Ever since I was a teen, I’ve had the word “writer” somewhere in my username handles.
Considering I’ve spent the majority of my life unknown, unpublished- why do I choose to include it? I’m just someone who writes to write, because I’ve always enjoyed it. Writing has always held a piece of me, even if this piece is private, sacred.
“How can you call yourself a writer if you’ve never received recognition or money for it?” you ask.
The answer: you need not earn money doing something “professionally” to claim the title as your own.
I’m here to tell you it doesn’t matter.
Take it from a so-called writer: you should absolutely write for yourself. Just for yourself. And here’s how.
Hobbies vs. The World
As a child, you’re told to get a hobby. Enroll in something extracurricular, join an after school group, etc.
But as an adult?
Do anything with your free time and people ask if it’s your “side hustle”. When did adult expectations get in the way of having fun?
Take a moment and consider: do you have any hobbies that don’t earn you an income? Do you knit, paint, cook, sing, get outside- just because?
It’s okay if the answer is no. Being a well-rounded Renaissance Woman isn’t easy, but choosing something to do just for you is the easiest way to feel internally edified and validated.
I used to go months at a time without doing anything for myself. Especially writing, a hobby near and dear to me my entire life. What happened?
I guess I just grew up.
As we get older and our responsibilities grow, we forget about creative freedom and expression. Our only outlets are social media posts and paying jobs- things that require validation, recognition, and, of course, a paycheck.
Writing feels impossible without a dollar sign attached, even more impossible without a reader. Why write if there’s no one there to hit a “like” button?
Tweets don’t count as writing for writing’s sake- hate to break it to you. So much writing nowadays craves an audience, justification and validation for all the nonsense knocking around in our heads.
But you don’t have to write to be seen. You don’t have to write to be paid. You can write because you want to, or because you need to work through something, or because today was a good day and you don’t want to forget about it.
We all want validation and someone to listen to us. But with the right words and techniques, you can be this person for yourself.
There can always be hope– the hope of finishing a novel and submitting it to publishers. The hope of someone inquiring about your Sylvia Plath poetry collection and asking about your other inspirations.
Hope is not inherently bad when you think about writing for yourself…but it can be a huge roadblock when intertwined with the expectation of success.
Put aside the idea of being discovered. Put aside creating something “finished” for publication.
Free yourself to write without expectation.
You can just write, trust me.
Writing as Nourishment
The way we think about creative endeavors is in need of an overhaul. The side hustle culture has muted our creativity, and the endless stream of talent on social media shutters our joy of doing anything less than perfect. I’ve reframed the way I look at writing, because it really does help.
Writing is a personal endeavor with as many ways to approach it as eating or cooking. If you speak to three different authors about what their writing habits are, you will get three very different and distinct, personal answers!
Instead of thinking of writing as a process of impact, think of writing as food.
We eat to live. We eat for nourishment, at the very least. And at the most, we eat for inspiration. A turkey and cheese sandwich brought from home feels very different from a four-course Italian meal, completed with complimentary wine pairings.
Sometimes we write because we have to- an email or social media post is often out of necessity, just like your frugal turkey and cheese. But you can also write a Michelin-star-worthy piece of prose, crafted only to nourish your creative soul.
Maybe you need to try a new cuisine, or genre of writing. Sick of eating poetry? Try out some freeform journaling or plot-forward fiction writing. Write to entertain yourself, to explore an alter ego, to reconnect with a part of you that’s been dulled by circumstance.
Maybe a new recipe is all you need, a new idea to inspire your work. If you write the same story or themes over and over, it’s time to update your recipe catalogue with a new dish. Or perhaps you love what you cook and just need some time to perfect your recipe.
You can even like your writing but choose to seek out a new way of looking at it. Bistro dishes only look so appetizing because they have ingenious plating. Maybe your same-old-stories need a glamorous update- a new app to get you on track or a playlist to accompany your writing time.
Just like we are capable of forming our own eating habits and meal planning, we can choose to write on our own terms. We know what nutrition works for our own individual bodies- thinking of writing as a healthy habit is an individual assignment.
But what types of writing can you do to help build these creative habits, achieve a more mindful approach to living, and perhaps even discover a hobby you never knew you were interested in?
Get ready for some inspiring recipes…
Jumpstart Your Writing
No matter how skilled you believe you are, sustainable habits are the first step to unlocking the accumulative joy of writing. Here are some methods of building a writing habit…without money, “likes”, or pleasing a crowd.
Go Old School
When was the last time you hand-wrote anything other than a grocery list?
Go ahead, I’ll wait…
If you want to jumpstart a writing habit, bring a pen and paper along with you. I spent my early twenties with a Moleskine pocket notebook in my bag, a colorful pack of Staedler Fineliners not far behind should inspiration strike.
Think of your notebook and pen as an afternoon on-the-go snack. You may not be all that hungry today, so you won’t write down anything. But on the days you feel inspired, the days you are the hungriest– those are the days you’ll be happy you brought your notebook with you.
Your phone can still be a virtual notebook in a pinch- but there are loads of other distractions once you unlock your screen. It’s much easier to stay focused on your writing and thoughts if you only have a pen and paper to worry about.
Some writers I know write almost exclusively old school, transferring their thoughts into a digital medium once their story or piece is complete. I applaud their commitment. It’s not my style- but for some it’s the best way to find pleasure in the work.
