Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I'd be able to do something like this at 15. What an experience. What an experience. You're probably wondering what I'm rambling on about. I'm talking about none other than the first ever teen blogger's meetup I co-organized and co-hosted last Saturday, I Know Write MNL!
How did IKWR come to exist in the blogosphere? Well, my involvement started mid-2013, after my co-host, Jodie, called out to her blog friends asking for fellow co-hosts for a blogger meet-up she was planning. As I have grown to love blogging over the past 3 years, I didn't hesitate to email her back. I've always wanted to plan a blogger's meetup and meet the rest of the Manila teen blog scene! Eventually, we've swapped ideas and then Niña came along to join the team. Ahh, the power of three!
Please excuse this photo as I am very short (as I mentioned in my first vlog) and my co-hosts were pretty much towering above me. Alright, moving on! Let us steer away from the topic of my height! Haha!
The planning part took a really looooong time, about 4 months in fact! We had to think of a funky name, a pretty awesome location, and a whole lot of other shenanigans to make this whole thing a success. I suggested the name I Know Write as a result of my extreme lameness and my love for playing with words, and yeah, eventually it worked out. Haha! As for location, my mom suggested Kuppa, a café in Bonifacio Global City, where she attended a workshop once. (I'm so thankful my parents were also extremely involved with the planning. We wouldn't have gotten ANYWHERE without their help. Since my dad doesn't have a blog, I'll go plug my mom's instead. *spirit fingers* You will now visit my mom's blog aka the cool blogger mom I have been blessed with.)
As things finally started falling into place, one thought came upon us hosts: What in the world are we going to DO?
This got me thinking, "What/who helped me get to where my blog is right now?" There was only one answer to that question: Ate Arriane. If I didn't attend her amazing blogging workshop, Blogworthy, my blog would still be a mess right now. So I decided, hey, wouldn't it be a treat if she could speak for the teen bloggers coming to I Know Write? I went ahead and emailed her, and luckily, she said YES!
So we were finally set, I guess? All we had to do was pray that it was going to go as planned.
Aw man, it turned out BETTER than I expected! A few mishaps happened here and there, but wow, I had so much fun! I just love meeting new people passionate about the same thing I am. I could definitely feel the creative vibes all around the room!
As for Ate Arriane's talk? Wow. It's always so inspiring to hear her talk so passionately about blogging. You can see she doesn't do it for nothing. She blogs to change the world and inspire the youth through creativity. I hope that when I grow up, I get to be as cool and inspiring as she is!
I don't like to think of us as just a newfound community of Filipino teen bloggers, but as the IKWR Army. ("Woah, Arielle. Why army?") Army because we're changing the world, each one of us, with writing and passion. Don't you think? *cue the confetti throwing*
So on behalf of the I Know Write MNL team, I'd like to thank each and every one of those who participated and gave us the perfect jumpstart to the start of something spectacular. 'Till the next meetup!
P.S. I'd like to close with a couple of instax shots from IKWR. Hooray for rainbow film!
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