This shouldn’t be so hard

Finding the courage to share my voice

“Because I have a right to be heard! I have a voice!” Colin Firth’s booming voice blared in our small living room.

There it came again. I hadn’t even made it to the main feature of my evening distraction before my mind pulled back to that darn to-do list. One line during the preview of ‘The King’s Speech’ and my brain had already started a dialogue of its own.

“You need to start writing. For yourself, this time.”

“Start tomorrow. No bullshit. Benedict Cumberbatch now, write tomorrow. That will work.”

Except I said that yesterday, and sometime before that. The thing is; I’m afraid to share my own voice. Which I find a bit humorous because I do enjoy writing, and a part of my job as a digital marketing strategist has been creating content. So why is this so hard?

I’ve always been very critical of my writing. Any piece of writing. I re-read emails several times before sending them. When I started dating my now fiance, we were both working for the same magazine. I was particularly paranoid of my correspondence during our text exchanges. I wasn’t concerned about necessarily saying the wrong thing per se, but heaven forbid I send a comma splice or misuse a semi-colon; now that could ruin the whole romance.

I know that this is not normal, but being ‘normal’ isn’t my strong suit.

So why is it so easy for me to produce content for others, and yet choke when it comes to sharing my own viewpoint? I’m afraid that I have nothing to contribute. In a world inundated with information, how do I add to the conversation instead of regurgitating the same “latest news” as everyone else in my field?

Then came the idea that maybe, what’s most valuable in any piece of writing is the act of sharing what’s uniquely yours — your experience of the world around you. I too have a voice. I also have a desire to become a better writer, and the way to get there is to learn by doing. So if that means making mistakes, that’s okay. Writing “listicles” well, that’s okay too.

One of the things that I really love about working in digital media is that it’s changing all the time. My Dad likes to remind me, “The only thing you can count on in life is change.” Change pushes us to grow. To be better. This digital landscape connects us all and pushes us all to accept change and be better. We can share knowledge with, and receive it from everyone. The world becomes accessible.

I don’t feel like anyone can be an expert at digital marketing. I’m just dedicated to being an enthusiastic disciple. In this spirit, I hope to share my experience of the changing digital landscape with you, dear reader.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

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