Let’s first begin with it’s pronounced, DeUnDray not DeUnDria…

Since I was a kid, people have always butchered my name. I mean, I will say it’s legally spelled one way (that’s indeed more feminine) but I generally tell folks its pronunciation before they read it.

My mother and I share the name. And no that does not mean I’m a junior, don’t be a Petty Betty. It means that she specifically knew people would slaughter and burn to the ground 3 syllables and a questionable spelling for my the rest of my natural born life…and that my father agreed to it. When I asked about the origins of my name, I got a story about some great-great-great aunt, my namesake, who actually pronounced it the exact same way. Can you imagine a Deandrea (pronounced DeUnDray) running around, in the 1800’s correcting people on the pronunciation of her femininely spelled unisex name?! She was probably a HOT MESS and my spirit animal.

Ok…back on task here. Like I said, the name has been around for generations apparently and here’s a funny plot twist, for a while I didn’t even know my first name. I wouldn’t answer to it in school. I would supposedly inform people to what my real name was and all kinds of foolishness because my family called me by a completely different name, my middle name.

Side eye courtesy of life.

So now here I am, an adult with a gazillion nick names and aliases who still deals with people sonically obliterating three measly syllables as if they couldn’t pronounce Beyersdoerffer or Onwuatuegwu. Yes, I’m angry with you all because y’all know somehow you master these obscenely long names but refuse to get the shorter ones right unless they’re Tiffany, Ashley, or Leah. I am bitter. Ok, not really…just ever so slightly.

When teaching people my name, there are a range of strange facial expressions I have to act out in order to emphasize the sounds with the syllables. It’s pretty draining. Then there is also the explanation about how I ended up with the name and how I basically changed it for convenience. I mean it’s a WHOLE situation and practically the reason I go by Dee when meeting strangers.

And I know what some of you are thinking, “Black people totally know how to pronounce your name…I could totally say your name.” blah blah blah. I say, sure, after an awkward conversation about your boy cousin DeAndre or the basketball star DeAndre Jordan, and maybe after getting past the fact that I have a “boy” name. Yes, a correct pronunciation might be on the horizon. “Might” because people are completely convinced my name isn’t feminine enough and immediately revert back to their country bumpkin, gender normative names and call me DeUnDrayYa…if I’m lucky. #NoDisrepectToTheDeUnDrayYasOfTheWorld

Anywho…I’m sure I’m not the only one with the issue of people and their lazy attempts at name pronunciations. Believe me I’ve heard some ridiculously stupid ones and there are Google pages dedicated to it, but I’d LOVE to hear about yours.

Drop me a line. <3

-D.Wright

When I was a little girl I felt I could do anything. I believed in the limitless possibilities of my life. Shoot, I believed in it for everyone around me too. Life was full of enchantment and seemed almost surreal to experience. I dreamed, and even more so, I believed in my dreams with an almost blindly optimistic assurance. I felt unstoppable.

Looking back, I know it’s a little naive but I thought I could be anything I wanted and knew in every crevice of my soul that I was special. I would look in the mirror and be in awe of being present. How magical it was to wake up everyday feeling my small speck of a life could create a rippling effect in the universe.

I imagine it’s what people who accomplish great things realize about themselves early on and consistently nurture. For the rest of us, however, we struggle with maintaining that fearlessness and confidence riding throughout our lives. We realize we have potential, but are sometimes afraid to embrace our limitless possibilities.

How can we get past that old “you have SO much potential” bit, totally meant as a compliment but as painful as a paper-cut? How can we move and operate in our child-like fearlessness?

These are the questions I’m beginning to answer for myself and I challenge you to consider your own ways of pushing past potential and into your complete being.

Be Your Best Self

It’s really amazing, the people we fantasize about being. Strong, confident, charismatic, brilliant… that’s the woman I daydream to echo. I imagine myself walking in a room and being able to master my verbal exchanges with even the toughest of conversationalist.

