Dating : About Me- Bambzi Ellis

A proper introduction

I’m usually the person in the room that dreads an introduction, wishing I was coincidently forgotten in the crowd. I would always think to myself, where do I start? What will I say about my life that will be as interesting as my short stories? I also worry too much. I am immensely grateful that I have been asked to share my story.

I’ve always been someone to dabble in creative outlets. When I am stressed, I paint. When I am motivated, I write. When I need to relax, I read.
When I have something to say, I write.

I am a graduate school dropout that decided to take photos and write for a living. Before COVID-19, I worked in the industry of Museum Education for two years as an Interpreter. I am one of a set of triplets (two boys, one girl) along with an older sister. We grew up with our army veteran parents and our dog, Buster, in a small town in North Carolina. The town we live in is just as small-town as it gets. Not the Hallmark movie quality small town, but it still carries a charm of its own. Growing up, we would take trips to the mountains, they were a favorite place for the family to take trips. I remember falling deep for the cloud kissed peaks, the gradient shades of yellows and reds in the trees. I told myself one day I am going to live in these mountains because I loved them so much. After a mental breakdown trying to settle for a public school, I decided to go to college in the mountains.

As a college student, I could say the first two years were the worst. I was studying as a Health Science Major, with a concentration in Chemistry. I wanted to be a dentist. Not sure why, because if I look into a mouth of rotten teeth, sores or bleeding gums, I want to vomit. But I pursued it. I thought it was the career for me. I worked hard to study for chemistry tests that would end with failure after failure. Even zeros because I would become so stressed, I wouldn’t have the energy to try. I cried many nights, trying to solve math and science equations. It took a toll on my humanities classes. I would barely attend my English course. If I did, I barely participated, barely did the assignments. I hated writing. I hated doing homework. I hated college.

Until I took my first college history course. I learned quickly that I loved History, especially Ancient History.

As a history major, I developed skills to be a better reader, researcher, and writer. I started to love writing.
I would get compliments on how I wrote my essays for exams and assignments. I even won an award for Excellence In Writing before I graduated.
The summer before my senior year of college, I joined the writing platform Odyssey Online. I wrote articles about politics, celebrity gossip, my personal struggles. I wrote about anything and everything.
Eventually, I left the platform because I wanted to focus on my schoolwork so I could graduate. Three years post graduate I’m back home looking for a side gig and have this strong desire to write again.

So I went looking for the perfect outlet.

I came across Medium after thorough research of platforms I could use to publish my ideas. I came across various Medium Youtubers explaining their earnings and the efforts they put in along their journeys. After a month of consideration, I decided to join Medium in October 2020. Since joining Medium, I have written over thirty articles, including stories submitted to publications such as ILLUMINATION and Books Are Our Superpower. I cover a variety of topics, from life hacks, to past stories from my college life to book reviews. My favorite work to write in particular is short fiction stories and true stories about my experiences in college and life in general. It was the best decision I could make to showcase my work.

I have links to short stories that I am especially proud of that you can read below:

I love to write, I love to read, and I’ve always loved the art of telling stories. When I am not telling a story or reading, I’m working alongside my sister in her independent photography business. If I am not taking photos, I’m dabbling in makeup, showing off looks I work mostly during the holidays.