To Bare Ones Soul

I wrote a book series inspired by an ended friendship

I wouldn't say I’m the best speaker, though I do have the ability to articulate myself very well, but all of my deepest and purest thoughts always reveal themselves when I’m writing. And so with that, I wrote a book inspired by one of my friends. 

From the moment we met, we were completely open and honest with each other and made a deal that it didn’t matter how raw our tone or our words, that we just wanted to be real with each other no matter what. We were open with each other always. 

I find that I’m the lover type. I enjoy daydreaming and making stories. All my thoughts inspire characters in my novels, poems and art pieces. 

I had just quit my art business at the time of meeting this friend for the first time and all I had left to prove the business was a few images of the paintings I had made and a journal and pen. 

After a few days of talking, I knew I wanted to tell my friend something that if I didn’t, I felt I would explode from anxiety! I’ve never experienced that feeling before of really needing to say something because I usually keep things between God and I and people need to give me the time and space in order for me to feel comfortable to let it out. But this time, I felt I needed to say it but wasn’t sure if I would be able to seeing as I wasn’t asked to. 

Overtime we started to separate as friends and after a few months trying to cling on to it, we decided to just let it die. Not everyone is supposed to be in your life forever. You have to know when to let a season end. I still had some things I wanted to say to them though as well as share some of the things that friendship, and the end of it taught me, so I wrote it down. 

When I went back to review what I had written in my journals, I thought I should collate them together in a book and give it to my friend. 

I made the front cover mine and their favourite colour - green and orange and called it Open up Before I Self Destruct because I truly felt I would implode if I couldn’t move forward. I made the topic of that book: On Life because I felt that I was thanking them for our friendship no matter how short lived it was. 

The more I wrote in my journal, the more I knew that this idea wasn’t over and that I was moving into a new season. Instead of writing the second book for my past friend though, I wrote it for myself and those who would be able to relate. The second book was titled: On Loss as that friendship chapter had officially ended within myself too.

I am currently working on the edits for the third instalment called: On Love. You can read all the books I have out in the series here. 

✨ Nadine