ILLUMINATION Writers

Interview with Yannis Dokos

Featuring creative writers of ILLUMINATION

Purpose of the Story

In this story, I want to share with you an interview that I conducted with Yannis Dokos.

Yannis is relatively a new writer on ILLUMINATION, but he became renowned in such a short time due to his high-quality stories and meaningful engagement with other writers. Yannis regularly joins our Slack channel and shares his thoughts and experience generously.

As a young writer and blogger with a legal background, I believe Yannis has a tremendous potential to be a top writer on Medium and other platforms soon.

Let’s explore the interesting life of this insightful, engaging, and collaborative writer of ILLUMINATION.

Tell us a bit about your background, Yannis.

My name Yannis is the equivalent of the name John in English. I come from Greece. I am 28 years young, even though the white hair on my head may suggest otherwise. I have a legal background, having studied law in Greece.

I have four uncles and aunts that are also lawyers, so you can say there was a lot of influence towards that direction. I remember myself role-playing with a suitcase full of empty notepads and pens when I was ten or so, having one of my uncles as my role model. After I joined law school, I soon realized that path was not meant for me. My studies were also not very successful. I remember I struggled with the dry information I was called to memorize and use.

After my legal studies, I decided I wanted to do something other than practice law conventionally. Thus, I enrolled in a master program in the Netherlands (an LL.M., to be exact, so it looks like I will never get rid of the legal background), and I live in the country for about four years now. Currently, I work in the corporate world in information security, with writing being one of my part-time activities.

By nature, I am quite adaptive, and I also like experimenting. That made the transition from one country and lifestyle to the next quite easy. I think this is (partially) reflected in my writing as well, as I like going through different topics and styles and experimenting with them.

Other than that, I am living a happy, quiet life, living with my girlfriend and my two noisy parrots in beautiful Amsterdam!

Why do you write on Medium?

I am maintaining a personal blog, called Nous Universalis. Maintaining is a misnomer, to be fair, and I am doing a poor job with my consistency. Struggling to get more visibility and readership, I asked around for tips. A lady in a forum suggested I try Medium to help my blog gain some traction. That was the original plan and motivation, at least.

My blog’s promotion is, to some extent, one of the reasons I write on Medium. However, it is no longer the main drive anymore. The platform is simple and easy to use, and I figured I could be more productive and consistent with my writing compared to my blog. Formatting is easy and intuitive, compared to adding effects and changing fonts in Wordpress.

My main motivation for writing on Medium is for my work to have an impact. To make an audience, however big or small, say “aha, that’s an interesting perspective right there”! If I can get someone to read and add a thought-provoking comment on one of my stories, I consider myself successful. If that person’s perspective (and by extension, his or her life) changes for the better, I can say I achieved my goal.

What about money and fame? But none of these is what initially motivates me to write. Truth be told, I still check my stats more often than I would like to (I am working on fixing that)!

What are your values as a writer?

Over the past few months of writing, I would say these are the crucial values I am after as a writer (inside and outside Medium):

- Honesty: That is number one, for me. A writer must be honest, whether he or she writes fiction or non-fiction. What I mean by that is not just the amount of truthfulness a piece of work contains. It also means being honest to myself about my own skills and shortcomings. As someone who was initially lured into Medium based on (fake) promises of success, money and fame, I know that honesty is a priority. If all else fails, then at least I can be honest to myself about it. Then I can take the steps necessary to improve and grow from the failure.

- Humility: I often forget to be humble when I am writing. A spike in readership and views won’t guarantee success and everlasting glory, as much as I’d like it to. Also, writing requires a certain degree of humility towards the reader. I need to remind myself that writing is not about bragging rights and pretending I am a know-it -all. Heck, I will never get there. So, I feel this is something I constantly need to remind myself.

