My career as a professional writer began in December 2010 with a food & beverage report for the Toronto Star. Prior to that moment, I was a budding creative trying to figure out my next move. The benefit of being young and inexperienced is that I had not yet been discouraged by rejection, instead, I was led by curiosity and there was no lid on my dreams. I don’t recall feeling pressured by a timeline or the expectations of others. I had already dropped out of college and made a promise to myself that good things were destined for me as long as I committed to taking one step forward daily.
In 2009, I launched my blog and really enjoyed penning personal essays about everything – there wasn’t a digital strategy, Instagram didn’t yet exist and I wasn’t driven by views, shares or comments. I did it for the love of the art. I was shy and insecure growing up. I remember many times when I’d feel anxious whenever I wanted to speak up. I nearly evaporated in those moments. But writing was therapeutic and easy. The blog was a starting point in my career that I’m really happy I decided to pursue. But I’ll be honest, there were moments I felt nervous. I never felt 100% ready to hit publish and share my opinions with the world, but I did it anyway. I received a lot of criticism from family and friends, but I did it anyway. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but I did it anyway.
Stop holding shit in because you’re afraid someone will take your idea or people will not support it. The reality is, some people (who you may not even know personally) actually want to celebrate you and have the means to help too. Let the community around you know what you’re trying to accomplish. They can’t read your mind. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned early in my career that will hopefully make your next move, your best move.
Practice makes perfect
The New York Times has writing prompts available and there are many writing communities you can join too. Even at the level I’ve reached in my career today, I continuously learn and grow. I free-write for about ten mins a day, I read a lot and I teach myself new words with an app called Word of the Day. Every quarter, I try to prioritize an online course and most importantly I stimulate my mind by playing chess and other brain games often to help with critical thinking and stay sharp. Finding time for it all can be hard, but no one cares what you do average. So I do what I need to do to stay ahead of the game. When I joined Forbes in July 2017, everyone applauded, but what most people don’t know is that my journalism career is the pre-dream to the actual dream; a stepping stone. I never get comfortable. I don’t get distracted by the cyber glitter. I focus on becoming better by moving the needle forward. There is simply no excuse to be stagnant; not when there is so much beauty and opportunity everywhere to keep us inspired.
Build your network
Social media is great for planting seeds but the real magic occurs when you meet with someone face-to-face and exchange energy. I try to meet 3 strangers monthly for coffee. Some of you feel stuck simply because you are hanging out with the same boring people and exploring the same bland environments. I encourage you to switch things up a bit. When I couldn’t find a network, I created one of my own. Years ago, I sent a Facebook invite to a group of friends who shared similar interests; many of them were writers and once monthly, we crammed into my living room and shared our work out loud. If you really want something you’ll find a way to make it happen. Other platforms I use often include Ten Thousand Coffees, Eventbrite and meetup.com. There’s literally no excuse why you can’t find your tribe.
Research the industry and choose a niche
Many of my peers started as bloggers but eventually pivoted into another specialty. Some are screenwriters, copywriters, grant writers; the list goes on. I transitioned from a blogger to a journalist, author and now I own a full-service ghostwriting agency. My point is there are so many options available to you. Conducting research will aide you with the right information so you can make a well-informed decision. When I began my career as a freelancer, I had to be realistic about the inconsistencies and delay in payment from publications, receiving rejections from editors, dealing with the frustration of drafting many revisions and so on. If I was fortunate enough to get published, cool, but it was always so uncertain because I had to wait for someone else to greenlight my work. It was unsettling and made it hard to plan a future. Although this is not everyone’s story, I had to be realistic about what could possibly be ahead of me. So I said, let me get off the struggle bus and take a leap into a swimlane of my own. Then the WritersBlok was born and instead of negotiating a couple of hundred dollars, changing my business model has earned me 5-figure clients. I’m not going to lie. Money is important to me. When I don’t have to worry about how I’ll pay my bills, that freedom gives me the opportunity to create my best work. I don’t know a single freelancer who doesn’t desire that sense of relief. I still contribute to publications, but I also have a successful business in communications that provides a steady income. Once you select your own lane, find ways to maximize it.
Create an online portfolio and presence
I suggest signing up for Medium or creating a personal website. It doesn’t have to be perfect but you need a platform that you can call home. Your gift is meant to be shared. It does no good in a journal tucked away in your drawer. It’s more than likely other people align with your opinions, beliefs and personal experiences and hey, if they don’t then at least you’ve started a discussion. An online presence proves to others that you’re serious about your craft. It gives others the opportunity to support your work and share it with their community too. Our creative space can feel so isolating and I enjoy sharing my words through essays and captions because it invites people to the table to communicate with me. There have been times when a simple hello has evolved into a beautiful friendship or a new client. You never know who is watching and what power they hold.
It is impossible to discourage the real writers
It will be a challenging road ahead. You won’t always feel like writing either. I’ve had to dodge many naysayers who tried to discourage me from pursuing my dreams and sometimes hurtful words feel like a punch in the face. Just like you, I’ve had some moments when I felt down too, but I often balled up all of that frustration and used it as motivation to push me further, faster, harder. People who are small-minded will always tell you that your dreams are too big. But you know the path you’re on. There’s no need to explain or make sense of it. Just trust what you feel.