I've been writing since I learned how to hold a pen. By 12, I started sharing my work. By 13, I was performing poetry in schools and churches. People called it bold, powerful, soul-stirring. But the applause made me uncomfortable. Writing felt too personal. Sharing it made me feel exposed. So I stopped.
Years later, a college professor asked me to stay after class. She spoke something into me that day that I didn't know I needed to hear. And I haven't stopped since.
Every time I step to the mic, I take a deep breath and exhale. My prayer is that the words after that exhale deliver hope. That's where the name comes from.