I have been on and off this platform for a year and half, and I’m just now writing this introductory piece. Truly, I take “not starting due to perfectionism” to a whole new level. Like, my level of perfectionism is equal to that of our current political landscape — out of freaking control.
I wrote a total of two posts, and both were quite pitiful if I may say so myself. Not to mention, I was completely confused about who I wanted to be on here.
So I’m writing this article to remind myself of the reasons I opened a Medium account. I figured if I can’t come up with a proper posting strategy, then I can at least sit down and start with the why. Yep, this article is more for me than it is you.
I started Medium because I wanted to start fresh.
Back in March 2019, I hit a lull with my content. You ever got tired of hearing yourself talk? That’s how I felt with my writing. I was tired of writing about the same old topics with the same old cookie-cutter-extra-enthusiastic-for-no-reason type of tone.
I was BORED.
I came across Medium and was enamored by all the raw content that was available here. I couldn’t believe how much wisdom I had missed out on trying to do my own thing on my blog. So I thought to myself: I can at least open an account and just read through articles for now. I’ll worry about the writing later.
I started Medium because I wanted to diversify my content.
Piggybacking off my 2019 lull I mentioned above, it was about time I started creating content that was new and edgy. 5 things Millennials should know (and the like) just wasn’t hitting the same anymore.
So I said f*ck it and wrote my first post.
I started Medium because I wanted to be “real.”
Speaking of being edgy, I suck at it. I initially wanted this account to be more real and raw — hence my profile name “YoungfullyEmployedX.” This led to me writing those two articles that were dripping with brutal honesty (and not in a good way), condescending remarks and way too much swearing.
Now, there’s nothing wrong these things if that’s what floats your boat. But these things were simply not…me. My brand is about being helpful and impactful, not patronizing and overbearing.
Nice try, Tammie. But you’re a PC goody two-shoes, and it’s about time you start getting used to it.
I started Medium because I wanted to become a better writer.
I think it goes without saying that I LOVE writing. And I’ll take any chance I can to get better at it. Based on my experience here, I believe Medium writers share this passion. We aren’t here just trying to produce content; we’re here to produce good content.
Reading good content on this platform has definitely made me a better and more diverse writer. So much so, that even the way I write my blog posts are different now!
If reading good content on Medium can do that for me, I can’t imagine my impact when I start writing good content. It’s only up from here!
So who do I want to be on Medium? I think I just want to be myself. Not much of a strategy, but it’s a nice start. Don’t ya think?
Tammie works as a full-time marketing professional at a local engineering firm. She started her personal brand Youngfully Employed (formerly Life After College) in 2015 to help other young adults like herself bridge the gap between school and corporate. She’s an energetic 27-year-old who enjoys writing, public speaking, traveling, and posting videos on her YouTube channel.
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