I have lost track of how many notebooks and books I have, though I find that’s a good “problem” to have. Many authors, writers, etc., have that “problem,” and the “issue” of having far too many unfilled and unfinished notebooks but still buying more.  I have many unfinished notebooks, though I’ve been trying to finish them.

That said, it wasn’t until I moved around my bookshelf (amongst other things) that I realized how many notebooks and books I had.

As I had all the books on my floor, I stood up and stared at them, thinking, “Wow.  That’s a lot of books.”  I was also heavily breathing and more fatigued than I’d like to admit, though I digress. I also appreciated how many books and notebooks I have while feeling overwhelmed. I knew I wanted to organize my bookshelf differently than before, and I didn’t know where to begin.  However, as I looked at my then-empty bookshelf and the sea of books around me, I decided to take it in sections, starting by determining what books I wanted to have on the first shelf.

In the end, I organized my bookshelf better than I could have imagined.

Since I was a child, I have loved reading and writing, and in elementary and secondary school, I constantly used to fill out notebooks worth of stories. Since university, I have filled my laptop storage with stories and occasionally in notebooks. However, in elementary school, I didn’t realize I could have made money from writing and telling stories.

When I was in grade ten and had to start thinking about what post-secondary schools I wanted to attend, I realized that you can make money from writing. That year, I also knew I wanted to obtain a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and be a full-time author. Then, in grade twelve, I got an acceptance letter from a university for their bachelor’s of arts in creative writing program.

While in university, I became an editor of my university’s magazine, where I found my interest in editing and the behind-the-scenes of working on a publication. Early in my editing career with the school’s periodical, I knew I wanted to become a publisher, freelance editor, and author.

It was also in university that I developed a greater interest in poetry. That said, I was in grade twelve when I started writing poetry, and when looking back at those old poems, I internally cringe and think they weren’t my greatest work; however, I remember I enjoyed writing them.  Those older poems have also helped shape what poems I write today, and if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.

I have always loved writing and always viewed myself as a creative individual.  As I’m getting older, my writing and creativity have grown—and will continue to grow—which plays into why I started this blog and the visions I have for it, which is this: it’s a place for my creativity—a place where some of my stories will lie.  I hope you stay for the journey and what The Spray Can offers.

Thanks for reading,

Angel-Clare Linton