compares to opening that envelope and seeing both my name and award beside the university seal. It really is uplifting to know I am a part of this community, where my name will be listed amongst the thousands of previous graduates. I only hope that I can make all those who have believed in me and guided me proud. I shall endeavour to try my best.

In a positive twist to my undergraduate graduation, I didn’t have to wait long for my postgraduate graduation ceremony. With the levels of Coronavirus hospitalisations lower and the rise of vaccinations, my MA graduation was able to go ahead only a month after I received my results. Once again my family and I decided to make a weekend break of it, especially with the earlier celebration time meaning graduands needed to be in the castle grounds between 8am and 9:30am, ready and seated in the Cathedral at 10am. It really was lovely waking up to a hotel breakfast, heading up to the grounds and dressing in my cap and gown ready for a day’s celebration with those I love. In a comical contrast to the heat of my Bachelor’s graduation, my Master’s graduation was definitely chillier. At least a whole 20C colder. As someone who prefers the cooler months, it’s fair to say I much preferred the breeze - even if my hands and feet were freezing numb by the end! Still the early morning mist parted to a gloriously sunny day, allowing for some lovely pictures. Considering the blustery winds the next day, we were really lucky! But I consider myself lucky anyway. Lucky to celebrate with my loved ones. Lucky to be back in the Cathedral to celebrate once more. Lucky to get to experience all the joys of university and hardly any lows. I have loved the experience and cannot wait for my future career, both writerly and professionally.

As always, my university made sure to capture the celebration and preserve the moment forever. Look below to watch the ceremony in full!

(By the way, be sure to keep an eye out at 33:22 for someone you may recognise…)

(This video is owned by the University of Lincoln. Please see their channel for more.)

Below are some of my favourite photos from the day, from the majesty of the Cathedral to the smiles of the course mates I finally met, unusually, at the end of my studies:

Stepping away from the excitement of university events, I shall move on to my personal writing endeavours from January. I will admit I am still experimenting with my rhythm and working out when exactly is the prime time for me to stretch my writing muscles. Currently it’s during whatever break in the day I can find after work or general duties and visiting of loved ones. I have read and made future editing notes for the first two chapters of my novella and currently planning the rest. The progress seems slow, but I am sure it will pick up pace once I have settled into a routine. Even more so now I am regularly attending my archery club to both find zen and to get more into the head of my character. I will get there, it just takes more time than I initially realised sometimes. All I can do is keep pushing towards that goal and be proud of my achievements along the way.

In terms of my career, I am acquiring all the research I can to lay out multiple paths I know I would relish the walk down. Whether it be teaching, book publishing or anything else I find along the way, my graduation has given me that extra boost of inspiration to seek the life I know I will thrive in alongside my own writing. It’s only a matter of time, resilience and dedication until I find the perfect career for me. All I know is I am determined to inspire others the way I feel inspired myself… and that is exactly what I am going to do.

This positive note is where I will be leaving my blog post for this month. Rest assured, you will be seeing plenty of growth from me this year, all of which I will be documenting on this site.

I hope you are enjoying the journey as much as I. Please, if there is anything you need answering - university, writing or life wise - feel free to email me at writeuponwings@gmail.com, where I will be more than happy to help. I have already aided two students with offers from the University of Lincoln and I am eager to help others with their own journeys.

Thanks for reading! Until next month, stay well and stay motivated!

Emily