100 Post Anniversary

But then I think the most important part of becoming a part of the YAM Magazine team has to be the amount of music I’ve been able to listen to, the artists I’ve discovered. I’ve even gotten to interview two artists of whom I’ve become an ardent fan. I’ve gotten the chance to listen to and review some of the most incredible albums, two of which I got sent to me (one signed and from the artist herself, and one from a well-recognized fansite), and one of which almost brought me to tears.

Then as I began really thinking about it, there’s nothing quite like the blogathons YAM Magazine holds from time to time. The most relevant to my life is the LGBT Blogathon held every year. I’ve had the honor to be a part of one (though I could’ve actually been a part of two, but my first year writing for YAM I didn’t realize it only lasted for a week… whoops). Quite frankly, that was the moment when I felt wholly and completely a part of YAM’s family. I’d been writing for the magazine for a year and a half when 2012’s LGBT Blogathon came around, and I was hell-bent on contributing my share of reviews and posts. It was after that particular blogathon was over, after all the tweeting and retweeting, the writing and editing, that I found myself actually in awe of how powerful YAM Magazine could be and really is. It made me feel truly accepted, not only as a writer, but also as a person who’s always had to be something other than who I am to be accepted as a writer and as a woman.

And that’s, I think, the most profound aspect of working for YAM Magazine for the past two and a half years. A writer is completely free to express herself here. Amy may give you suggestions on people to interview. Her second in command, Julyssa, may put in her two cents about ways to perhaps make the writing more dynamic. But these are two ladies and one magazine that will never attempt to define you. In fact, YAM Magazine gave me more room to broaden my scope stylistically and mature as a writer, thus allowing me greater tools to define myself.

I don’t want to get all sappy and school-girly on everybody, but it’s true. As much as I’ve seen YAM Magazine grow, it’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve grown through YAM Magazine. So that’s what I wanted to write about for my 100th post. I wanted to express just how important YAM’s been to my development as well as say thank you to Amy and Julyssa for taking a chance on me and being in the market for more writers… HaHa. Truly, if it wasn’t for YAM Magazine, I wouldn’t be the writer or the person sitting here writing this blog post today.

So here’s to YAM Magazine. May I always be able to write for you and keep molding myself into the writer and person that I’ve always wanted to be. Thank you and cheers!