Annie: This year, I was given the privilege to not only confront my personal demons, but also societal demons. We faced so many challenges together that prompted many of us to grow, even if it was uncomfortable. Challenges that ranged from the pandemic to systemic racism to the presidential election.
It was a gruesome year, but to offer a different perspective, I think this year was also a time of truth, courage, and gratefulness. I’m so grateful for all the front-line workers, whether they are working at a grocery store, a hospital, or a postal office. They are the reason why America is still running, and the reason why I can sit at home writing this article.
This year also taught me the power of being courageous, using my voice. It’s the courage that fights for the underdogs, the voiceless, and the hurt. It’s the courage that I never truly exercised because I thought it was pointless as I’m only one person. But we’re never only one person when we’re speaking for many. For all that I’ve learned and grown from, I’m grateful for 2020. The year 2020 was truly 2020 vision.
Grace: While 2020 was a chaotic year of staggering change, turmoil, grief, and loss, it was also a year of growth, gratefulness, and relationship building. Though many challenges were presented, it was comforting to know that we all experienced them together.
I can’t say that the events of 2020 have not traumatized me for life. Every time I see a roll of toilet paper in a grocery run, I will always be reminded of the savage Costco brawls of April. Despite all the chaos, I’m proud of the way we adapted to challenges.
It was almost as if our time of isolation flipped an inner switch. Problems were addressed. Change was demanded. People came together. Perhaps 2020 wasn’t so bad after all.
But thank god for 2021.
Another year for ANDWHY
This end of 2020 marks the 2nd anniversary for ANDWHY. Although we are a small blog, we have grown so much this year. We are proud of the work that was done and the progress that was made. In this one year, we have:
- Launched a magazine in January
- Expanded our team to 2-3 people
- Reached 200+ blog followers
- Achieved 800+ podcast downloads
- Published 100+ blog articles
- Changed our branding
- 10,000 cumulative views
The future of ANDWHY
In 2021, we are going to solidify our branding as a dreamy storytelling escape. We’re going to include more guests on our podcast, and collaborate with more brands/people. We hope to become more interactive with our readers so we’ll have fun quizzes on our Instagram stories every now and then. We’re also going to start doing more video content on our Instagram, so follow us to receive the latest updates.
Finally, we hope to expand our team. If anyone is interested in becoming a content writer, please DM our Instagram @andwhymedia. As long as you’re confident in your writing abilities, feel free to email us a sample of your work (andwhymedia@gmail.com). Whether poetry or journalism, we want to hear your voice. If you feel very strongly about something, this is your chance to speak up and construct a digital footprint. ANDWHY has always been open to all sorts of creative dreamers. Let’s make 2021 worth it.
ANDWHY. Media 