I’ve never considered myself a writer. I never excelled in English class or took any courses, but I’ve been writing throughout my career—everything from short blogs or press blurbs to long-format interviews and Op-Ed pieces. But despite having written for many years and the hope of many more to come, I’m still riddled with insecurities. Those insecurities can easily demotivate me and the effort I put into my writing, which unfortunately affects how I approach my work.
But while I write because I have to, I also do it because I want to. I’ve always loved the art of telling stories, and writing in general is a medium I’m passionate about that offers me the enjoyment of crafting a narrative. There are, however, major and minor differences between writing for a job and writing as a labor of love. Saying that seems obvious enough, but how do we approach both with the same fervor so that “task” becomes “treat”?
To look at the two separate forms of writing simply: professional writing pays the bills. Personal writing doesn’t. There is of course the case of best-selling authors, but for most of us, the two forms exist individually. When you look at the intent for professional writing, you’re often given a specific audience, a tone, and a purpose that requires research and editing. For personal writing, you determine the tone, who you’re writing for—if even for anyone—and what you want to say. But there’s still research and editing. Both require both, albeit at different levels.
So, knowing that pro and hobby writing share a similar process but with different intents, it helps clarify why we write and what ultimately comes of it, especially for those of us who chose to get into this profession. I chose it because I loved reading magazine articles and wanted to jump into journalism to share stories from my perspective. That was my initial “Why.” To use my own words: I write because I’m excited to see what I come up with. To use the words of American writer and journalist, Joan Didion: “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking” (Didion says it way better in an essay I found by author, Elisa Gabbert that I’ll share at the end).
Self-exploration is something we do through different mediums, practices, and thoughts. As such, it can be easy and fun. Writing as a hobby is considered meditation, or even therapy to some. For many, it’s a creative outlet that channels passion. I’m learning every day that if I continue to find passion in what I do, I simply do better. I remember hearing that the recurring assessment of my performance in school always came down to something like, “Alex can do amazing things when he actually cares. Not so much at all when he doesn’t.”
So for me, when it comes to approaching my professional writing, it’s about viewing it as continued opportunities to see what I come up with. Maybe many of you do this already, while there are still many of you, like me, who struggle to find the motivation behind what’s considered a “chore.” If you think back to why you got into writing in the first place, it’ll most likely be because you enjoyed it. Another article I read cites that “every famous writer started writing as a hobby.” This can be used as a reminder to enjoy writing professionally, just as you enjoy writing for yourself.
There’s solace in taking on a writing “task” with the mindset of remembering why I like writing and seeing what ends up on paper. To be candid, this article itself is a second and completely different version from the original. I enjoyed writing both, but this version has more research, more effort, and (hopefully) more voice to it. It explores something that I actually care about.
The beauty of writing is that it never requires anybody’s permission. It’s universally one of the simplest and easiest forms of self-expression. Whether you’re typing away furiously with two thumbs with the help of autocorrect, or taking your time, deep in thought, to put down a handful of words, writing will always be there. As humans, stories often begin with writing. These stories provide so much value to ourselves, and the world around us regardless of whether the audience is the person in the mirror, or the person paying to read it. Put something worth reading into the world.
As mentioned, below is the link to Gabbert’s essay on Joan Didion, as well as a few other articles that explore the pursuit of creative writing and how it relates to personal or professional.