- Reciprocity: Leaving the best for last, I consider reciprocity to be key to everything a writer does. Whether I am interacting with a fellow writer or a reader, I appreciate the sense of reciprocity and the honest exchange of energy. Not in a quid pro quo sense, but from a place where both parties have something to gain from the interaction. The reader borrows a new perspective, idea or thought process from the writer. The writer then knows that what he or she does is the right thing. The same applies to the relationships with other writers. It’s all about being able to add value in a selfless and genuine way.

Cliché, perhaps, but I feel those really describe the ideal values I am pursuing as a writer.

What are the top three books affected your life?

I really don’t like lists that can be filled with more items than their limit. Having said that, I’d ultimately pick the following (in no particular order):

- Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche: It’s amazing how different this book is each time I read it. I have already gone through this one 3 times, and, every single time, I manage to get different, novel messages out of it. The allegories Nietzsche uses there are absolutely powerful and thought-provoking. The camel, the lion and the child are always there to remind me things about myself.

- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz: What an incredible book. I remember how I absorbed it within a couple days after I bought it. Splendid writing, a compelling story about self-discovery, sexuality, love and struggle, all brought together through vivid imagery. This one ticks all the boxes of my definition of a perfect book!

- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari: This is the latest book I read (I know, I was late to the party), but I have no regrets! I am a fan of systems/holistic thinking, so having a book that briefly covers the history of our species is priceless. It gave me perspective around where we were, where we are, and were we are headed as human beings. A must-read.

What are your hobbies?

Well, writing is obviously one of them! I work full-time, so writing occupies only some of my free time. I am still developing my passion for writing and I am trying to find my writing voice and style, so I would consider writing a hobby under construction.

Other than that, I like many different things. I like reading, but I could improve on that and become a bit more consistent in that regard. I also play the electric guitar (I am a fan of metal and its different sub-genres) and I occasionally find joy in a nice videogame or two. But that one is probably not a hobby, per se.

I am a coffee lover, just like most of the 7 billion people inhabiting the planet. However, I do have a semi-professional coffee machine and I am experimenting with different blends and extraction times, so I would count that as a hobby as well.

Lastly, I find great joy in assembling furniture and appliances, however spatial limitations won’t allow this to evolve into a full-fledged hobby!

How do you connect with your readers?

This is an area I feel I need to work on more. The first reason is that I haven’t managed to create a consistent and solid reader base that reads my content. To some extent this is a result of me being a new writer on the Medium platform, and I am now in the process of developing that following. Second, I need to improve the way I engage with the readers that actually care about what I write.

Ideally, I would like to form a bond with those readers by developing healthy interactions, via comments and feedback. What serves the reader best? Which writing style reaches the greatest number of followers, and for what topics do people really care about? I still don’t know the answers to those questions. I believe the reader holds the answer.

So, if you’re reading this, please share your comments and feedback with me. Be honest about what you like and what you don’t like. If you feel that what you want to share is not publicly shareable, send me a message or leave a private note. I will consider it regardless. I will take it into account and will let your input shape my work in ways that helps both of us.

Honest feedback is the best way for a reader to reach me. I will make sure to do the same, to clap, support, comment and show how I was impacted.

Why did you join ILLUMINATION and how do you find it so far?

I stumbled upon Illumination shortly after creating my Medium account. The publication hosted stories on various topics that I genuinely enjoy, so it made sense for me to follow it.

Soon after that, I read many tips on how publications can be beneficial for a writer’s visibility. There are many videos on YouTube, for instance, covering this particular topic. I was convinced it would help, since I was publishing independently until that point. After a couple days of contemplation, I sent you, Dr Mehmet Yildiz a request to join Illumination. It was accepted within a few hours.

Joining Illumination proved to be a brilliant move!

I soon realized Illumination was more than just another publication. Even though I had no prior experience with publications on Medium, I found out that I was part of a community. The writers of the publication are honest, encouraging and approachable people, which makes asking questions and learning from them easy. There is a strong sense of collaboration and belonging, which is maintained by a thoughtful leader, Dr Mehmet Yildiz. Most writers are part of, and active on, our Slack channel, which keeps everyone motivated and involved.