Make it a Resolution
Resolutions can happen at any time throughout the year. Whether you set goals on January 1st, or perhaps as part of a Spring Imbolc celebration, or on a significant birthday, writing can be a life changing resolution to set.
Some programs exist to help you commit, like National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo encourages you to set aside the expectations of perfection and just get it down on paper by writing a 30,000 word novel in a month. It can feel good to have a set date or a program to help you establish accountability before you have your own habits.Writing as a resolution can be a large goal, like NaNoWriMo, but it can be something as simple as writing a sentence a day, whether it be fiction or a fun encounter from the office. Beginning a journal and keeping up with entries is a great place to start.
There are many ways to work writing into your life as part of a resolution or goal- just don’t put too much pressure on yourself. All of us indulge come December, despite the fitness resolution we made up all the way back in January.
Write when you can, with a realistic resolution to back it up.
How Goofy Magnetic Poetry Brings Joy To Our Home
I share my life with another aspiring writer. One of our greatest joys is working on magnetic poetry together. Yes, I’m talking about those silly little kits hiding out in the checkout lines at bookstores or kitschy gift shops.
Not only is it a wonderful way to build a writing habit with someone else in your home, it can be a great tool for getting out of your own way.
Magnetic poetry was created to battle writer’s block, and there’s nothing quite like rearranging words you never thought could be found side by side. With over 50 themed kits- some more ridiculous than others- you can mix and match to your heart’s content.
These kits can also be helpful for building a creative writing habit. Keep the magnets scattered about on your fridge door, and write a new poem when you reach for the orange juice in the morning. Sometimes it only takes a sentence to get inspired.
Readers Write More
This technically involves building another habit, if you aren’t a reader already. Most writers take the time to read- and there’s a good reason why. Consistently reading a variety of other writing opens you up to new styles, ideas, and language options to explore.
It’s easier than ever to read, with the advent of digital media. I still enjoy carrying around a stereotypical battered paperback, but your phone can be your very own compact library. Most local library systems even have their own apps to “check out” books on your phone at your convenience.
You don’t have to set some wild goal of reading a new book weekly or even monthly- just choosing to read is a good intention to set. Even better if the content matches what you hope to write!
Begin a Gratitude Journal
Writing doesn’t have to be fictional to be nourishing. One simple way to build a rewarding writing habit is through journaling. What better way to get started writing and kickstart a habit of happiness than a Gratitude Journal?
Gratitude is scientifically proven to benefit us emotionally and physically. This is one of the easiest steps you can take to infuse the benefits of thankfulness into your life. A gratitude journal is designed to be simple, something you can do before you go to bed at night, or while you are on a break at work.
Read more about keeping a Gratitude Journal here in our Ultimate Guide To Gratitude.
Fanfiction For The Win!
You would not believe how much fanfiction I have written.
Okay, maybe you would…
Fanfiction are written works created by fans of…well…anything.. StarTrek, Harry Potter, Dune…whatever world you love, you can use it as a jumping-off point for a story. These musings have no canonical merit or authorization from the content creator.
But wow, can it be fun to write!
I struggle with plot development in my own works of fiction. Writing fanfiction helps shortcut the hiccups of world building or character building. There’s freedom in placing my own original characters in another author’s existing universe, or using their characters to inspire my struggling plot.
You don’t have to pull a 50 Shades of Gray (a notorious Twilight fanfiction rewrite). You can write fanfiction just for the sake of getting into the habit of putting words to paper.
No matter the fandom or content you are into, you can write your own stories set in the same universe, or just steal the main characters and write them in another universe. The sky’s the limit, the table has already been set for you- use your imagination!
Need A Freeform Writing Warm-up? Practice Writing “Morning Pages”
Have you heard of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron? This self-help book is all about inspiring your creative side. While I didn’t find all of her methods successful for my own craft, I can vouch for the effectiveness of Morning Pages, a technique made for building a writing hobby.
The hardest part of Morning Pages is waking up.
Really, though, Morning Pages is an exercise designed to be performed the moment you wake. Cameron advises writing three pages while your brain is still coming alive, half in its dream state.
These pages will no doubt be a jumble of freeform writing, a mess of sleepy thoughts you didn’t even know you could think. This is the beauty of Morning Pages.
Freeform and stream of consciousness writing can be a simple and effective way of unlocking your own creativity and inner self. You won’t overthink this exercise (ahemm…my usual Achilles’ heel)
There are no barriers to Morning Pages. You don’t need characters, a plot, a direction- your sleepy little brain can’t comprehend these things first thing in the morning. The hardest part? Waking up tomorrow and doing it again.
Make Room for Your Writing
The hardest part of any habit? Making room for it in your existing schedule. Prioritizing hobbies can be especially difficult. We’ve been programmed to equate ‘profit’ with ‘survival’, and it isn’t easy to make space for a habit that isn’t tied to financial or social gain.
The truth is this: If you want to write, you have to make room for the words to flow.
It doesn’t have to be very much room!
Journal on your lunch break, or before bed.
Write some poetry instead of watching another episode.
You are worth this prized habit-building time. It will get easier, I promise. And if you skip a day, that’s okay too- the words will wait, and inspiration always strikes again.
Best wishes from one writer to another,
August Buck
