Summary

A new Medium user initially hesitant to share personal content online overcame their fears, embraced writing on the platform, and achieved their wish of being curated and published by a major Medium publication.

Abstract

The author of the article, a recent Medium user, describes their journey from anxiety about sharing personal details online to becoming a recognized writer on the platform. Initially, they deleted the Medium app due to privacy concerns but returned to it during the pandemic lockdown. Inspired by reading others' work, they published their first piece on April 28th and officially joined Medium in May. Despite the desire for recognition, they realized the importance of writing for self-expression rather than external validation. This shift in perspective led to their work being curated and subsequently published by "The Startup," one of Medium's large publications, fulfilling their wish and reinforcing the value of balancing dreams with reality.

Opinions

The author initially feared criticism and exposure, leading them to delete the Medium app shortly after creating an account.
The pandemic lockdown and reading on Medium reignited the author's interest in writing and sharing their work.
The author emphasizes the importance of writing for personal fulfillment rather than solely for recognition or validation.
They acknowledge the allure of being curated and published but caution against letting these desires overshadow the passion for writing itself.
The author's experiences suggest that staying true to one's passion and being grounded in reality can lead to the realization of one's aspirations, such as being curated and published on Medium.

The Medium fairies just gave me a “Wish Come True” moment

Keep dreaming about those fantasies while living inside the pubs of reality.

I created my Medium account back in March and deleted the app on my smartphone just after a week. Why? because I am anxious — I am afraid that I might find myself penning every detail of my life and I don’t want the world to know about it. I am not just ready yet so I went back expressing myself in my journal. No one can read it. I am safe, at least I feel safe.

Yes, I am not ready to be criticized nor be applauded.

April comes and the idea of staying at home is intensifying the hell out of my head. I mean, I have no problem with it. It’s just that, it’s not the picture I have in my mind. This pandemic has altered it — it’s hideous. Staying at home feels like a Nirvana to me until this virus showed up and started taking thousands of lives.

Mid of April when I decided to install the app back on my phone but I didn’t have any drafts to publish. I still don’t want to write so I just read and read every time I open Medium. But something in the wind has come through my ears and I hit that publish button — day 28th of the same month.

Yes, I have finally introduced my soul in this dreamy world. In that certain moment, I became fearless. And that little brave kid in me has opened up herself day by day until she officially became a member of Medium in May. Yes, I just signed up this month. I enrolled myself in a five-dollar worth of inspiration, learning, and fun. Medium has it!

Since then, all I have in mind is to write and write. Hit that publish button. I read a lot of articles here, mostly their medium success stories and the little kid in me wanted to be seen now. I secretly dreamed of being published in a big publication and be curated too.

Three weeks and I’ve already hit that publish button for eleven times. Sure, my followings have grown from zero to more than a hundred now. My stories got clapped, viewed, and read and I even received cool responses too — and it all granted me the drive to take another step, to move further, to write. But, I want to know how does it feel to be curated by the editors of Medium and be invited by the large publications to publish with them. I want to feel that too.

One fine Friday afternoon, just two days ago. I was reading Bird by Bird written by Anne Lammot and I was moved by her words.

“Fantasy keys won’t get you in. Almost every single thing you hope publication will do for you is a fantasy, a hologram — it’s the eagle on your credit card that only seems to soar.”

I caught myself staring at a blank space. Anne has a point, a very good point. So yes, at that very second I went back to the inner reason why I’m here. I’m here because I want to pen my heart out. I want to express myself even no one will ever notice my pieces so I hit that publish button, on the twelfth time now.

Having your work curated and be published in big publications can give you that writing pride, boost your self-confidence, and might help you finish a single day with 10,000 words. And there’s no problem with that, but let’s not allow the idea of being published get into our head. Fantasize moderately.

I wrote that in my Friday piece. I am completely great even I got published or not. I’m ready to step out of the fantasy land and just want to get real. I will keep writing without any conditions.

Guess what? The night of that same day, I got an email.

Man, my story from May 16th got curated! The certainty that it will be distributed across Medium topic pages and emails got me crying happy tears that night. I pressed my face against my pillow, I can’t believe that curation finally happened to me. I slept heartily.

But the fairies aren’t done yet, Saturday night when I received an email again.

The Startup asked me if I could publish my story with them. Man, I am over the moon! One of Medium’s big publications loved my piece. I am in so much awe. Who would ever say no to them? So I said yes, my story got published.

The Medium fairies just gave me a “wish come true” moment. The moment I once dreamed of. The dream I didn’t want to believe anymore.

Keep dreaming about those fantasies while living inside the pubs of reality.

The wishes you have in mind will serve as your fuel to drive miles and miles, you’ll reach far places but you have to master how to live within the lane of reality first to make those fantasies happen right straight from your very eyes.

Dream about those things. Being published and curated? Let that lurk inside your head and let your heart deal with what’s real. Sit on that desk, pour those liters of blood coming out from the thing behind your chest. Live within the bars of your reality — you write because that’s what you want. Always let your passion play the game, publication and curation will follow.

Your reality makes your fantasies happen.