How Pop Workshop Helped Me Remember Who I Am

My name is Emily Zhang, and for the longest time, I lived by checklists. Graduated with honors. Done. Land a corporate job? Done. Buy a condo before thirty? Done.

On paper, I had everything I was supposed to want. Yet late at night, when the noise of the day finally faded, I felt a dull ache inside — a restlessness.

It wasn’t depression, but it wasn’t happiness either. It was like I had forgotten how to breathe freely.

Receive an Invitation through Flyer

One Saturday afternoon, while wandering through a cultural center, I stumbled upon a flyer that simply read: “Pop Workshop — explore, express, and grow.”

Something about its simplicity drew me in. It didn’t promise miracles or dramatic breakthroughs, but it invited curiosity.

I signed up, thinking it would just be a fun weekend diversion. I had no idea it would change the way I looked at myself.

A Safe Place to Unfold

The pop workshop was nothing like I imagined. Instead of rigid lectures, it offered creative spaces.

At first, I was hesitant to share. I had spent years perfecting the art of appearing “together.” But when I saw others speaking honestly about their doubts and hopes, I found myself slowly letting go. I talked about my fear of failing at the things I really loved, and for once, no one judged me.

The Turning Point

One activity asked us to write a letter to our younger selves. As I scribbled words on the page, tears surprised me. I realized how long I had silenced the part of me that once wanted to write stories and travel the world, simply because it didn’t “fit” the life I thought I was supposed to live.

That single exercise cracked something open. It wasn’t dramatic fireworks — it was a quiet, steady awakening.

Life After Pop Workshop

Since attending, I’ve made small but powerful shifts. I started journaling every morning. I signed up for a creative writing class. I even took a short solo trip — something I never thought I could do.

The pop workshop didn’t “fix” me. Instead, it permitted me to be fully human — messy, curious, and alive.

Sometimes we think transformation has to be grand, but in truth, it often begins in small, tender spaces. For me, it started in a room filled with strangers who weren’t afraid to be real.

The pop workshop reminded me that growth isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about remembering who you already are.