Happy Birthday, Read and Wright!

Two years ago, I took a leap into the unknown (cue Elsa’s song). I was feeling creativity drained and felt like I was lacking control over my own life. I had always toyed with the idea of starting a blog and finally, after some encouragement and support from friends, I did it. If you had told me two years ago that I’d be where I am today, I would have laughed. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought Read & Wright would ever find the success it has or have an audience that truly cared about what I had to say. 

In the two years since launching Read & Wright, I have grown in so many ways. From my own self confidence and creativity, to a small business, and just as a person. I’ve connected with people from all over the world and made real friends through a screen. I launched Read It Or List It, an absolute dream come true, with one of those friends who has changed my life by her support, friendship, and belief in me. 

While I have the hope that Read & Wright will continue to grow, I am so proud of the audience it has found, the people who believe in its message, and the people who believe in me. Hearing from you that you have read a book I’ve recommended or I’ve made you laugh or that you bought a headband (lol) truly makes my day. I love my little corner of the internet. I’m sentimental to a fault but on this day every year, I lean into it. Whether you’ve been here since the very beginning or you just found me today, thank you for being here. It means the world to me. 

I say that a lot, but it’s true. I hid this space from people in my “real life” for a long time. I was afraid of being judged or made fun of. It took about 10 months for me to be proud of it…and once I did, I never looked back. One day in March 2019, I stopped being embarrassed and pushed myself a little harder with my content and voice. I put a lot of time and effort into my work here, and finally, found an audience. I am proud of Read & Wright. I know there are people out there who love to mock it but it says more about my passion and character that I don’t care. 3 years ago, I would have wilted under judgement. Today, I can barely think about it because I’m really really REALLY proud my little business. And as someone who was so self conscious as a teenager that she spent basically 4 years in high school trying to be anyone but herself, that’s the most important thing Read & Wright has taught me.

I have a lot of goals for Read & Wright in its 3rd year of existence. It’s kinda crazy to write that out. But I am going to be revamping the website, creating more ways to interact with you all, and launching an exciting new project that has been long requested! 

Having this space has given me more purpose and happiness, especially in these uncertain times. So many of you have reached out for recommendations in the last month and I hope my content has been a relief from the terrible reality of our world right now. Books are an amazing escape and I hope if you’re not a regular reader, you’ve found a new love for the hobby.

If you’ve taken a recommendation I’ve made over the years, I’d love to know which is was and if you enjoyed it! Nothing brings me more joy, truly. Thank you for all the support the past two years. I’m excited to share all the exciting projects coming soon!

Here’s to year 3!