A long time coming

Hi there!

Welcome to my very first personal post on my new website.

This has been a personal project that's been a long time coming.

If you have no idea how or why this website exists, let me fill you in.

I'm Simran and I’m a Vancouver-based journalist and editor.

I became a journalist because I love sharing and writing stories (and yes, I know that is a very cliche reason but it’s true).

As an only child for the first seven years of my life, I had to keep myself entertained, so I would write short little stories on construction paper. They were only five or six pages long and probably didn't make much sense, but to the younger disillusioned me, I was well on my way to becoming a published author.

In grade seven, I joined my elementary school’s poetry club and poured my little pre-teen heart out onto the pages of a dollar store notebook.

Then in high school, I fell in love with English literature. It was one teacher I had in particular (hello, if you’re reading Ms. Bryant) who truly sparked my passion for writing and storytelling. From that point, I knew that writing and stories had to be part of my career in some capacity.

Fast forward to the present day, and now I’m a full-fledged journalist. I’ve covered everything from the ins and outs of federal and municipal elections to strange Internet trends. I've also had the privilege of interviewing hundreds of people and being able to tell their stories to a wider audience through a journalistic lens.

My career has evolved too. I've gone from being a reporter to a managing editor, back to a reporter again. All while experiencing some triumphs and bumps in the road.

But over the last few years, I’ve focused so much on growing my career as a journalist and newsroom leader, that I got a bit lost in understanding what writing meant to me personally.

Aside from my professional title, I’m also a lot of other things: a daughter, sister, partner, and friend. I have thoughts to share about things I care about deeply like identity, culture, society and how those all intertwine.

My hope is that maybe by starting to write openly about these topics, it will connect with others as well.

I was always a bit hesitant about starting a website to showcase my own thoughts because I was worried about what other people may think.

What if I'd be judged for opening up and trying to express myself through writing? What if people wouldn't like what I have to say?

But now that I've reached a certain point in life (maybe it's just me being over 30), I've realized that passion projects are meant to be what you're passionate about.

So, I'm going to use this site as a space to put myself and my thoughts out there and I hope you'll take some time to read and join along for the journey.

Of course, this website also has professional aspects to it as well. I offer a range of freelance services including copywriting, consulting, editing, hosting, and mentorship. You can learn more about those here.

Aside from that, I hope this site serves as a space for some creative freedom and for me to share my thoughts through my love for writing.

Thanks for following along so far! I hope you stick around.