Dividends

Invest in Your Writing, Pays Better than Dividends

Truth-Writing for pennies pays better than my savings account.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

I read the headlines of how people make $100 on an article, a million in a month (okay just one of those). You’ve seen them. The unending stream of “I’ve made a fortune, so can you” posts on Medium. I’ve published 154 pieces in 11.5 months and I have $ 88.82. Not a fortune.

I am depressed. Why put all this effort into writing daily for pennies? After a year of writing daily the charm of a little green notification bell may not be enough? Did discovering my friends couldn’t even clap for my work send me down a spiral of despondency?

I spent three days not writing, thinking about not writing, wondering why I bother to write any way. I allowed doubt and despair to shade my confidence. Could it be Occam’s razor, the simplest explanation, I’m not actually any good.

I watched my views plunge down to single digits. If no one is reading my work then it is just mental masterbation after all. Though enjoyable, the act should be kept to oneself.

A reframing

I had produced a piece of writing I referred to as “The Document” for my five brothers. It accompanied artwork I commissioned…