I Am Becoming A Writer

Emotion is my shaman, and I’m on a helluva trip.

I got a rather profound email today from Shaunta Grimes.

The subject was “Lesson 1 — The very first step to becoming a writer.”

Now there are a lot of tutorials on this platform, but hers is one of the best. Because it’s not just about the mechanics of things. It’s about the heart and soul PLUS the mechanics. It’s about the process.

I have known I was a writer since 4th grade. I love words. They are my sacrament. They are the fire upon which I walk. But becoming a writer that achieves her life-goals is different from just loving to write.

How?

Read on.

The Way I Used To Write

I used to write just to flex the muscles of my brain. I write for whoever would pay me.

I wrote because it was easy, fun, and in demand.

I wrote for clients, customers, and search engines.

I wrote copy, content, documentation, and whatever else was needed in the moment.

But it took the painful and potent combination of aging, parenting, and Medium to help me begin to crystallize my real work as a writer.

I’ve begun to discover the deeper truth behind what I write, why I write, and what my writing goals have become. It’s a process that isn’t happening overnight. But becoming a writer is a beacon for me these days because I know what it does for my soul. Like Tim Denning talks about — it has become a priority that leads down the road to my freedom.

What I Write Now

I write about my own experiences. I write the life I know, and the lessons I have learned. I write explorations, and adventure, and failures. I write about what I don’t know, in hopes of finding more and better answers to my own questions about life.

I have realized I can write my hopes and dreams into existence.

I write on Medium because, for the first time in my life, my REAL writing has earned itself an audience. Not just the writing commissioned by the patrons of the gig economy.

shaman

a person who acts as an intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.

I’ve even begun to earn a little bit of a paycheck writing my own words. This has blown my mind! This has been one of the sparks in my tinder.

Now I Write With Bigger Goals In Mind

Ok Shaunta, I did my homework. It took more than 10 minutes, and may or may not have involved a small healing crisis, but I did it.

What are my goals?

• To use my writing to heal myself and to heal the world.
• To support myself and my family doing the work of my passion.
• To raise my voice and have an impact on the world by educating others about what I have learned.
• To be a shaman for the overwhelming emotions we all experience on personal, societal, and global levels.
• To reignite the power of mystery as a healing agent for all of us.

Why Do I Want These Goals?

• Because I can no longer participate in the rat race in a way that perpetuates the status quo of the old, broken system.
• Because I want to use my talents, and words are the most sacred tool I know.
• Because I dream of a better world for my children.
• Because I deeply admire and resonate with true beauty, health, and love.
• Because I can.
• Because I feel.
• Because I must.

Where Will Our Writing Take Us?

Oh, people of Medium, I love you so. Without shame and with great gusto. This platform has reignited my belief that some people still think. That some people still work for the evolution of our kind. That some people still care!

The magic of having a digital marketing background, a voracious reading habit, and this platform to work on is that we can add science to magic, stir in some blood and sweat, and BAM! We can all start to change the world.

The content here that successful writers like Shaunta and August and Tim are sharing with their readers is both amazingly helpful, and truly accessible. Anyone can start becoming a writer, at any time.

How Can You Share This Bounty?

I’m only on lesson 1 of this particular program, but if you head over to Shaunta’s page and sign up for her crazy valuable Ninja Writer’s email.

It’s beyond rich.

Another writer who is sharing tons of valuable content and advice on HOW to work the platform is Casey Botticello. Learning a ton from his work as well.

We Are In a Time of Transformation

Do You Want to Raise Your Voice Too?

Tell me why you write. Tell me what moves you. Tell me what you love.

Tell us all. That’s what we are here for!

Kaia Tingley is a writer, artist, podcaster, digital strategy nerd, and sometimes hot-tempered supernova with a wild, free soul. She practices massage therapy shiatsu in the southwest hippie refuge of Austin Texas. Her work involves the pursuit of a smooth sustainable flow of energy through systems. Physical, emotional, technological, or cultural — the kind of system doesn’t really matter — the principles are the same. She lives with her husband, two young kids who like to climb on her while she types, and a cool old dog named Satchmo. You can find her on Instagram here or on LinkedIn here. Feel free to reach out by DM there if you want to reach her directly.