WRITING | THANK YOU | AWESOMENESS | LEARNING
I Hit 1K Followers, Where Are My Million Dollars?
Thank you to my one thousand newest friends and sworn confidantes!
The Beginning
My writing journey began in the Summer of 2021. Deep into the pandemic, money woes flew around, and I was steeped in a dramatic, existential crisis. I knew I was withdrawing from my husband and my children, and something had to be done.
So, what did I do exactly?
I ran away.
Okay, okay that’s dramatic. I booked myself into a resort and began to reflect in my bubble of solitude. Then I found myself crying because I had so much to think about, I was overwhelmed.
“Write this shit down, Roxy. Then you can just forget it all.”
Inner Roxy was right! Let’s write all these thoughts out so I can drink whiskey and pass out by the pool in peace. I liken the feeling to a twisted ball of yarn. Only the yarn is not one long strand, but a thousand tiny pieces knotted into a massive ball. I desperately needed to untangle, untie each piece, lay it out straight, and line them in a row on the table before me.
That’s what the written word looks like in my head, anyways. So, I come out of this dramatic angsty weekend, with what? What conclusion did I come to?
Divorce.
WAY TO MAKE THIS SHIT HEAVY ROXY!!!
Sad, but true. My life was so noisy, my head so busy, the emotional tornado ever reigning in my chest, it took a distance of 15 miles from my home and lots of whiskey to straighten out all these pieces of yarn. Like tea leaves to a fortune teller, my little strings of yarn told me exactly what needed to happen.
The Middle
So, here I am currently in what I would call “The Middle”. Maybe, the beginning-middle?
Is that a biddle?
A midginning?
Probably still just the beginning.
I’d like to express a sincere “Thank you!” to all 1,000 of you who were polite and crazy enough to hit the follow button. I promise to keep parading my fears, insecurities, and trauma along so yours has some company.
I’ve just ventured into starting a new publication with Veronica Sully and I couldn’t be more excited for this challenge. Feel free to give our publication a follow so I don’t have to ask my Mom. Please don’t make me ask her, y’all.
Much like other writers on this platform, I pull from my own experiences to draw lessons, observations, or simply “don’t be an idiot like me” blooper-reels Ito share with readers.
Some of my biggest lessons I’ve had to learn the hard way:
The Lessons
- Tim Denning is awesome!- You won’t find an article about writing on Medium without Tim tagged in it. Did I just name-drop a Medium celebrity? Yes. Yes, I did. Tim is amazing, but he didn’t get there overnight. It took me quite a bit of time to stop beating myself up for not being like Tim. I will strive to write full time, and soak up his advice along the way. However, I’ve accepted his success wasn’t magic, and that I’ll never have his awesome Aussie accent.
- Be Authentic- This is tossed into articles here and there about success as a writer, but is truly an invaluable tool. Some of the most well-received pieces I’ve written were about the worst subjects. Cancer, self-loathing, and addiction to name a few. People identify with real life. We all have scars, but the secret to reaching an audience is to stop hiding yours. Toss the toxic positivity, emphasize your “why” for the reader, and you’ll make some true connections and make a lasting impact. As writers, what else could we possibly want?
- Stop Doom Scrolling Medium- If I click on one more article titled “I started writing on Medium a month ago and here’s a breakdown of the $13,000 I’ve made so far” I’m going to put myself in time out. THAT'S RIGHT. TIME OUT. Unless I trust where the information is coming from, these articles do zero to encourage my writing or improve my mental health. Be fiercely protective of your mental health, y’all. Writers like me appreciate actual advice I can turn around and execute immediately. Be a Tim, not a Dick. (For legal reasons, I should clarify Dick is not a real person, but a name I assign all the Dicks out there who enjoy misleading people for the purpose of reading time and money. Smooches, Dicks.)
- Find Your Support- Dr Mehmet Yildiz and the ILLUMINATION publication have been critical tools for my continued learning on Medium. Finding individuals both here and on Twitter is really a support system I didn’t even know I needed. As writers, we may think in a bubble, but we do not execute in one. Whether it is your family or virtual connections, be sure to find people who cheer you on, even when you know that last poem could have been better.
That’s about all the semi-profound advice I have, actually. The reason for this is that I’m very much still an infant in this big world of writers.
I am so very grateful for every clap, comment, and highlight on anything I write as any type of feedback is a gift for me. We all know time is money. Thank you for using your valuable time to read my thoughts and observations.
When I reach the point where I’m a millionaire writer like Tim, I’ll be hiring him as a vocal coach to help me with my Aussie accent. After all, I’m just trying to be one of the cool kids making millions online, mate.
P.S. you should have my articles sent straight to your inbox like all the cool kids. Click here if you want to be a cool kid!
Find me twittering in the Twittersphere here.
Find me influencing so hard on Instagram here.
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