There is great potential in Illumination. So far, my experience is only positive, and I enjoy getting to know different people, writing styles and fresh perspectives. I am glad I joined such a bright publication!

Who are the top ten writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?

Ah, another list! Again, it’s hard to choose, having stumbled upon many skilled and caring fellow writers in Illumination so far. It feels bad leaving some of them out of it, but here are the ten people I would like to give kudos to and thank for their contribution (again, in no particular order):

Tree Langdon ♾️ For being the first person to give me some brutally honest feedback, and for her skillful use of words to convey beautiful messages

Aimée Gramblin: For being her true self, a radiant writer that captured me with her first sentence

George J. Ziogas: For the engaging writing style and content

Noah Levy: For having a great depth of knowledge and a style that resonates with me deeply

Erin King: For offering practical tips using a direct writing style

Ming Qian: For being honest and for being there when I needed motivation

Chris Hedges: For being insightful and for writing with no filters

Jessica Cote: For being sincere and brave with her writing

Terry Mansfield: For reminding me the importance of engagement and reciprocity

Dr Mehmet Yildiz: For giving me the opportunity to be part of this great community, and for being a forward-looking leader of Illumination

What are your top five stories that you want to share with your audience and why?

At this point I don’t have a wide variety of stories to showcase, to be honest. However, out of the ones I have written so far, I would probably pick the following:

My aim with this one was to keep everything short and simple, and give the reader something to ponder before they go to bed. It was a story I wrote in less than an hour, and shared hoping to add some value and positivity to those contemplating about their behaviors and life, overall. It was amazing to know that people found it interesting and useful, and I hope it functions as food for thought.

This one is based on an experience I had some time ago. An unexpectedly beautiful sunset turned into a story about taking a moment to appreciate the little big things in life. It was definitely a revelation for me, given that my hectic life gets in the way of enjoying these moments. It is a wonderful reminder.

Yes, that is a story based on facts and not fiction. After a moment of despair and frustration, I did it. I just thought “IDGAF (pardon my abbreviated French), I will just do it just to see what happens”! The world keeps spinning, and my hair looked, and looks, normal. I had lots of fun writing this one, and I hope the experience can illuminate and inspire those who read it. Not necessarily to have a DIY haircut, but to be spontaneous, here and there!

This story also comes from personal experiences being in toxic relationships (in fact, I was causing the toxicity for the most part). I thought how I would like to offer a different perspective around the elements to avoid in order to maintain a healthy relationship with a significant other. In a way, I was also addressing myself when writing this. I added some humor and imagery in the story to spice things up. It made me think things through, and maybe it helps you too.

Videogames seem to be a hobby I will be sticking with until my final days. You can present to me all sorts of arguments around their pointlessness, their addictive nature and high costs (assuming you are doing things legally), but I won’t be convinced to switch sides. I personally feel blessed to have encountered certain videogames, because they taught me so many things. That story aims to showcase the most overlooked side of videogames: their benefit to the mind and soul.

What are the success factors for you as a writer on Medium?

When I first started with Medium, I was obsessed with stats. I think that is something most new people go through when first joining the platform. I would check my stats multiple times a day, craving for the views, claps and pennies adding up. I was anchoring my success and my motivation on the outcome of my writing, and not on the writing itself.

Thankfully, I soon realized this approach wouldn’t get me far. It wasn’t helping me grow as an aspiring writer and content creator. It was just creating false expectations and was reinforcing a negative behavior. I knew I had to stop it. To be frank, I still check my stats. I still care about my content getting curated and for the seemingly insignificant payment I receive every month. But I don’t consider them an indication of success, not anymore.

So, to answer the question, succeeding on Medium (and on my blog, as well) means having an impact. If my messages lead to a revelation, a smile, inspiration, perspective, or if they trigger the reader’s critical thinking, I am happy. I consider myself successful when I know my work really touched someone.

If you are a reader of my content, and if that content helped you see things a little differently, let me know. That is my real reward, and that is all I seek.

