
Writing: A Discipline Or AHobby?
Can you have it both ways?
I’ve never been a writer. I enjoyed my English classes, liked reading fantasy and horror books, and got decent grades on all essays, creative and techincal, but honing my writing skills was never a priority. Practicing writing was never a ability I thought I would need as a visual creater. Stories was not something I took joy in, especially after a long week of required papers for school. Why am I doing this now?

It started on a personal professional gang. Last year, an online media group called Odyssey Online. They promoted themselves as a outlet for the millenial generational voice and spoke of teamwork, professional editors, publishing writes, the whole nine yards. “This would look great on a resume!” my mind thought, and I was sold on their mission statement purely on that. I was more excited for practicing leadership skills, maintence of a group, and extending my online presence rather than the joy of writing.
I assembled a small (and I mean small) team of content creators to represent our small two year art school. We were not an internet sensational hit, but had great fun expressing ourselves, therapeutically writing almost. The variety of content I saw from my team members inspired me to look into, and write about, topics I never considered before. It was the interesting writing of other people that got me into the swing of wanting to write myself.
I would have loved continued working with a team, but several unfortunate points lead us to discontinue working with Odyssey Online. But I wanted to continue, look more into what I could do, apply it to my visual arts and professional career. But I still didn’t consider myself a writer, a person who could amount to what was being read and what was interesting to the public. But then I said, “Well, hell to it! Why can’t I just do things for myself?”
So here I am, writing once again, on the new and still in trial Medium. So far so good; I’ve already started a series, which is an interesting and unique writing format offered on this website, and now I am finishing up my first story. Here’s to good luck, good future, and a good writing schedule!
