self-awareness | Elyse Hughes Writer

Rejecting The Olive Branch

I didn’t want to forget the time before the struggles began sloughing off like old, dry skin. A time when every aspect of life except my...

On Fear

You have nothing else to do and nowhere else to be. There’s only this. This page. These ideas. Now is all that matters. That’s what I...

The Dailies

A gathering of dishes in the sink. The yard begging for water under a scorching desert sun. A litter box of pits and dunes, crusty...

Burning Bridges

Sometimes I think back on stories I’ve written, things I’ve shared, and am hit by a panicked wave. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that!...

The Mic Drop

“I call that the mic drop,” I explained after flopping down sideways on the bed like a seal. He gave me the side-eye and a small laugh,...

The Great Big Wall (V of V in the Friend Breakup Series)

I hadn’t taken into account how wrong I would feel. For all the things I said, or didn’t. I didn’t feel guilty for the things she wanted...

Over It Then In It (IV of V in the Friend Breakup Series)

I had a dream that she was telling me off. Then telling me off some more. Securing the last word, yet again. Then the scenery changed to...

My First Book

Three years ago, I hit one of my biggest crash-and-burns yet. I was overworking on a million different pursuits that had nothing to do...

Beautiful Bundles Of Contradiction

I’ve often thought that the paradox of “Me” was something to fix or rectify. I needed to act in accordance with beliefs I subscribed to...

Social Reset (III of III in the Social Media Detox Series)

I didn’t realize how social media was my go-to gal for avoiding emotional discomfort until we didn’t hang out anymore. I mechanically...