Issue 17: Evolution

ISSUE 17

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

MORE FROM OUR EDITOR.

17SEVENTEEN IS MY NUMBER. It’s a number that has always been symbolic for me. When it appears, it reminds me of who I am, where I have been, and most importantly where I am going. In numerology seventeen represents self-confidence, spiritual consciousness, compassion, and strength. These are all elements that I have used to maintain my survival. However, when I found out that many theorize the number to be influential in the exudence of leadership and good judgment [yes, I said good judgment], I looked at my current position in life and said, “Well Damn”. See, I never planned on being in this role. Beyond what the chatter at the cooler may suggest, my true nature lies somewhere between an introverted loner and a geeky analytical observer. This combination of personality traits was suitable for my past life but over the years they have EVOLVED, morphing me into a spirit that is way more complex than what was forecasted. When the /CW Team started planning out this, Issue 17 of CopyWrite Magazine, we discussed how fortunate we are to even get to this moment. How were we even able to stay afloat in such an uneasy time and existence? We talked extensively about how our authentic connection to the community had been weaning due to my unwillingness to be the face of the company. How my shift into full scale adult hood, motherhood, and life partnership had removed me from the communal trenches I would frequent to cultivate our creative network. The genius of young journalists, content creators, and PR experts I call my staff, made me realize that the person who is behind the brand these days means just as much as what the brand stands for. I had always thought it appropriate to let the work speak for itself, but deep down I could not disregard that without the interpersonal relationships fostered in this space, we would not exist. Somewhere between minding my business and staying in tune with my surroundings, my world began to tilt on a different access. There were constantly pieces of reality that bothered me. Things that others described as “normal” I found to be signs of complacency and fear. Though I yearned to be aloof in all things, idleness just wasn’t suitable. If I saw a problem, I would try to find a solution. If I could not manifest a solution I would study its cause in the hopes that an alternative method may reveal itself. At its bare bones, that’s how CopyWrite was conceived. But nobody really knew what I was going through. I wasn’t just trying to find solutions for the world. On a therapeutic level, I desperately needed there to be an attempt to do better. I needed there to be a community I could call home. I needed there to be people who I could look to for inspiration. I has always been trying to build a family of sempatico souls to build with. I needed there to be a different narrative to align with. I was looking for hope. AND I FOUND IT. I found it in my struggle, my trauma, and in my pain. I also found it in my ambition, my dedication, and my triumphs. After soul searching in the depths of “seventeen”, I realized that I had always been a leader whose humility honored self-confidence, spiritual consciousness, compassion, and strength to carry on. My evolution story would be the anecdotal truth that I have lived. How when so many people had jumped ship, my inner compass would lead the way to bigger and better things. As I keep evolving, I hope to keep sharing stories from amazing people in our community, including my own, so that my representation may inspire others. [Like about that time I almost got kicked out of college or how I was homeless the day I received my degree]. This is not the same /CW it was 3 years ago. It’s not a school project or hobby any more. It’s not just something cool to be apart of. It’s my passion, a heavy chunk of my career, my business, and my life. In good faith, I would like to reintroduce myself . . . MY NAME IS ALEXIA [LEXI] SAMIRA BRUNSON, OWNER & ACTIVE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF COPYWRITE MAGAZINE. 4