Selfishness redefined: Choosing to write for myself
I’ve wanted to start a blog for years.
I can’t even remember when the desire first manifested itself.
But I remember exploring various blogging platforms in elementary, high school, and college. Right after my classes, I’d log into my computer and type away. Soon enough, I knew Multiply, Blogspot, Tumblr, and WordPress like the back of my hand.
My “blogs” were online diaries more than anything. In this digital extension of my handwritten journals, I ranted about my daily life, book adventures, writing, relationship problems, etc.
These rambles were way too personal for the internet, but it didn’t matter. No one was reading them, and they were for my eyes alone.
But years later, as a working adult, I felt ready to put my words out there in the world.
I had something to say — and I wanted people to listen.
I just had to figure out where and how to say it.
A long, winding path
In 2017, I started working as a content writer for a digital marketing startup. Although I was grateful I could write for a living, I was unhappy. The role was a far cry from what I had pictured.
Almost every day, I forced myself to climb out of bed and commute to the office, which was two hours away. And that was just one way. I had to brave another two hours to get home — or much longer if the traffic was brutal.
Each day, I had to write about topics I didn’t care about.
If it went on, I knew I was bound to hate writing sooner than later. It was a scary realization for someone who loved and valued writing as much as I did.
I had to do something.
I needed to tap into my creativity and make writing my own again.
That was when I first discovered Medium. I set up an account and immediately fell in love. For the next few months, I spent my weekends writing personal essays and short fiction, submitting them to different publications, and receiving mostly positive feedback.
My Medium profile still wasn’t the blog I had in mind, but it would have to do for the time being. At least it satisfied that creative itch.
It made writing a fulfilling activity for me again.
Sadly, like any other creative endeavor, my interest in writing for Medium eventually died down.
After a year of working for that startup, I left the office and started working as a freelance writer and editor.
I considered starting a blog again — properly this time. I wanted to focus on freelance writing, remote work, productivity, and other related topics.
All fired up, I started drafting my first-ever blog post — a detailed account of how I got into freelance writing. I outlined the lessons I’d learned and offered valuable tips to those who wanted to do something similar.
It took me almost a year to finish writing that post.
Unsurprisingly, that blog never materialized, either.
But as the months passed and I learned more about content marketing, I toyed with the idea of starting a blog to monetize it. But first, I had to figure out my niche.
I had so many interests, so it was near impossible to narrow things down.
Coffee?
Tea?
Beauty?
Astronomy?
Interior design?
Arts and crafts?
The possibilities were endless.
I got too overwhelmed and ended up putting the project on the back burner again.
By this point, blogging was starting to look like a pipe dream.
One step closer to reality
Sometime last year — around four years after I started posting on Medium — I took blogging more seriously. I couldn’t let things stay the way they were.
I made tremendous progress. I figured out my niches and even bought the corresponding domain names.
For the first blog, I’d write about minimalism, simple living, and mindfulness — things I’m genuinely interested in and the type of content I gravitate towards. The other one would be an affiliate marketing blog about skincare.
For both blogs, my primary goal was still to help a specific audience.
In my free time, I studied and researched more about content marketing and blogging. I scoured blog posts, YouTube videos, and online courses. I applied my newly acquired knowledge to the planning stage of my blogs.
The blurry ideas and goals in my head finally started taking form.
As time passed by, I found myself stuck in the planning phase. I didn’t want to move on from there. I just wanted to keep brainstorming, structuring my blog, and exploring WordPress.
I knew what to write, who to write it for, and where and how to write it, but I still made zero progress.
Returning to my roots
After many detours, I returned to the platform that rekindled my love for writing — Medium.
Initially, I planned on setting up a simple static website and hosting my writings there. But I started a new job and got too busy with personal matters, so this writing project slipped out of my mind again.
A few weeks into my new job, I became more active on LinkedIn. I revamped my profile, wrote about my work and job-hunting experience, and followed several content creators. I noticed lots of them post on Medium, and learning that the platform is still active was such a pleasant surprise!
Before I knew it, I was drawn to this website yet again.
Instead of reviving my old account (which had a few hundred followers), I’m starting on a blank slate. Even if it means having close to no readership. The follower count doesn’t matter. I’m doing this for myself, anyway.
Yes, you read that right.
I returned to Medium not to build a personal brand or writing samples. After all, I have LinkedIn and my portfolio website for those.
Instead, I’m here to share my thoughts on different topics, explore and express myself, and reawaken my love for writing.
Going against the grain
Maybe this is what I’ve always envisioned and truly wanted to do, but a part of me was afraid to pursue it.
It goes against everything I learned in university as a creative writing major. Even in my creative nonfiction classes, our professors always emphasized that you weren’t writing a diary. You weren’t writing for yourself — but for your audience.
I had it ingrained in my head early on.
This notion of writing for someone else became even more crucial when I started working as a content writer, copywriter, editor, and, eventually, technical writer. It’s all about your target audience or user. You must get inside their heads and understand their problems and needs before writing a single word.
Yet here I am, scrapping everything I’ve learned and deciding to be selfish.
I’ve wanted to start a blog for years.
And now, I can proudly say that I’ve finally turned that dream into reality.
Thank you for reading! 💖 If you like what you read, consider applauding my post, responding to it, or following me for similar content. You can also follow me on LinkedIn; I post there sometimes. See you around! 🌟
