An Inspired Chat with Layla Todd

Layla Todd shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Layla, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I’ve just started my senior year of college so my days are quickly becoming busier and busier. I enjoy a balance of studying, writing essays, blogging for my newsletter and personal blog, and spending time with family and friends. It’s important to me to balance my time between learning and pursuing experiences outside of the classroom. This is something I try to incorporate into my daily life. Really every day is a new experience and that rhythm of daily life is just something I’m always excited about going out and living.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Layla and I am a 23-year old content creator and writer. I’ve been writing creatively for decades and during the past six years have started shifting my focus to digital storytelling as well as creative writing. I work as a content creator writing newsletters and designing social media content and run Letters by Layla, a personal blog and newsletter where I write about my experiences as an unschooled learner who is now in college. I write about my studies in women’s writing and fantasy, about my recent study abroad trips to Italy and England, about the local businesses I visit here in Tucson, Arizona where I’m going to university, and all the little moments that strike me throughout the day.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was unschooled as a child and am fortunate to have avoided the world telling me who to be until I was an adult with my own sense of self.

I grew up on a homestead in rural Virginia and mostly learned at home. It was not until I left for college that I encountered systems of peer pressure and societal expectations further exasperated by social media that I understood how difficult it is to be secure in one’s identity. I am a writer. That is who I am. Despite what the world and society may communicate about job security and monies, I am a writer. My approach is to navigate higher education and experiences to enable me to follow my passions rather than allowing myself to be pushed down routes where I don’t belong.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
When I first came to college, I was afraid my untraditional educational background would not enable me to be successful. I was afraid I would be unable to do the work, unable to study effectively, and unable to learn in an environment that was essentially foreign to me. I worried that being unschooled meant I was unprepared.

Needless to say, three years later I look back with a smile knowing I was more than prepared. Now instead of fearing failure and being conscious of the ways in which I am different from my fellow students, I embrace my differences and my talents. I enable myself to succeed by embracing challenges rather than turning away.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I have known for years that I need to write a novel, but the realities of making a living solely as a writer are not lost on me. I am committed to writing a book while I explore opportunities that support my livelihood.

I am looking into pursuing a Master’s degree in English in England and aim to position myself as a professor of English with a specialization in women’s writing and literary geography. Writing a book and pursuing a Master’s degree are both scary goals to put into words, but I am committed to both long-term projects and am excited about where doing the work will take me.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am here to do what I was born to do: write. I have known I am a writer and a storyteller since I was a 7 year-old girl writing by hand in Mead Five Star notebooks. I wrote throughout my teen years dozens and dozens of handwritten novels exploring epic fantasies and romances, poetry and essays. While childhood dreams of acting and singing came and went, my need to write remained consistent. By the time I came to college, I knew what I wanted to study and why.

Now I use my passion for telling stories to create social media content highlighting the restaurants and businesses I love. I write about my life and travel experiences, I write creative stories, I write little life anecdotes in my journal.

There is an increasing need for human-generated authentic thoughtful writing; I am here to write and meet that need, that desire readers have for heartfelt honest writing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lettersbylayla.wordpress.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letters_by_layla/