How much pain can one endure? Everyone says it’s important to be brave and be resilient. The year of 2020 represents healing, hope and strength. During a time where our lives have turned upside down and traveling is limited. It can be easy to feel stranded with our thoughts, emotions, and overall surroundings. Our mental, emotional and physical stability is crucial during these difficult moments, as we continue to adapt to this new way of living. These new ways of living include: wearing a mask and maintaining distance. It is important to listen to ourselves, and find inspiration to be creative everyday. Oftentimes, we forget that we must discover different outlets to express our fears and concerns but it is also easy to forget about the beautiful things in life. Most occasions it’s not things that give significance to our lives but rather what fulfills us with tranquility and joy. In this occasion my experience writing my ebook was a momentum and a learning experience, it allowed me to transition my ideas to emotions and thoughts into a creative piece. 

Being given the opportunity to write my ebook called, “The Gift of Listening” fulfilled me with a peace of mind and served as a distraction from all the problems in the world. It also made me realize the power of effective listening especially during a global pandemic, you must have an open mind and appreciate the value that listening instills. Writing this ebook allowed me to share my thoughts, discover a new strength, and grow as an individual through implementing listening skills on myself as well.  The process of writing this ebook and writing in general enabled me to explore a space of my own- it helped me overcome the anxiety from the political season and civil unrest. Not to mention that writing itself is essential, and is part of our ideas and memories, conveying the influence that it has on the world.

During quarantine, I reconnected with my family after being busy for almost an entire year. Listening is actually the core to strengthening relationships, sharing connections, and communication. While writing my ebook I’ve been working on using these skills to become more of an effective listener. Something I’ve truly learned is the importance of focusing on the speaker versus making the conversation about yourself. There is always space for improvement, it is part of our individual growth and can be beneficial in the long run. At CampusClipper, our current weekly podcasts, requires engagement to be involved and interests in the topic of the speaker but also through the art of listening and communication. I believe that it helps us progressively grow our confidence together, it also builds a safe working environment as interns to work productively. 

Writing is a piece of art that instills creativity, effort, and dedication. Therefore, while writing my ebook, self care played a prominent role in having stability with my health apart from other responsibilities in my personal and student life. Being an effective listener is also about listening to the needs of your mind, body, and soul. Personally, my goal was to write concisely and to convey positive energy. It’s also made me appreciate the effort that goes into writing and value the hard work of publishers themselves. Writing is more than ideas or thoughts, it is a set of values. “The Gift of Listening” was an experience and a pleasure writing. I am proud of my work, as it has inspired me to explore my psyche. It has also encouraged me to manage my time to put the best collaborative effort into this ebook to empower myself. 

Here are some helpful tips to inspire you to write and use it as a creative form of expression:

• Set a purpose behind your writing to motivate yourself
• Set a goal to write daily, or weekly and celebrate yourself.
• Feel free to allow yourself to write messy without critiquing your work; “free write”.
• Remind yourself why you’re writing, it is okay to edit, delete and rewrite.
• Be imaginative, aspire, and be creative.

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By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist, but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.