CREATIVITY IN BLACK & WHITE
The Best Writing Lessons I Discovered Late In My Writing Career.
If You’re Learning These Now, Be Grateful And Make The Change.
My journey as a writer differs from most.
I only sought how to become a writer after diving into it. I wrote before learning how to write and missed out on the best lessons I could have learned early in my creative journey.
Some of them are:
— Interest Is Golden:
My first steps were rough.
I tried almost everything and didn't observe if I was interested in it.
It took a limb and an arm, but I'm back on track, doing what I enjoy that inspires me to keep going.
— Perspective Drives Purpose:
Without clarity, everything I did came out unaligned and messy.
I hate being messy.
When I realized how much perspective drove purpose and focus, I made a hard decision about my art and concentrated on it.
— A Brand Speaks Louder Than Words:
For someone who didn't have clarity, how could she know about branding?
I was just all over the place, doing everything and writing about anything.
It wasn't until I started consciously focusing on the parts of myself and my art that I truly wanted to share with the world, did I find the pillars of my writing brand.
On Medium, I enjoy writing personal essays on healing, wellness, parenting, self-improvement, growth, and of course, sharing short fictional stories.
Having clarity about what I wanted my writing brand to represent either on Medium or on other social platforms made it easier to show up with confidence.
— Diligence and Intentionality Create Excellence:
Although I wasn't striving for perfection, I didn't go the extra mile with my art. I wrote and pushed it out, not knowing I'd just shot myself in the foot.
At this moment, I crave excellence in my art. I’m more intentional in the creative work I share with the world.
— Consistency Is Subjective and Individualistic:
Once I figured out what consistency meant to me, it no longer drove me insane. I found out that each writer has a pace of their own.
Our creative schedules and life plans are different. What works for you may not work for me. Lessons learned from others can only serve as a guide, not a yardstick.
I have an obligation to myself and my art to understand what consistency means to us and to work with it.
— Continuous Learning Is Important For Career Development:
No one knows it all.
Knowledge evolves, and we only find advancement in a place of flexibility.
Therefore, unlearning, relearning, and restructuring thought patterns are essential for career advancement.
Final Thoughts —
It’s never too late to reassess your creative journey and establish what it means to you.
Many of us jumped into writing guns-blazing and are struggling to keep up. Others think they are too far gone to step out of line. If any of these six items I’ve mentioned above feel strange to you, take a breather and reassess your creative journey.
Although I learned these lessons late, I was grateful for them. If you’re learning this now, be grateful for it and make the change.
Hi, I’m Jane. I enjoy sharing personal essays and intriguing, relatable topics on creativity.
Thank you for reading my piece. I hope you’ll share your thoughts on it.
