For the first time in my life, I couldn’t think of anything I particularly wanted to study or to do. I still had the old idea of being a writer, but that was being, not doing. It didn’t say what you were supposed to do.
The Idiot, by Elif Batuman
Throughout high school, you’re taught that time is currency: you had four years to figure out what you wanted before reality steals you, and so I did. By the end of my freshmen year, I decided to pursue a career in freelance writing but struggled finding my niche. Sophomore year I joined the SLAM poetry club but learned my rapport for traditional poems, though I didn’t want to pursue poetry full-time. I joined the school newspaper and nursed my love for music journalism, but this activity became a hobby more than a career; I had no intention of monetizing this kind of writing at the time. Thus, at Central Washington University, I was mentored in traditional poetry and studied fiction writing, but I grew weary of long plot structures. Character-building, world-building, and even describing buildings left me exhausted. Four years of studying, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English: Professional and Creative Writing, dabbling in every form of writing you could think of bar screen writing (that class has been full since I first enrolled, and I was never the most proactive with first dibs on classes).
The summer of graduation, I took time to reflect on my career options, still undecided about the applications of my degree. Simultaneously, I dreamt of and prioritized modeling full-time in commercial and high fashion. And all the while, I still found the time during school and work-filled breaks to dedicate time to listen and review albums, which was nevertheless a stressful hobby because of the album quotas and standards I created to better myself as a music critic and enthusiast. From that moment of realization, I knew I could pursue this craft long-term. I just needed a medium, and the choice was obvious: I hate recording a script. That was really it.
These past months of reflection has brought me to the creation of this blog. “Mchl’s Cut” started as a filler title for both this site and my album review page, yet I have come to like it (this is the first “but” statement that ends on a positive note). And hopefully, as this project grows, I’m able to not only share my passion for music writing with you, but also other pieces of creative writings, as well as my modeling journey. Yes, high school is right in the sense that time is our most valuable resource; however, our timeline should never be rushed. Find yourself at your own tempo.
Be sure to check out my RateYourMusic page as well for additional music ratings, as well as my TikTok for music-related updates!
Michael's Cut 
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