Writing Without Constraints to Rediscover My Authentic Voice
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” - Judy Garland
I have a confession: it took me a long time to figure out what I planned on writing in this first non-quarterly newsletter. Embarrassing long.
It’s been a while since I just wrote for the sake of writing. Something simple, without worrying if it matches an algorithm’s guidelines. Without fearing if it makes sense, incorporates SEO, flows, or is filled with lyrical sentences that make it sound like the text is singing off the screen.
Unlike my quarterly newsletter, which follows a specific formula, these posts are meant to be more uncoordinated and a little off the rails.
They’re my thoughts, spilled out in a somewhat coherent way so you don’t feel like you’re running in a thousand different directions despite that being what our thoughts tend to do.
To make it a more pleasant reading experience, I’ll use dividers, buttons, images, and other breaks to indicate when my current thoughts are over and new ones are about to begin. All minor kinks while I get used to this feeling of sharing my thoughts openly again.
It’s weird how uncomfortable casual writing is for me at this stage of my life. I’ve called myself a professional writer for over a decade and have been published in magazines and online before. I have a literary agent and am eager to get her my memoir, which I’ve been making progress on while still in burnout recovery.
But I’ve been so used to writing for a specific purpose that casual, non-structured writing feels foreign.
Aside from working on a memoir over the last few years, I’m also a freelance content writer producing blog posts for clients. At my day job, I’m a Communications Coordinator and so my day-to-day tasks include written communication either in emails, graphic design, or social media captions.
In short: writing is part of my daily life.
And while I wouldn’t trade that in for the world, I’ve missed the freedom, the expression that first lured me down this creative path.
You might be thinking to yourself, “Wouldn’t this kind of writing be considered journaling?”
And I’d argue that yes, it can be, and I do, but I also recall the early days of blogs and blogging. How people were so vulnerable to share their thoughts, tips, and advice with strangers online. Before SEO, many bloggers simply wrote and people found them via minimal marketing. All it took was a lucky stroke of searching.
Today, blogging has become a competitive sport.
Don’t expect readers to find you if you don’t use at least six long-tail keywords. Don’t expect people to care what you think because they’re there to learn something for themselves, not about you. Don’t expect to grow or rank if you don’t post at least four 1,500+ word pieces a month.
I’ve taken a few blogging courses and while some tips are similar, there is also a ton of conflicting advice. This has become a problem in this digital age. A lot of advice, a lot of conflicting reports, and a lot of overwhelm.
Who are you supposed to listen to? And if you pick one and fail, you feel like you’re starting from scratch when you begin again with someone new.
Over the years, with the onslaught of blogs, social media, and even newsletters, I felt like everything I did wasn’t enough for the algorithm gods to notice. Or wasn’t right in the eyes of the “guru” I was mimicking. I’d follow the same steps and not see results while others did.
What was I doing wrong? Why wasn’t it working for me?
That constant lack of growth can easily deplete your energy, your excitement, and your dreams. And with AI bleeding into everything, trusting my authentic voice became harder and harder.
I began to wonder if I could write anymore for the sake of writing or if everything I created needed to be created for the masses.
If I share a picture on Instagram and don’t include a caption, what’s the point? Who is going to see it? No caption, no hashtags; how will the algorithm know who to show it to?
If I write a blog post without SEO how will Google know what my piece is about?
If I post on social media without thinking about my ideal reader, how will they find me?
Even following certain creatives on Instagram who tell you to “just create,” “the world needs your art,” and “don’t worry about the algorithm” doesn’t always inspire me because I also follow people who tell you that content is king and without it don’t expect people to find you.
It’s a balancing act and I respect the folks on both sides of the spectrum so I continue to support them, though their influx of advice doesn’t give me the motivation I crave.
When does it end? When do we find the courage to turn off all the advice and tips and trust ourselves again, the person we’re with for the remainder of our lives?
I have another confession: this wasn’t where I thought this post was going to go. I imagined talking more about my burnout, the recovery, and how I’ve had plenty of good and bad days.
But this is what I mean about allowing this platform to become my space to be comfortable once again with my authentic voice. To fall back in love with expressive writing that doesn’t always have an end goal in mind.
If you’re still reading, thank you. I appreciate you indulging me in this awkward collection of thoughts, but it shows you what will most likely be coming at you in the future. Will some posts have more structure and a clear path? I’m sure they will. Will the majority be like this one? Most definitely.
Until next time, I hope this message serves as a friendly reminder to trust your voice and that it’s okay to turn off the noise when it becomes overwhelming.
Wishing you a beautiful day, my friend, wherever you are. 💜
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