Getting There!
Disclaimer: It’s boring story with a rather clichéd ending!
I have always been a keen observer, constantly burdened with this urge to make good use of my pen, wherever I can and whenever I can. In December 2014, I reached the very end of the tunnel; I was desperate enough to express myself. However, I didn’t have a forum/platform. So, a friend suggested me to start an online magazine/journal so that I can quench my thirst of writing stuff and sharing it with others. Moreover, at that time, I was a sophomore in an Engineering school but unfortunately, I didn’t have much interest in Engineering. (For some reasons, which I am still trying to figure out!) With a lot of free time on my hands and no interest in Engineering whatsoever, I figured that it was the right time to take that step.
Thus, I jumped right into it, started a website and within a few weeks, an online sports magazine/journal was brought to life. However, it didn’t work out the way I wanted. At first, it felt like a failure. It really hurt. Afterwards, better sense prevailed and I reckoned that in life, sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t. So, I told myself that there was no use of dwelling on this failure, move on!
So, I got over it and moved on except there was still a lingering issue. The very purpose of the magazine was to use it as a platform to write about sports(and other stuff) and then share it with others. Obviously, I wanted financial gains as well but the primary purpose was to utilize it as an expressive outlet. And the end of the magazine meant that I needed to find a new platform. Thus, it brought me there, from where I started.
Months went by but I couldn’t devise a scheme. I wanted to write but had no platform. As I was on the verge of quitting, I came across this forum, Google Blogs. It was a decent platform, with a lot of people like me, and above all, it was free. So, it didn’t take me long to start writing blogs. It was mid-2016.
In spite of finally having a platform for writing, I only wrote a single piece on my blog in 2016. The reason being I was going through a rough patch and didn’t have the luxury of a sound and productive mind. So, not more than a single piece on the blog in the whole year. Disappointing!
2017 didn’t start well either as I had to experience one of the worst heartbreaks of my life. At that time it seemed like the end. I had no motivation at all, was having suicidal thoughts and even had to consult a psychologist. Not perfect settings for writing quality content. Not at all. Moreover, I didn’t even want to exist, let alone write. But as Carl Henegan once said, “Adversity is a mirage. People, situations, and relationships sometimes change for the worst but inevitably clear a path for far better replacements. The continued journey will always find bliss.”
While going through the heartbreak and with a lot of reserved energy, I thought of channeling that negativity energy for something good. So, I started writing more frequently. More blogs and other stuff, in an effort to escape my reality. Surprisingly, it worked. Writing actually helped me in finding a way out of all that distress and sadness.
Additionally, a friend introduced me to freelancing and he even gave me some work. Hence, things got better as I started earning a healthy amount and started feeling positive while doing what I love.
At that time, I was in my last semester and I was about to graduate. I didn’t know what I would do after graduation. Would I pursue an engineering job or new career? I was confused. I took the risk and made a bold decision to pursue another career. Did it work out or not? I will answer it another piece. But as far as my passion for writing is concerned, it worked out quite well. Although I quit writing and freelancing once I graduated, yet I only did it for the time being.
Down the line, another friend asked me to work for him, mainly freelance stuff. I agreed as I still didn’t have a formal job. Almost a year had passed since my graduation; It was 2018. This time, I went even further, had a couple of great months and earned 5 times more than the previous year. It was a great gig, indeed. Along with freelancing, I continued my blog as well. Wrote a couple of pieces, which were well-received by the small audience/readers, which I had at that time. It really motivated me to write more. As Shelock Holmes once said to Dr. Watson, “That’s the frailty of Genius, John; it needs an audience.” Once I had an audience, irrespective of the number, it stimulated me to write more.
Notwithstanding, procrastination crawled in and I ended up writing almost nothing in the next couple of months. I tried few other options but to make long story short, I started writing blogs again in the later part of 2018.
As 2019 progressed, I made a vow to myself that if I really wanted to pursue writing or wanted to generate an income stream out of it, I really needed to push myself beyond my limits. (I had generated income through freelancing though but not through blogs.)
So, I tried. However, I failed miserably.
It appeared to be a lost cause. Until recently! In December 2019, almost five years since my first piece, I tried again. But this time, I said to myself that if we are going to do it, we will do it with consistency. Since December 2019, I have written 10 pieces, not that good yet, and have been feeling far more positive about my chances than I had ever been.
So, yeah! I think I am finally getting there!
Furthermore, in the latter half of February, I thought of making a shift, leaving Google Blogs to write on Medium. It was because of the problem that on blog, there was no way of knowing what your readers think of your content, other than comment option, or what topics are in trending etc. I figured that Medium would be a better option for me. So, I did make the shift.
In the last ten days, I have written about 8 articles on this forum and I am already feeling great. Although I am still writing on the blog as well, yet I will be posting on Medium far more frequently now.
To conclude, I don’t want to sound like some kind of life-changing guru or a motivational speaker, but I am of the view that
If you stick to something for long enough, you will get what you want. Irrespective of how unproductive it may seem, if you have passion for something, you should keep doing it. If not today, then tomorrow but you will finally get there.
