As I near my 15th anniversary of putting pen to paper each week to create a weekly essay I want to share with you my writing journey and the unorthodox path I’ve taken to get here.
Not all writers are created equal as the saying goes and I’m a perfect illustration of this. What began as a way to engage and bring along my donors for my charitable endeavours after dad passed away has turned into a lifelong obsession with the written word.
Who would have guessed that I’d fall in love with writing and continue all these years on.
As you may have guessed from my writing style and format that it has evolved substantially over the years to where we are today. Still not particularly polished nor on target for a specific audience but rather an amalgam of thoughts, ideas, trips, beliefs and meandering stories from my childhood.
What began as capturing the stories of my childhood for my kids – Zach and Sam has evolved into the broad-brush strokes of life which I find myself documenting each week.
This is me and my life…
My life had never been in a straight line, but rather the constant in a continuum of change. In my heart I’m an explorer and adventurer, hence my travel essays. Another of my interests is coaching and helping others realize their potential, hence I have published a significant number of essays related to your mindset, change and self-belief.
All of these topics and more can be found in my essay library and the almost 800 weeks of continuous essays.
Writing is not the only eclectic aspect of my life, no far from it.
If you take a peek at my career, you’ll see that it mirrors in many ways my writing in that I have put my hand to a great many things over the years. From driving trucks and working on farms in my youth, to creating and exhibiting my artwork to working for a not-for-profit, before moving into finance and banking, followed by a stint within the software industry which all came before my management consulting career with Accenture and finally my independent program consulting roles.
Now all of these years later I have evolved into professional photography. It’s not that I haven’t found interest or enjoyment in many of these careers, but just like my writing journey it’s all about variety and the challenge that comes with mastering a new skill or competency.
Early in my writing career I decided to attend a writer’s conference/retreat in Stockholm. It was my first brush with other writers in a more formal setting, and although the setting was incredible, I actually came away rather discouraged.
Not surprisingly, I didn’t fit into any particular box and being an anomaly in this situation is not always a comfortable place to be and so found myself on the outside looking in. No question writers can be a quirky, if not a protective group and without formal literary training I was viewed with some scepticism. Fine by me…
Although it bruised my ego, I was able to see it for what it was.
My writing journey didn’t require validation from others for me to continue creating and publishing an essay each week or dabbling in micro-fiction. Nor did it stop me from publishing either of my two books – Indelible Adventures (2013) and Una Storia d’Amore (2017)
What may have ended someone’s writing career only fuelled me to continue in spite of what others thought. Over the years an incredible number of people have read my essays and stories, and as you’d expect with varying degrees of enjoyment – again not my concern.
However, like most things in life you have to continue to believe in yourself, stay focused but most of all do it because you have a passion for doing what you’re doing and keep going.
I’ve always been a big believer in following your passion irrespective of what others think, say or do because you will always have nay-sayers no matter who you are or where you are in life – it’s a constant.
The trick is to minimize the negativity and noise and persevere with something that fuels you and supports the enjoyment that you glean from pursuing something you love.
I’ve never professed to be a great writer, but given the feedback there is a distinct audience for my eclectic writing style and the topics that I brooch each week.
Sometimes unexpectedly my stories hit a nerve and make the reader stop and reflect on the topic and how this relates directly to them and where they are in their life. This is what I’m looking for – those potential ah-ha moments that make you pause and think.
My writing has never been about money or accolades, but more about getting my readers to pause, even just for a moment and think about this topic is relevant to them and where they are in their lives.
This is my sweet spot… how about you? What makes you passionate and fuels your love of life?
Until next week.
Ciao!