10 Ways Medium Has Changed My Life

It's not all about the money.

It's Wednesday, which means it's Medium Partner Program day. Every Wednesday, MPP writers find out how much they earned for the previous week. Today is a pretty big day for me because I hit a new monetary goal for the first time--I earned a little more than $2,500 for the week.

Last summer, I was still new to Medium when I began having a lot of dental problems. I went to the dentist for a broken tooth and walked out with an $18K treatment plan. I needed root canals, crowns, and more.

It wasn't the first time I was near tears in a dental office because I didn't have the money I needed, but I told myself that it was going to be the last time. That day, I promised myself that I would make Medium work for me, and that in one year, going to the dentist wouldn't even phase me.

As a single mom who has lived paycheck to paycheck her whole life, it's pretty amazing to see a number like this for two weeks of writing:

Clearly, the money is amazing. I'm going to buy a car and learn how to drive. Well, not in that order, of course. The point is that my life is changing, and no--it isn't just about the money.

In less than one year, Medium has given me so much. And I am writing my way into freedom.

1. It gave me my voice back.

Most people on Medium know me as a prolific writer, but they don't know exactly why I write so much or how.

See, for many years, I lost my voice to depression. And as a person with borderline personality disorder, I made some really poor relationship and lifestyle choices simply because I felt like I couldn't speak up.

Medium has given me a way to hone my voice and use it freely. It opened the floodgates within me.

2. It helped me see a future for myself.

When my daughter's father left me homeless and pregnant about 6 years ago, I wanted to die. I had severe prenatal depression already, with frequent suicidal ideation.

For a long time, becoming a single mother felt like the worst thing in the world. I didn't think I could handle raising my daughter on my own, and motherhood effectively killed any future I thought I might have.

Writing on Medium is something I began out of the necessity (and desperation) to simply make ends meet. But it gave me so much more.

It's true that my life went on hold for my daughter. The cool thing is that Medium has helped me see a new future where writing is what I do.

3. Medium helped me get my writing noticed.

Another thing you might not know about me is that I hate to submit my work and deal with rejection. So... I kinda... don't. Granted, I know this will change and in the future, I will certainly take the plunge more often.

Yet even without submitting stories on my own, I've been given exciting and unexpected opportunities. Krautreporter translated one of my first stories into German, and I've given them permission to translate another piece too.

A few websites have also asked me to become a contributor, like Fashion Potluck and NYGal. Canva invited me to use their new line of natural women stock photos. And I was interviewed for a MEL article.

Quote Catalog shared several of my stories but have somehow confused me with actress Shay Mitchell. Several blogs have invited me in one capacity or another--all of this after tons of rejections by websites before I even started with Medium.

In case you missed it, I even had a literary agent contact me to see if I was interested in agent representation because she liked my work on Medium so much. Though it ultimately didn't pan out, I'm perfectly fine with that.

A couple of months ago, I began an email list that’s up to about 400 readers. And Just yesterday, I was invited to participate in an exciting writer's conference to give a live chat Q and A!

4. It gave me the confidence to dream big.

Hey, I know that "Medium famous" isn't real-world famous. I don't have any incredible bylines yet. And I still have a long way to go before I've got a book deal and everybody knows my name.

But writing on Medium has given me the confidence to take more risks. That's why I quit my job in December to focus full-time on Medium.

To be honest, I don't know exactly where my writing career is going. It's pretty open-ended, but that's what makes it so good. I actually believe that big things can happen to me. And I'm working hard to make that happen.

I am open to all the good things.

5. It taught me the power of positivity (and persistence).

To say I was never a particularly positive person is probably an understatement. I was negative AF.

It's not like I didn't have every reason to expect the worst. That's how my family raised me, and I come from generational poverty. On top of everything, I have had a lot of heartbreak in my life. More than some soap operas.

So it's only natural that I didn't believe in myself or think positively. But a funny thing happened a few months into writing on Medium. Even when my circumstances hadn't changed, I still found less to complain about.

Writing regularly on Medium helped me tap into the power of positive thinking--a power which I never believed in until I saw what it could do. I am now remarkably persistent all because I have tasted the fruits of maintaining a positive mindset and taking positive action too.

6. It helped me make new friends.

Since becoming a mother and battling my weight in a bigger way, I've found it very hard to make friends. Even online friendships have been difficult to manage, likely due to my issues with borderline personality disorder and depression.

Writing on Medium has allowed me to slowly open up to more people and forge new friendships--both online and in person.

I might even travel to Spain this summer to meet up with some new friends!

7. It gave me something to be proud of.

For many years, I have carried around an extra heavy weight of depression, all because I hadn't done anything to make myself proud as an adult. Since I was 18, most of my years have been about mere survival.

Through Medium, I have been able to set a goal, and go after it. I am incredibly proud of every win I get--big and small. Shoot, I'm even proud of myself when I stand up to the critics who'd like to bring me down.

It's interesting because I never knew I could start my life over once again. I am 36-years-old and less than a year ago, I genuinely thought my life was over.

Medium has changed all that.

8. It gave me a creative outlet.

Back in my late twenties/early thirties, I saw a walk and talk therapist for my depression. She was convinced that I am one of those people who needs a creative outlet just to function naturally.

Even better, she thought, would be a full-time job steeped in creativity.

I used to think, "Sure, that would be great, but also impossible." I thought there was no creative option for me.

It's amazing how much a creative outlet in your career can impact your entire life.

9. It's given me a place to raise awareness about lipedema and more.

I am not just a fat or obese woman, but most people who look at me don't know it. I suffer from an adipose fat disorder called lipedema. Diet and exercise don't reduce lipedema fat. Because lipedema causes a person to have such enormous legs, eating disorders often go hand in hand with the disease.

It's been exciting (and scary) for me to talk about my appearance openly. I even revealed a picture of my massive calves the other day. It feels good to come clean about the missions that matter to me.

The more I write about issues like lipedema and mental health, the more I know people will begin to get the message.

10. It's given me the satisfaction of helping others.

Every week, I get an increasing number of comments and emails from readers who want to share their stories with me, or who let me know how much my work has helped them.

I have to admit that it is pretty wild. It's awesome to discover how much my writing is helping other people I've never even met. It's humbling and amazing all at the same time.

Helping others is a dream come true--in fact, it's a dream that I once thought was dead. And it's just one more way that Medium has changed my life.

If you'd like to check out the line-up of that Writer's Conference and find out how you can attend all 9 sessions for only $12, please check out the details here from Shaunta Grimes: