photo from https://bridgingthegap.org/a-local-beekeeper-shares-his-knowledge/

Who are you writing for any way?

Why I will never stop writing….

I have been thinking a lot about communication recently — since I started to publish my writing (getting myself “out there” on social media), I have become more and more aware of the sheer magnitude of “communicators” there actually are.

There are millions upon millions of people; talking, musing, prattling, digesting, debating, conjecturing, moaning, pronouncing and generally screaming into the digital abyss.

But what are these people putting out there and what are they expecting to get back?

It seems to me to be a whole mix of things; some people are seeking approval or confirmation of their opinions. There are those out there looking for support, or sponsorship. Some want attention or affirmation. Some seek consolidation or companionship. Some look for fame, or seek infamy, and there are millions of those,who I am sure, are simply just lonely and need to be heard.

The concept makes my head spin — no longer are our social needs, considerations, and aspirations limited to or met by our; family, friends, local community, town, city, or even country.

The whole world is out.

It is incredible and it is terrifying.

So I asked myself this; how do you do it, How do you lift your voice above the tumultuous cacophony of a billion other voices and make yourself heard?

I thought for about a second and then (as with all other important life questions) I took to google and typed in:

“how to insure my articles reach a wider audience”

My sense of being overwhelmed was not improved.

There I found 1,000’s (probably 1,000’s… I only scrolled down one page…) of articles. A virtual gaggle of advice on; “self-promotion” and “reaching your audience”. Whole websites dedicated to using the right hashtags, and posting at the right time of day. Advice on Increasing your audience by hitting them on various platforms and engaging with your “users”. Suggestions on how to make your style of writing more palatable or accessible, to make sure you reach the maximum amount of people. Algorithms where mentioned and graphs starting appearing.

It was at this point I stopped.

I needed to take a step back — this was all totally overwhelming. Yes I write, and yes I would like people to read what I write. But I work full time as well, and honestly who’s got time for graphs and algorithm’s about hashtags? #certainlynotme. And I am far to stuck in my ways to start altering my writing style to try to ensure “MAXIMUM IMPACT”.

All this considered, and faced with accepting the fact that I’m likely never to really be “heard” (in the global online “viral” sense of the word). Should I give up, retire my pen/key board and focus on some more attainable lifer goals?

I sat back, took a moment to take it all in, and asked myself the following question:(In hindsight the only question that was ever really necessary to ask).

“who am I actually writing for”?

The immediate, and most obvious answer was also the most honest.

“me”

I write for myself.

I write because it brings me pleasure, it write because it brings me relief. It allows me to unpack and unpick my thoughts and feelings and it helps me to understand the world.

Yes I would love it if people read my work, and yes I would love to have an impact and “make a difference” (whatever that means) but honestly even if I haven’t and even if I don’t — I have, and always will, write.

Before Facebook and twitter, before “online” was even a thing, I wrote. I have trunks of unread journals in my room that I wrote for no audience but myself.

Writing has been my constant companion, it has helped me through breakups and breakthroughs. Poetry allowed me to express pains I could not have communicated in any other way. It has helped me to understand myself, the world, and where I fit in it.

This might seem like a narcissistic inward looking point of view — but it doesn’t feel this way to me.

The moment I had this quiet revelation; that it didn’t matter who read my work, or if anyone did at all. I felt completely free.

Free to be; creative, brutal, vulnerable and absolutely honest.

Let’s be clear, I’m not going to pretend I have somehow transcended the shackles of social approval –as this is not, and will not ever truly be the case. I would still love for my work to be shared and for people to gain something from it (who wouldn’t?) but what I have realised is this; if you seek approval, fame, infamy or praise as the main motivation for your writing, and if you let it influence how you write and what you writer about — chances are your writing will suck.

Passion and integrity bleed through peoples work — you can feel it, and you can’t fake it.

So my advice dear reader (if you’re out there or no), is this:

Don’t worry about trying to write about something that is “trending” don’t try to “popularise” your views and opinions to make them more palatable for a mass audience.

Write for yourself.

Write about what you love, write about what brings you joy, write about what makes you angry, write about what inspires you and what keeps you up at night.

Be brutal, be vulnerable and be honest.

If you do this, your writing will be its own reward. Then it might not matter if anyone one reads it (although obviously it would still be nice if someone read it).

And if someone does, even if it’s just one person reads what you have written, (maybe they made a type’o in googled and stumbled across you) then you can be sure that, that one reader will be reading something great. They will be reading something honest. They will be reading something you.

And that has to be better than all the Instagram likes, and twitter shares in the world right?

For me, at least for now, that has to be enough.

And either way I’ll keep writing, and I’ll keep sharing.

So to anyone out there who might be listening.

I wrote this, and it is me.

And I thank you form the bottom of my heart,for you for taking the time to read it.

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P.s SHARE MY ARTICLE, LIKE ME, LIKE ME, LIKE ME! :P

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