The Back Story
Colorful oil pastel background featuring hand drawn Kelci and Inspire Those Who Inspire You displayed artistically across the center.
Editor’s note: This post continues to evolve as I do, updated to reflect growth, gratitude, and perspective gained since then.
Welcome, gentle seekers and strong souls. What you’ll read today is the story behind the screen. A reminder that even the most meaningful things can be born from the hardest chapters.
Today I want to take you on a little journey. A look back at how Inspire Those Who Inspire You came to life. Every blog, every creative space, carries a story, and mine is no exception. What began as a small idea years ago has quietly grown into something deeply personal, shaped by lessons learned, moments lived, and a growing passion for sharing reflections that might spark inspiration in someone else.
This blog began as a small spark. An idea I wasn’t sure would go anywhere. But over time, it’s grown into a space that reflects my heart, my lessons, and my hope to inspire others. Inspire Those Who Inspire You carries a story written with twists and turns, pauses and delays, and moments of quiet growth and reflection. If you’ve ever wondered where it all began, what it means to me, and the journey that shaped it into what you see today, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the backstory together.
In January 2014, Inspire Those Who Inspire You came to life on Weebly, born from a simple desire to share positivity and the lessons life had quietly taught me. At the time, I imagined it more as a shared project with a close friend. A space where we could both tell our stories and reflect on the moments that shaped us. But, as life often does, it had other plans. My friend already had too much on her plate, so this little adventure began with just me, writing and learning as I went.
In the early days, I mostly shared short posts of quotes I liked or day-to-day thoughts, kind of like a journal. They weren’t super detailed or always inspiring, but it was a start. A place to begin. Eventually, I began writing reviews on books, restaurants, places I had visited, and with time, posts began to grow. About a year or so in, think 2015/2016, I got more serious. I started planning posts ahead of time, set a schedule, and focused more on personal and professional growth. I also started creating more with drawing, painting, and even learning some basic HMTL to improve the design of my site.
Near the end of 2016, I eventually settled into a rhythm where I was sharing regularly, keeping up with posts on social media, and exploring a variety of topics that felt meaningful at the time. For a while, it all came together with ease. It was the first time in a long time that something just fit, like I had finally found a space that felt like mine.
Then, in 2017 things shifted. An unexpected and frightening experience shook me to my core. Someone I once trusted crossed a line that left me feeling unsafe and uncertain. At the time, I was a full-time college student in my final semester of college while also working, and the weight of it all hit hard. Everything I had planned suddenly felt out of reach, and I wasn’t sure how to move forward.
To give some perspective, it had taken me five years and three colleges to reach that final stretch. I had poured so much into each semester: the hard work, the sacrifices, the quiet perseverance. This was supposed to be the semester I finally got to enjoy it all. I planned to say yes to opportunities, meet new people, explore internships, and map out the next step. But that vision unraveled quickly. What I imagined would be a season of momentum turned into something entirely different.
Instead, I became someone I barely recognized. I was no longer the lighthearted girl chasing her dreams with ease. I was constantly on edge, startled awake by nightmares, and haunted by fear. The joy and focus I once carried slipped away. For the first time, I struggled in class, unable to concentrate or keep up. I withdrew, turning quiet and cautious, unsure of how to move forward. And it all unraveled during what should’ve been a normal afternoon of me, making lunch and sitting on the couch inside my apartment.
That ordinary afternoon, one that should’ve been just another moment of stillness, shifted everything. What followed wasn’t just fear, it was the slow unraveling of the life I had worked so hard to build. My routines, my identity, even my creative outlet no longer felt like safe places to land.
After everything, blogging took a back seat. I chose my well-being over consistency, and that choice, while difficult, was necessary. It took time to admit that out loud, but protecting my peace became more important than maintaining a schedule. For my own safety, I stopped sharing my location publicly and kept my circle smaller. I no longer felt comfortable writing with the same openness I once had. The words were still there, but they stayed tucked away. It felt like walking a tightrope, trying to stay creative while also staying hidden. And that quiet pressure of always needing to protect myself led to a kind of burnout I hadn’t expected.
Eventually, it all caught up with me. For a while, I convinced myself that maybe I had simply outgrown blogging, that the joy had faded. But that wasn’t the truth. I still wrote, just not publicly. What had changed wasn’t my love for writing, it was my relationship with safety. I stopped sharing because I was afraid that one wrong word, one misstep, might unravel everything. I was scared to live loudly, to take up space, to breathe freely. The burnout I felt wasn’t from the work itself, but from constantly trying to protect myself while pretending I was fine. My passion hadn’t disappeared, it had just gone quiet, waiting for the right moment to return.
In the years that followed, I kept writing quietly while leaning into other dreams and goals, such as fitness, family time, and plenty of small adventures that reminded me how great life can be. Somewhere along the way, I realized something that sounds simple but takes time to truly understand: when life throws us off course through loss, change, or unexpected pain, we often ache to return to “how things were.” We convince ourselves that if we can just rewind, everything will feel okay again. But the truth is, we don’t go back, every experience, both joyful and difficult, shapes us. The real work is in accepting what is, gathering what remains, and choosing to move forward, not with blind hope but with intention. With the belief that something meaningful still lies ahead.
By 2021, I found my way back to blogging. It started off steady until it didn’t. I paused again, unsure if I’d return.
If you asked me what changed, I’d tell you this: somewhere along the way, I had a moment of clarity. A quiet epiphany that reminded me why I started in the first place. Since then, I’ve felt more grounded in purpose with a renewed sense of reflection for the past, the presence in the now, and curiosity for what’s still to come.
Though I took some time off between 2022 and 2024, something clicked again. And since 2024, I’ve been consistently showing up by posting every week, not out of pressure, but out of passion. Writing now feels like home again.
And so, that’s the story behind Inspire Those Who Inspire You. Thank you for being here and for taking the time to walk this path with me. Here’s to continuing the journey, one honest story at a time.
As a signature of my blog, I’d like to end this post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness.” There’s no time like the present to Inspire Those Who Inspire You. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better!
***These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer.***
