Introducing Myself to the Illumination Community

Summary

An English man from Leeds introduces himself to the Illumination community through a mock interview with his mirror, discussing his interests, achievements, and favorite Medium articles.

Abstract

The author of the article, a self-described introvert and linguist from Leeds, England, engages in a creative self-introduction by conducting a mock interview with his mirror. He reveals his preference for privacy, his love for reading and writing, and his aversion to pineapple and typos. Although he considers his greatest achievement to be balancing mugs on his head, he takes his interactions on Medium seriously, engaging with other writers and their work. He highlights two impactful Medium articles, "The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis" and "Writing Exposes Weird Quirks and Flaws in Your Internal Voice," and mentions his struggle with choosing the best book he's ever read, though he settles on "The Collector" by John Fowles for the day. The author also expresses gratitude towards his parents, his French teacher, and a Medium writer for their guidance. He introduces his new literary project, "Briefly Write," and concludes by stating his preference for cats over dogs and clownfish over larks, among other comparisons, while remaining uncertain about his future, except that he will continue to see himself through a mirror.

Opinions

The author is an Englishman from Leeds who prefers to remain somewhat anonymous, using a zoomed-out profile picture and a shadowed photo on Twitter.
He views himself as a reader, writer, linguist, and introvert, among other things, and is modest about his self-introduction.
The author is humorous and self-deprecating, considering his ability to balance mugs as a notable achievement and not taking himself too seriously.
He values engagement with the Medium community, emphasizing his active reading, clapping, and interaction with other writers.
The author appreciates insightful articles on Medium, particularly those that explore language and writing, and is unable to pinpoint a single best book due to the vast number of influential reads.
He expresses thanks to those who have influenced his writing journey, including family, a teacher, and a fellow Medium writer.
The author is launching a literary project called "Briefly Write," which suggests his commitment to creating a space for concise literary works.
He has clear preferences in animals, favoring cats, magpies, woodpeckers, and clownfish, but remains open-minded and situational in his choices.
The author's outlook on the future is uncertain, yet he acknowledges the constant of self-reflection through his mirror metaphor.

An interview with my mirror

I don’t really enjoy talking about myself. I am… what? A person… a man, an English man. A reader. A writer? A linguist. A Leeds United fan. A student, a cynic, a spectator, an introvert…

I don’t really like to be seen. I hide behind the anonymity of a shadowed photo on Twitter. My Medium picture is zoomed out to a suitable distance and Murcia Cathedral looms over me as a distraction.

So, I’m sorry: I didn’t conduct an interview with myself. Instead, I asked my mirror some questions and recorded its responses.

This is my first article in my attempt at Dr Mehmet’s 30-Day Challenge. I have been in the Illumination community for two weeks now so it is arguably too late for an introductory post, but here goes…

Why should I follow you?

In this dog-eat-dog world of Medium writing, everyone is shouting to get their message heard. I prefer a quieter approach.

I interact, I engage (my hands are sore from so much clapping), I read a lot more than I write, I want to learn from other writers. And I don’t take myself seriously enough to think I can tell people what they should or shouldn’t do.

Introducing Myself to the Illumination Community

An interview with my mirror

Why are you so bad at introductions?

Where are you from?

Name three things you like.

Name three things you hate.

What’s your greatest achievement to date?

Why should I follow you?

What’s the best article you’ve read so far on Medium?

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

How the languages you use influence your thinking

Writing Exposes Weird Quirks and Flaws in Your Internal Voice

I doubt my own talents and abilities.

And what’s the best book you’ve ever read?

So… what’s today’s answer?

Anyone you’d like to thank?

How likely are you to complete the Illumination 30-Day Challenge without cheating?

Do you have a website you would like to shamelessly plug?

Briefly Write

A new literary space for those who like their writing bold but brief.

Do you prefer cats or dogs?

Birds or fish?

Magpies or pike?

Larks or clownfish?

Woodpeckers or blowfish?

Final question: where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?