self–expression
noun | self–ex·pres·sion | \-ik-ˈspre-shən\
:  the expression of one’s own personality :  assertion of one’s individual traits
: the expression of your thoughts or feelings especially through artistic activities (such as painting, writing, dancing, etc.)

I have always been inspired by different forms of self-expression whether it be through an artistic, physical, written or even technical means.

Throughout the years I spent my time learning different crafts, some of which have stayed with me up until this day. Some forms of self-expression that have struck a chord with me include: sketching, handwriting, skateboarding, video editing, blogging, body building, dance, and currently web design & development.

I realized when gradually building up my knowledge over the years for skills I am passionate about, I have an inclination to naturally share what I learn with others.

Dance in particular has been a large influence in my life. Breakin’ (or breakdance if you will) was one of the first major forms of self-expression that I truly felt free in. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about dance at least once.

Writing I would have to say is surprisingly my next strongest point. I say surprisingly because I never started out as a naturally talented writer.

During my early days at UC Irvine, my alma mater, I was initially placed into a pre-writing course since my skills were apparently not up to par with the UC standards. How I even got accepted into UCI with a sub-par writing level is questionable to a certain extent given that UC universities hold such high standards regarding writing.

Though I might never know the real reasoning behind my acceptance, I truly believe that I am part of a very small percentage that was accepted on a case-by-case scenario. I think the real reason had to do with my continued efforts and dedication for the study of the Japanese language, the subject I had applied to major in. But this is another story in and of itself that can be saved for another time.

Fast-forward some years later and guess what I’m doing. I’m living in Japan working as an English teacher at a private high school and I’m teaching… wait for it…

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WRITING!

Yeah, the very thing I sucked at is now the thing I teach to high school kids. Funny how that works out right?

But you know, it turns out that I really do love writing and I wouldn’t be teaching it for a living, let alone doing right now on this blog, if weren’t true.

This is one of the reasons why I love WordPress so much. It’s because as a platform, it empowers you to be yourself. It gives you a means to express freely. It holds no bars as to what you can or cannot say and that’s what makes it so great.