Three Reasons to Use Noncuration as a Motivator

The curation Gods may have left me but as a writer, I am not going down in flames.

I don’t write articles about Medium. However, I’ve been tempted on many occasions to write about the platform. I enjoy writing in this space and appreciate the friendships developed over the last several months. Articles about medium are not curated, but at the moment, that is a moot point for this southern writer.

Why? Because the curation Gods have abandoned me in a desert of obscurity. As my Imposter giggles on my shoulder, I contemplate beating my laptop to pieces and brushing it into the trash.

I’ve written myself to 1.7 thousand followers in less than a year. In the past months, I’ve earned several curations. I was curated in three to four tags at a time, but as time dragged on, I became a blip on the curator’s radar screen. My Imposter has grown fat on my doubt. He is Satan to a writer, and his mission is to devour all your ambition.

However, I must use this to my advantage so I can continue to write with vigor and abandon. This period of being in curation jail is a motivator for several reasons.

Please, remember your followers.

When we write, our followers must be on the tip of our minds. We must pay attention to what they are reading and meet their needs as readers. They took the time to press the follow button because they believed you had something important to say. Your words resonated, and they thought you were worthy of their time.

Some of the best writers offer nuggets of wisdom based on personal experience. It’s within that wisdom the connection occurs. Time is a commodity, and today’s reader wants to spend it wisely, so if you have 50 followers or 35 thousand, always remember you are providing a product, so give them the best you can offer.

Use the lack of validation as gas for your creative process.

Don’t allow low reads, claps, or lack of curation deter you from writing your next great post or article. Instead, retool and flick the Imposter from your shoulder.

Prove your imposter wrong. Prove to him, you are the boss of your destiny, and no matter what he whispers, you are a writer. Don’t allow the crushing of your dreams. Press the accelerator to the floor and speed towards becoming the best writer you can.

Find your groove and use it to the fullest. If sitting in the library is where your juices begin to flow, then be there as often as you can. If your kitchen table is your spot of choice, then plant your butt in the seat and write.

I always remind myself of why I write. Remember that you write not necessarily for the money but the possibility of changing someone’s life with your words. That, in my opinion, is the ultimate reward for a writer. The ability to touch a person’s soul with language is a high like no other.

As I’ve said before, stake the Imposter through the heart before he relegates you to the graveyard of writers who could have been.

Does curation matter?

As I said previously, I was curated often at the beginning of my medium journey. However, overall, it did little or nothing for earning or claps. I have several un- curated pieces that did better than non-curated ones.

I have an un-curated poem at 1000 claps right now and another with 700. Now, of course, I know this is small potatoes, but I’m proud of even these small successes. We must be proud of every achievement because small progress can lead to great rewards.

I admire the writers who receive high engagement and try to learn from them, but really, I must find my way in the writing world. I read the advice and take what I can to improve my process, but ultimately, my success is in my hands.

Furthermore, like most art, writing is a subjective process. Distribution in topics doesn’t guarantee high engagement. There is entirely too much information competing for the eyeballs of the reader, and interests vary across the board.

A Curator’s approval allows you a better chance at more readers engaging, but in actuality, it may still fall flat because of the whims and interests of the readers on the platform.

It’s a crapshoot in this writing game. Sometimes we catch magic by the tail and watch an article go to the ends of the universe. Our readers are engaged and leave great comments. However, sometimes an article dies a slow, painful death under the sheer volume of information available on the internet.

I do believe the lack of curation can motivate you to write more and better. The sheer challenge of attempting curation builds resolve and resiliency. Writers give up daily because of frustration. However, the day you give up may have been your breakthrough.

We don’t allow failure to discourage us. Instead, we embrace it and learn valuable lessons to bring to pad or laptop the next time we decide to fill the white void with our thoughts. Thanks for reading and peace.

Estacious(Charles White) is a 23-year educator. He began writing over 25 years ago. His work experience encompasses managing schools and teaching a variety of subjects. His passions are poetry, short fiction, playwrighting, and non-fiction. He won one of six prizes in the Rockford play festival for his play “Incarcerated Christmas”. He is married with three children and a native of New Orleans.