Now, who do I think I am? You’ll be surprised to know I believe I’m the biggest goof and woman-child in the history of nerd-dom. I know that’s no way to operate as an adult so I’ve decided to test drive the woman I truly want to become. I will operate in her greatness until it becomes second nature. While I still might tell the occasional awkward joke or laugh at inappropriate moments out of nervousness, I’ve decided to believe I can be amazing and to act impulsively on that feeling.

Be Creative

Some of the most wildly successful people we hear about today are contributing to the world in some of the most niche ways.

These people carve out their very own spaces in various industries and change our lives because of their adventuring spirits. These innovators pull from what they love and build. They are Lego Masters. They invent their own worlds and we then live in it. They are not afraid to create and share and fail and create some more.

I say why not act and live in your creativity, and invite everyone else to join you? Every day you build is not only a step out of potential-land but into the life you imagine for yourself and a step to the finished result people actually desire to see from you.

And while we all know it’s not about what others think of you, when you need to show and prove your work, you definitely need to be able to provide examples to back your self-proclaimed worth. I’m realizing, if I want people to think I’m an awesome writer and I haven’t been hired onto a team, I have to get creative. I have to craft my own world and pull people to it. Maybe I’ll want to be hired or maybe I’ll be the hire-er after that, who knows,  but the point is, I won’t be a potential writer of  <name that company> that could specialize in this cool thing. I WILL be that writer of Sounds About Wright. I will be that writer that got scrappy and built my skill off of my own creativity.

Be About It

I always thought it was insane how many of us (as children) would flip off tables, monkey bars, couches or just anything in our vicinities. We would reach for the sky with the tips of our toes while swinging to see if we could touch a cloud, spin ourselves silly until we dropped to test our speed, and randomly consume the most disgusting, asinine things just for research. We would just do it. Whatever it was, we committed to doing everything weird under the sun to learn and process what was real or possible.

Now, as a big kid, we don’t have to be complete lunatics but we can definitely decide to act. Do something! Go for that new job, create a new process and present it to your team, write that blog, take those photos and sell your art. Just do something! As the saying goes, “Don’t talk about it, be about it.” It’s time for us to be about our greatness and share it with the world.

Now tell me… what are you doing to push past your potential?

-D.Wright

When I first thought about this blog, I envisioned a place where I could hold extended versions of my Facebook rants and conversations with friends. It’s true, and I know it’s not romantic at ALL but it was the first thing that honestly came to mind. My friends and I have had some pretty wonderful conversations, from religion to relationships and politics to food. We get pretty candid and over time I began to receive a lot of feedback on my perspective. I’ve had friends to openly agree and disagree with my viewpoints but the cool thing was we were able to learn from one another in the moment. I’d go so far as to say Facebook helped me shape my voice. I mean when you’re typing you are kinda uninterrupted. So from there I learned to take civil, not politically correct, conversation into all areas of my life.

I’ll also tell you that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken on the voice of my father. Back in the day you couldn’t get me to talk, now I won’t shut up. There was even a running joke that I was a mute (it lasted until I was like 15) but guess what people?! Ariel has found her voice! No more mute kid or unsure 20something. I’m a grown freaggin’ woman that’s as confidently awkward as the day is long.

So know it’s ok if you’re not cool for school or one with a popular opinion when you visit. Just be you. Be authentically, unapologetically you. Sounds About Wright sounds just like me, because it is me. That’s what this space is about, saying hello to YOU and embracing it.

Now for a little housekeeping… make sure to browse the home menu to get a feel for featured topics I’ll be covering.  Also, don’t forget to follow my social networks and music page if you haven’t already. I have a couple different places around here where we can connect. And lastly brace yourselves for my very first, brand-spanking new podcast under the same name, Sounds About Wright! I’m super excited about it and will be checking in on topics to cover soon.

Cheers to our beginning and welcome to Sounds About Wright. <3

-D. Wright