avatarMartha Lueck

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ted. To make myself feel better, I spent $600 to self-publish a book. The book mostly consisted of poetry and inspirational writing that I composed in school. Most of it was about my faith and motivation. But shortly after getting the book published, I felt like a failure. It didn’t cure my depression or anxiety.</p><p id="3f0d">In 2015, after joining a mental health support group, one of the advocates asked me about starting a grass roots organization. He thought I would make a good Communication Leader. After starting that organization, I found it rewarding to cover advocacy events and mental health etiquette to break the stigma.</p><figure id="93de"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*byptY0xNJfHXRrNOT6R8Xg.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@totalshape?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Total Shape</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mental-health?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="de75">In 2016, a friend from college recommended that I apply to blog for a mental health website called HealthyPlace. I have been blogging and creating videos for them for six years. I love the role because it involves talking about mental health coping skills for hard times! It gives me the freedom to write about my own experiences while connecting with my readers.</p><p id="7c73">While I write for HealthyPlace, contributing to Medium gives me the freedom to write about any topic. It allows me to explore different genres and publications. At the end of the day, I write to motivate and inspire myself and others. If I can help myself through writing, perhaps I can help a larger audience.</p><h2 id="980c">Conclusion</h2><p id="d6ff">Finding my niche wasn’t easy. At times, it took an emotional toll on me. Rejections from writing jobs didn’t help. But pursuing my passion as a hobby is what kept my soul alive. Perhaps one day, I will get a full-time writing job. But until then, I will keep writing for my mental health and that of others.</p><p id="2f1e">If you don’t know what your niche is right now, think about something that you enjoy learning about or doing. What is one thing that you think will interest you for the rest of your life? It doesn’t have to be a career; it can just be a hobby. When you discover what your niche is, share it in the comments.</p><p id="66a1">Thank you for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, check out some more of my content from Medium.</p><div id="6b23" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/god-blessed-me-with-a-passion-for-writing-46f234e3bcda"> <div> <div> <h2>God Blessed Me With a Passion For Writing</h2> <div><h3>A story about the ways God used my passion for writing to shape my life</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*LNKXWRLg2srDobkS4BSO_A.jpeg)"></div>

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            <h2>Five Lessons I Learned as a Mental Health Blogger</h2>
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            <h2>Introduction to Martha Lueck, Author of 'Getting Through Tough Times'</h2>
            <div><h3>My name is Martha Lueck and I'm very excited to be writing for the blog Getting Through Tough Times. I have experienced…</h3></div>
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How I Found My Writing Niche

It was a long road, but it was worth the trip.

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

Every weekend, Jason Edmunds creates writing prompts for the publication called A Taste for Life. This story was inspired by a prompt about niches.

When I was in first grade, I started writing a journal entry. After the bell rang for recess, I continued writing. This was one of the earliest moments when I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Of course, I still had dreams and goals like becoming a teacher, a rock star, and a meteorologist. But two of those dreams eventually fell flat. I sucked at singing, and science wasn’t my forte. My heart always went back to writing.

Image by Raphael Jeanneret from Pixabay

While I loved writing in elementary and middle school, I wasn’t very good at it. My ideas were disorganized, and I often drifted off-topic. But even though my English grades were not the best, that didn’t stop me from writing.

In middle school, I mostly wrote fictional romance stories. After the tenth page, I got bored and scrapped them. Journaling about my thoughts and feelings was always cathartic. But looking back, they were probably more of a cry for help. My journal entries were often dark. Eventually, I threw those journals away.

In high school, I was obsessed with music. After watching VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, I was blown away by how the host described the music and the artists. It was then that I realized I wanted to interview musicians and write articles about them. To start, I wrote monthly album reviews for my school newspaper. Journalism was always my favorite subject.

ViacomCBS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In college, I enjoyed writing as a columnist for my school newspaper. My stories were primarily about how to enjoy college life and excel academically. Even though I only wrote for the newspaper for one semester, it was an enlightening experience. I wanted to become an inspirational writer with a focus on “how-to” articles.

After college, my mental health plummeted. To make myself feel better, I spent $600 to self-publish a book. The book mostly consisted of poetry and inspirational writing that I composed in school. Most of it was about my faith and motivation. But shortly after getting the book published, I felt like a failure. It didn’t cure my depression or anxiety.

In 2015, after joining a mental health support group, one of the advocates asked me about starting a grass roots organization. He thought I would make a good Communication Leader. After starting that organization, I found it rewarding to cover advocacy events and mental health etiquette to break the stigma.

Photo by Total Shape on Unsplash

In 2016, a friend from college recommended that I apply to blog for a mental health website called HealthyPlace. I have been blogging and creating videos for them for six years. I love the role because it involves talking about mental health coping skills for hard times! It gives me the freedom to write about my own experiences while connecting with my readers.

While I write for HealthyPlace, contributing to Medium gives me the freedom to write about any topic. It allows me to explore different genres and publications. At the end of the day, I write to motivate and inspire myself and others. If I can help myself through writing, perhaps I can help a larger audience.

Conclusion

Finding my niche wasn’t easy. At times, it took an emotional toll on me. Rejections from writing jobs didn’t help. But pursuing my passion as a hobby is what kept my soul alive. Perhaps one day, I will get a full-time writing job. But until then, I will keep writing for my mental health and that of others.

If you don’t know what your niche is right now, think about something that you enjoy learning about or doing. What is one thing that you think will interest you for the rest of your life? It doesn’t have to be a career; it can just be a hobby. When you discover what your niche is, share it in the comments.

Thank you for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, check out some more of my content from Medium.

Do you like my content so far? Subscribe here to receive updates on my upcoming stories. Also, support Medium writers by becoming a member at my referral link below. For $5 per month, you will gain unlimited access to Medium stories. Part of your contribution will help writers make money for their content.

Writing
Advice
Mental Health
Writing Prompt Response
Illumination
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