The Biggest Lie that Stops You from Beginning Anything
And why it is untrue.
At 21, I heard this writing advice.
At 34, I hear the same writing advice.
“ Write from your #experience. “
When I was a naive 21, I thought, maybe I shouldn’t begin writing yet.
The only experience I had was pulling all-nighters for my studies, my’ usual’ friendship moments, my ‘usual’ family time, and my ‘usual’ breakdowns of youth.
Maybe I should wait for some ‘exotic’ experience and life to unfold.
And, God, I waited for my breakthrough writing piece.
Well, at 34, as I again skim through writing leaders and articles on better writing, the advice stays put.
But again, as I scrutinize my life so far for the ‘experience’, I return with the same.
‘Usual’ pulling all-nighters for learning any skill, ‘usual’ friendship times, ‘usual’ family moments and the ‘very usual’ breakdowns of adult life.
This is going nowhere.
I mean, my writing journey.
I thought.
But then one day, I noticed a pattern in what I am doing in many of my friend groups.
In one of my friend groups, everyone was discussing how they wanted to learn a musical instrument since childhood. And most of them is opting a guitar if they are to start anytime because the guitar seemed easy.
In another group, my book friends were discussing why they wanted to start content writing as a job since their regular jobs were draining.
Well, from my ‘experience’, I told them.
No, the guitar is not easy. I have tried.
And no, a content writer job is not any less draining than a regular job. At least for the first few years.
Wow.
Do you see the pattern there?
I still got the experience I can talk from.
Experience is not only about what works, but what doesn’t work too.
Experience is not only travelling to exotic destinations but tying yourself to a table and a laptop for years.
For a long time, I have been looking at ‘experience’ as something successful, exotic and ‘unusual’.
But the ‘usual’ also counts.
The failures, struggles, disappointments and trial and error moments count.
Every experience is an experience in itself.
We just have to look deeper and find the lessons to share.
I am no less a writer at 21 than now.
I will be no lesser a writer now than at 50.
The lesson?
If you are someone, who is trying your thing, a job or an art or a role at work or relationships, at whatever age, you already have what it takes in you now.
Don’t wait for ‘experience’ to show up.