What do you recommend to the new writers on ILLUMINATION?

I would recommend to them what I recommend to myself every day:

- Ask questions and feedback. The publication is blessed to have many experienced writers that are eager to help you excel and learn

- Be daring. Experiment with different styles, topics and viewpoints. Illumination is an open-minded and accepting environment where writers can shine, if they choose to

- Whenever you can, help others. If you can help someone, do it. For me, even saying welcome to a new member is enough to make someone feel at home. Offering writing advice and feedback is what we all need to become better writers and readers

- Don’t get fixated on stats. This one is not Illumination-specific, but it is definitely something new writers, in general, should pay attention to. Stats may or may not come. What is important is becoming a better writer and finding your writing purpose.

What are your future plans as a writer?

I have things in mind I want to achieve as a writer in the future. Primarily, I wish to obtain that consistency and writing style that will keep me motivated and engaged with writing. Admittedly, I am not there yet. I wish to explore different topics, media, ideas and ways to engage with a wide audience in a fruitful and helpful way.

In the distant future, and after I develop my skills and style further, I am considering collecting bits and pieces and putting them together somehow (creating an e-book, physical book, etc.). Perhaps to be published, or maybe to be kept in a dark and dusty place somewhere. I would expect all that work to obtain a different feel and meaning if it comes together and forms something greater than its smaller parts. I am curious about the outcome.

What is my most important goal for me, however, is being able to discover myself through my writing. To use the pen and the keyboard as a way to put myself out there, and outside my comfort zone. To get in touch with a different sort of catharsis, one that can keep me going through hardship and uncertainty.

It’s incredible how I always feel amazed by how little I know myself, right until the point I put everything on paper or on the computer screen. I wish for this amazement to never go away, and I hope I can cultivate it so that I can discover myself, slowly but surely, every single day. That is my ultimate plan, to find myself through my words.

Thank you Dr Mehmet Yildiz for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts!

Thank you for your valuable time Yannis Dokos. I enjoy reading your fascinating stories on ILLUMINATION. Your background, writing, and blogging capabilities are impressive and inspirational to us.

I’d like to explore more stories from you. I also appreciate your wonderful support of our publication, writers, and readers.

You can learn more about Yannis Dokos from his writer bio.

If you are a writer on ILLUMINATION and would like to be interviewed, please send a request via this link with the title of “Interview Request”.

Other Interviews

You may also check other interviews I conducted with inspiring writers of ILLUMINATION recently. These stories can provide a great opportunity to know more about our creative writers and connect with them.

Timothy Key

Desiree Driesenaar

Holly Jahangiri

Dr John Rose

Ming Qian

P.G. Barnett

Jill Ebstein

Bill Abbate

Terry Mansfield

Ann K Frailey

Woei T

Charles Roast

Julia E Hubbel

Aric D Mayer

Chris Hedges

Paroma Sen

Jeff Hanlon

Besom & Bletherskite

Sherry McGuinn

Sylvia Love Johnson

Maïa Belart

Henery X (long)

Chowa Sekai

conny manero

Sumera Rizwan

Karen Madej 💛

Anita Lesko

Marianna Saver

Suntonu Bhadra

John Cousins

Annelise Lords

Tree Langdon ♾️

Aisha

Aurora Eliam, CMP

Martine Weber

Sharon Hurley Hall

MaryJo Wagner, PhD

Kevin Buddaeus

You might check more interviews in the attached collection.

You can find inspiring profiles of ILLUMINATION writers from this story.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

About the Author

Thank you for subscribing to my content. I share my health and well-being stories in my publication, Euphoria. If you are new to Medium, you may join by following this link. A small part of your membership fee will not only support my writing, but your reading times can support many great writers on this platform.

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In addition to self-improvement, leadership, technology, and health, I also enjoy writing about essential molecules such as lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, digestive enzymes, magnesium, creatine, choline, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, CoQ10, NADH, TMG, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and other nutrients for health and fitness.