07 Mar Why I’m passionate about writing
One minute I was writing in a koala journal, the next I’m a freelance writer. Okay maybe there were a few years in between but it’s proof, if you practice what you’re passionate about it can become your career. That bit never stops exciting me. Imagine that doing what you love and getting paid for it!
I got into my fourth passion writing, when I was around 12. It started with a tiny lock and key koala journal. I wrote in block letters and I kept it hidden in the bottom of my wardrobe. That journal was the keeper of my thoughts, dreams and emotions or what I’d had for breakfast depending on how motivated I was!
I was motivated and passionate about writing because, if you aren’t a great sharer, it gives you time and space to find the right words to capture moments, thoughts and feelings. Even if you’re only sharing them with a journal, you’re improving your ability to then practice sharing those words with real live people! Happy or sad, anxious or ecstatic and aren’t quite sure why? Write about it! It often becomes crystal clear when you see stuff written down in front of you. And the great thing is often after you’ve spilled your guts to your journal you can let the feelings go and move on.
I moved on from journal writing to professional writing when I answered an ad for a receptionist in an advertising agency and got it. It was then that advertising and words as a profession became a thought in my head. I started to connect the dots between writing as a hobby and writing for money like copy writers and creative who do it for a living. Later I joined Toastmasters and I became their PR Officer where I got to practice speaking with the tact and softness that my everyday conversations lacked. I also started writing their newsletter. I loved it. Not long after that I progressed to writing for work. Just little things, creative briefs and bits and pieces, and I felt like it was something I was good at.
I can also be good at being too blunt and direct. So for me I’m passionate about writing because it gives me a chance to express what I’m really trying to say before I put my foot in my mouth. The more you write the better your conversations get and the easier the words flow.
My career flowed from advertising into marketing and writing became a big part of my job; newsletters, media releases, reports, then uni assignments followed and journal writing continued. My journal was subjected to a lot of words that I wouldn’t dare say to anyone over the years. It also bared the brunt of many of my problems and attempts to solve them.
Over the years my writing journey has continued. I’ve joined a writers group and done some writing courses with the Queensland Writers Centre and the Australian Writers Centre. I’m a bit of a course junky really; travel, creative, novel and chick lit, courses to be exact. Then I found out about blogging and I was off.
I started up my own blog on free software from WordPress. Motivated by writing for myself I started freelance writing for websites and newspapers. Not long after my hosted WordPress blog nickywaywrites was born. Inspired by Problogger Event (another course!) I’ve written a lot more and more consistently in the last year than I ever have. I guess you could say blogging renewed my writing passion.
And I’m passionate about writing because in whatever form it takes; newspapers, letters, magazines and books we learn so many new things. Things that give us the information to make better informed decisions every day.
Hopefully my passion will get me through my uni study I’m hoping to do this year. After all I’m almost at my nine year time limit! And with any luck there’ll still be time for blogging and the odd article too.
Of course there’s always time for writing in the journal!
Five reasons to be passionate about writing.
- It helps you to process your thoughts and feelings, let them go and move on.
- Regularly expressing yourself through writing can lead to better spoken words.
- It’s a great way to express yourself freely, even if it is only in a journal!
- It helps you to pick out your problems and figure out their solutions
- Written words provide valuable information to millions of people helping them to make better informed decisions every day