Illumination Publication

Looking to Maximize Your Writing?

Time to hit the ILLUMINATION gym!

Writing is an interesting sport.

I use the word sport because it is hard to describe what it really means to write. Is writing an art, a pastime, a profession, a pursuit, an engagement, a dedication, a basic form of communication, an afterthought, an obsession, a craft, a passion, a frustration, an art, a mechanism, a conduit, an ideal or just perhaps a product?

Short answer: Yes. It is all those things.

So, for lack of a better amalgamation description, I am going to use sport. And I think it is fitting too. Writing, like sport, requires practice and determination. Having skill is helpful, but not entirely necessary. And, both are done at the professional elite level as well as the most basic of beginning attempts, and everywhere in between.

The other thing I like about sport as an analogy, or definition, to writing is that one can be really good at one particular sport, but completely suck at another, and that is okay. World-class high jumpers may not be very good at cricket. But they won’t really know until they try. Sometimes what works well in one sport actually translates very well into another, when it doesn’t seem intuitive that it might.

Also true to this particular analogy, writing, like sport, isn’t about winning or losing — or at least it shouldn’t be. Both really should be all about the love of the activity. The engagement, the progress, the connections made and the satisfaction that comes from giving your best, regardless of outcome.

And finally, regardless of whether you just get off the couch, lace on you cleats and hit the pitch, or you train and practice every day you still are playing the sport — you are writing. But, like in sports, you tend to perform a lot better if you make a point of training.

And this is where being a part of Illumination comes in. Joining the Illumination publication is a bit like joining a training gym. A gym where the people that work out there all act as teammates and coaches to one another.

There are other gyms out there. Big ones, little ones; popular and not. Some gyms are specialized, some more generic. Some have a few trainers speckled about that may be helpful, some gyms offer no help at all, and in fact are quite stand-offish.

This is where Illumination truly shines. There is no writing “gym” quite like Illumination in existence anywhere. A place where the core values of Diversity, Fusion, Synergy and Serendipity aren’t just hollow concepts, but are practiced daily to the benefit of all who participate.

This gym is open 24 hours and has people training for all sorts of “sports”. We have realized and capitalized on the fact that there is synergy in working together and next to one another. The tools, and equipment at the gym are open for anyone to use, and great advice is available with a simple ask — of anyone.

You might be training right next to a world-class writer, or a brand new one; but both will have great perspective, insight and encouragement that will boost your abilities.

The only things required of you when you join Illumination is that you show up and participate. Just like any gym membership, it isn’t having the card or key fob in your possession, it is the showing up and participating that makes the difference in your development. Both as a writer, and really as a person.

Here are the top 3 ways to engage with your new writing “gym”:

See One, Do One, Teach One

An old medical school adage I came to know well in paramedic training, and it applies well here to explain the dynamic you should have with all of your fellows here at the “gym”.

Watch (read), ask questions and comment on others’ work. It is the best way to learn and begin to form relationships with others. Write a lot and expect others to engage. And also, be willing to teach. The best way to get better at a skill is to relay the learning process to others.

If you apply this mantra to your “training”, the “Watch — Do — Teach” concept, you will excel on the publication. It isn’t always about just the “Do” part.

Cross Train

Athletes know that one of the best ways to gain competitive advantage is to occasionally cross train into other pursuits. This challenges your body and mind to adapt to new motions and interactions, engaging muscles and reflexes not normally used.

Writing is the same way. We run the risk of over-training if we only concentrate on one genre or pursuit. Illumination is the perfect environment for trying your hand at fiction, poetry, satire, technical writing, television or movie reviews. Anything that you might not normally write about, or in a style you don’t often use.

Stepping outside your writing comfort zone will force your brain to use other aspects which will manifest positively in all aspects of your writing.

When I ran track in high school, the coach would encourage the varsity athletes to use the junior varsity meets to try out a new event. Distance runners might try their go at sprints, or someone might try a throwing event. It was eye-opening and a good change of pace for a workout, and occasionally we would find out that someone was a stand-out pole vaulter but would have never known if they hadn’t tried.

Use Illumination occasionally as your junior varsity track meet and try out something new. Heck, I even wrote a poem:

Network Outside the Gym

You can’t work out 24/7. It just isn’t healthy. But you can still interact and stay engaged outside the gym.

To me, this manifests in two ways. One, engage with other writers outside the publication, and outside the Medium platform. That’s right; don’t limit yourself to just reading Illumination articles. See what else is out there. Engage. Use the skills that help you excel on Illumination out there as well. You don’t need to proselytize, but you may well find people asking you, “What is this Illumination thing you write for?”

The second way to keep engaged outside the gym is to join and follow the Illumination Slack Channel, Twitter Account, Facebook Page, and Flipboard. Slack in particular is a great way to expand on relationships you develop inside Medium and discuss anything and everything. Think of it as going for a cup of coffee or a smoothie with your friends after a workout.

That’s it. Pretty simple. You have joined a truly special group of people that are ready and willing to lift you up to new heights. All you need to do is show up and participate.

Now, who’s ready to hit the gym?

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Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.