When I first decided to share my experiences with abuse, I was at a loss of where to start.
I’d been writing professionally and as a private emotional outlet for years, but had always been hesitant when publicly sharing what I’d been through. Real concerns about safety, invalidation, and triggers held me back for far too long.
I’ve been blogging about my experiences with trauma for a bit over a year now, and today marks my 100th post on Medium!
Looking back on my journey so far, I wanted to share a few of the many tough lessons I’ve learned.
Not every article will be a work of genius
Being a writer means constant practice and learning. It’s vulnerable, brave, and often embarrassing.
Some articles you’ll be incredibly proud of, others you’ll look back on and wonder what on earth you were talking about.
Not everything you write has to be mind-blowing. Do your best to give readers value and write about things you’re passionate about.
And if something isn’t ready, there’s no harm in sitting on it for a while until you’re able to share it fully formed.
Which brings us to the next lesson:
It’s absolutely OK to take a break
I know you’ve also read the advice all over Medium: to gain traction you have to post 3 times a week, 5 times a week, every single day.
I’m here to say that while that may work for some people, it’s 100% ok if you don’t have the bandwidth for that. I most certainly don’t.
I have a full-time job, a trauma disorder, a partner, two dogs, and other hobbies and obligations taking up my available time. On top of that, I quite enjoy a good nap here and there.
Writing about trauma can be equally empowering and draining. You may be surprised by how exhausted you are after sharing something vulnerable.
You are not a robot. Put the dedication in when you can.
If you’re able to keep up the pace of writing every day, more power to you. Personally, if I’d forced myself to churn out content for the sake of content every day, not only would I likely have burnt out and given up blogging altogether, but the posts I did manage to put out probably would have sucked.
Especially if you write about lived experiences, give yourself the grace you need to process the things you’re sharing. You may find that taking care of yourself first and being aware of your emotions can help you share more authentically.
Don’t half-ass two platforms, full-ass one platform
Managing multiple blogs, websites, social media platforms, etc. is a lot for someone just trying to find their audience, especially someone grappling with a separate full-time career.
Like many of you, I’ve had bursts of motivation to branch out to every platform and keep up with trends. In nearly every circumstance, I’ve burnt out from spreading myself too thin.
Thanks to the ability to cross-post, I’ve stayed relatively consistent on Medium, Vocal, and Instagram. It’s natural for one platform to take priority (for me, it’s Medium) over others as you find different ways to engage.
We can only split our attention in so many ways. Make sure you’re prioritizing your focus based on your values rather than constant productivity.
It doesn’t happen overnight
Do you ever finish an article and think to yourself, “This is it: the masterpiece that will catapult me to fame and fortune.”
Then it proceeds to get like 6 reads.
Sometimes you’ll write a fantastic, well-researched, thought-provoking article you’re proud of that doesn’t get as much attention as you think it deserves to. It can be truly disheartening.
Instead of being discouraged, take that information and use it to improve.
If the writing is the best you can make it, what else needs to change? Did you submit it to a publication where interested readers are likely to be? Do you need to learn more about SEO or other marketing strategies?
None of this is an exact science. It’s a learning process, trial and error. All we can do is put out our best work and hope it finds the right audience.
Remember that steady, consistent growth is the aim, not going viral. It’s better to find an engaged audience that actually interacts with you than a thousand bots trying to get you to join their WhatsApp group or whatever.
What did I miss?
What tough lessons have you learned through your writing? Share your hurdles, frustrations, and learning opportunities so we can work through them together!