Hello there…long time no see.

I don’t post on here much anymore. However please follow my writer’s instagram for more consistent updates and sharing. Follow me @michelleleighwritesvibes

I do plan to continue to post my long form stories on here. I like that I have some place that holds my work virtually. Like my own writer’s portfolio- digitally.

I’m sure there’s some other more tech savvy way to do that. But I’m a millenial. So cut me a break. 😉 I’m the last generation before social media took over the world. Cheers to all my fellow 90’s babies in their or approaching their 30’s. We are slowly climbing up the ladder, aren’t we?

This year here at MLW, we are celebrating the 11th anniversary/birthday. Hence my coined term birthaversary. HAPPY 11TH to my blog baby!!!!

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As usual each new year brings me into a state of deep reflection and I like to look back at what I accomplished and what I would like to carry over/leave behind in the new year. Dreams I’ve dabbled in and dreams that I’m still keeping safe from the trying storms of the real world. Reevaluating priorities and time. Gathering inspiration. All of it. I love that New Year Planning Stage.

So with that said, allow me to walk us down memory lane for this past 2023 year, here with mlw.

Here are some 2023 mlw highlights.

*Green Mental Health Awareness Photoshoot

*Pink Bubblegum Barbie Photoshoot

*ESCAPRIL poems- You can read them all on my instagram in the #ESCAPRIL story icon. I have previous years in that chain as well. So if you like poetry, please do go check it out!

*PINK ERA-instagram aesthetic. (Yes I am very Barbie inspired!) I LOVED THAT MOVIE!!!!!

*Got back in touch with my avant garde style of art.

What is avant garde art you ask…I’ll tell ya.

*Created more reels/vlogs for my instagram.

This was a Barbie Skit promo I posted on my instagram. The skit was entitled “Hey…you dropped this…” starring my childhood barbie dolls- I named them Ryan & Michaela this time around. It was a fun little video exercise. I figured well they are probably the easiest actors to work with. 😉 So I plan to shoot more this year. You can watch the full love story skit on my instagram in my Barbie Skits Instagram Stories icon at the top of my page.

One of my goals this past year was to get out of my house to write. Sometimes when I try to write at home, I can get distracted pretty easily. So I went to the library a few times and I went to a nearby coffee shop. It was awkward at first. Because I felt like it was such a simple thing to do, but I was always weird about doing it. But I did and I felt proud of myself. I would go and sit and write for about 2 hours. And sometimes I made a little vlog reel and posted to my personal instagram. I also did a virtual writer’s workshop using meetup, and it was pretty fun! I got some good poems out of working with them. Something I definitely would like to do more of this year is- connect with other writers. Having other people to bounce ideas off of is such a blessing.

I worked on a book I’m writing, it’s a romance novel, but not finished quite yet and needs to be seriously edited. I also continued working on Black Nightingale. Chapter 6 was posted this year. I plan to not only post new chapters of that story this year here on MLW, but I also plan to finish the full series.

*Continued filling up journals! I think I went through 4 in 2023!!!

*This year, I submitted a children’s book I wrote back in 2020 to a publisher and I got an offer. It was pretty awesome. But sadly too expensive for me to accept. I may also consider self publishing down the road or hopefully working with a friend who recently started a publishing company! That would be so fun! If you have any tips on self publishing and publishing companies with low rates, please leave me a comment below!

*I wrote a poetry book through this challenge I found online (the fee was low and I didn’t do any add ons) and it’s being published and will be out later this year- I think sometime this spring. I will keep you posted on the release of that on my instagram. I’m really excited to bring you my first book! STAY TUNED!

*I posted a reel on my instagram of some of the art I created in 2023. Yes, I did work on writing projects. But I also did alot of 3D fashion art, scratch art, coloring pages and A LOT of collaging/scrapbooking. That has been a blast for me! I have always loved the visual side of art too. Not just the beautifully crafted words. But the images that pop in your mind when you hear them.

*My best friend and I finally had our first meeting about the upcoming podcast we are looking to start. She recently moved far away and we hope this can be our way of hanging out more regularly/virtually. Plus we have some of the best conversations ever, and I just feel like we would have a lot to say, especially about being long distance besties. I have always thought that women talking about basic life issues is one damn powerful thing. How often do you feel like total crap and then you have dinner with your best friend and you just get real, get deep, no boundaries or disguises. You have a good cry and a couple glasses of wine, some good food, some minor social media stalking and then you feel rejuventated and ready to take over the world. Women. Talking. Discussing. Spitting Wisdom. It’s relatable. It’s powerful. I hope you’ll stay tuned as we try to bring that dream into fruition this year. In fact in 2022, she and I did a Midnights review on our instagram stories, and we were just chatting about Taylor Swift and all her gloriousness and discussing our favorite tracks and lyrics. And after that I was just like dude….we should start a podcast! And so we plan to. We have a lot of fun ideas! And some great topics! Stay Tuned! 🙂

Meeting #1 🎙🎧

Those are MLW’s 2023 Highlights. Looking to sharing many more writing/artistic endeavors with you this new year! HAPPY 2024! Sending many hopeful blessings to you all!

*All images are my own*

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