My personal story and why you should launch yours too
While it’s true that I’m a writer who primarily wants to share content so I can create connections, I’m also a single mama in need of financial support. Hence my mission to knuckle down and give Patreon a go.
Patreon is a platform that allows creators (usually artists) to receive funding directly from their fans, or patrons, as part of a monthly subscription, or per work of art.
I first considered doing this over a year ago but was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to consistently deliver content.
I thought that my other commitments or circumstances could get in the way and possibly overlap — whether it was my photography work, being a mum, having a health setback, or just needing a break from life. The idea that my ability to deliver the rewards could be jeopardised was unsettling to me then. …
When I helped a fellow writer with her novel recently, it made me realise that I want to help and support more writers. My first thought was to share the way in which I wrote my own novel.
I wrote it intuitively.
In a nutshell, I began with a what-if situation and let it develop on its own.
This isn’t a new approach. It’s more commonly known as flying by the seat of your pants, or being a “pantser”.
What makes a writer a pantser? Generally, you don’t outline the entire novel before you begin writing.
Let me get one thing straight: I’m an advocate for whatever works. …
“In order to be in a successful relationship, you have to understand yourself, and you have to understand the other person.”
My dad said that to me once, after I mentioned that I was reading about relationships in the book, The Road Less Travelled.
I realised that it was the first time that he’d managed to sum up all of his relationship advice into one phrase — like if that were all he could ever say on the topic of relationships, that bold statement would be it.
Perhaps you’re thinking . . . I’m doomed because I can’t even begin to understand where my partner is coming from most of the time. …
Through my on-and-off experience as an anxiety sufferer, my panic attacks fall into two categories. The first type comes on randomly, and is usually a reaction to events in my life. It’s a message from my body in response to my general physical state (“slow down” or “quit worrying because everything will be alright”). I believe that I have that type of anxiety under control because knowing what brings it on is actually the resolution for making it subside.
I still have more work to do with my second type of anxiety…
It tends to occur when I panic directly in response to a concern. Some things worry me more than others — I’ve nailed it down to a further two issues. …
One morning, I decided to take my children to a local coffee shop, a standard quick outing, yet I did not expect the mini life-lessons this time around…
As we walked into the shop, which was part of a well-known franchise, my initial thoughts went something like: I’ll take a nice snap of my boys with their cake and fruit in a sweet caffeine-culture moment. I could even stick it on my instagram feed — the mumsy writer trying to tackle school holidays…
In reality, the two-year-old refused to stay in his stroller, and he didn’t fit in the high chair either, and because he wouldn’t sit still on a normal dining chair, my knee was the only spot that could accommodate him. The nine-year-old was getting stroppy because he had to share his banana bread, and both of them weren’t happy with the look of the fruit platter. …
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
–Simon Sinek
I’m a starter rather than a finisher, and I had not considered labelling myself this way until I read the book, The Power Of Focus. As I get older, I am trying to become a better finisher.
My optimism is startling when it comes to new project and business ideas–and I’ve had many of them, believe me, with an equally startling record of fizzle-outs. I’m a dreamer, and I get caught up in small details, tending to stall after first base. I’m not good at deciding what to produce based on what’s in demand, and I kid myself into thinking I have everything covered financially. …
“The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate.” –Seth Godin
T o gauge interest for a writers group in my hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, I put out some feelers on social media. I was pleased to receive more interest than anticipated. Of the initial hands raised, 70% of those folks emailed me. Within that bracket, half replied to my introductory email. When I set the first meeting, that number halved again. I began to think it was pointless to continue — that maybe starting a group had been another silly Friday night idea of mine. …
This year, it was important to me to put out content during the holiday break. I’d made a promise to myself to publish one blog post a week, and I was not going to let Christmas stop me from keeping up my side of the bargain.
While I believe that downtime during the festive season is necessary for recharging, the Christmas break is never relaxing for me. …
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. –Plato
It’s one thing when your ego tells you that you are not up to a task, but it’s harder to fight fear when those closest to you feed your hangups as well. My story would have a different outcome if only I had remembered three simple words: YES I CAN.
Often, we are quick to dismiss an opportunity because our ego has already decided that we will fail at it. We’ve heard the phrase that when one door closes, another one opens. This is fitting for when you cannot control an outcome and someone has closed the door on you. …
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