It’s probably not the reason you’re thinking

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” — Oscar Wilde

This morning I read a piece from one of my favorite writers on Medium, Shaunta Grimes.

I love how she has built an audience of readers and community of writers. I love her authenticity and transparency. She is genuine and real. She puts it all out there. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Although she wrote this piece nearly a month ago, I just stumbled upon it this morning: Blogging Everyday Until My Debt is Paid Off

It hit me on different levels.

First, Shaunta humbles herself with the admission that after being debt free, she finds herself in the throws of being in debt again. I can feel the frustration in her voice, almost the disgust of being in this situation again.

However, she walks through what happened that caused it, and then she goes into problem-solving mode. While the article is her personal journey, I appreciated that she is still able to craft her writing in a way for the reader to find ways to apply what she’s experiencing to our own lives.

What this means to me.

I started thinking about my journey as a writer. I’ve had a lot of stops and starts. I haven’t truly given myself the chance to build an audience and community, because I’ve never really committed to my craft in the same way that Shaunta has.

Over the last decade, I’ve started three different websites to house my writing, I’ve sporadically written on Medium, I self-published a book of essays on everyday life (you can find it here), and for a while I wrote a bi-weekly column on health and wellness for a local newspaper.

I consider writing part of my identity. I love to journal. I love the written word. I love using the craft to get my thoughts out and to connect with others. I feel like if what I write resonates with even one person, then it has done its job.

However, what I haven’t done is really committed to it. I haven’t truly put myself out there to really see what I can do as a writer.

If I’m being honest with myself, I’m afraid. I’m afraid of failing, but I’m also afraid of succeeding.

What I can’t do is just keep wondering, “What if…”

Here’s my why.

I’m getting closer to the next phase of my life: retirement.

As an educator in my state, we have what’s called Rule of 85. It means that I can retire and start collecting my pension when my age plus the number of years of service equals 85.

I will get there in May 2027, a little over three years away. While I might stay longer if I still feel relevant (that’s a story for another day), that is my target for now.

I’ve thought about what I want my next phase to look like and much of it has to do with blogging, writing books, and continuing to grow my podcast. You can listen to it here.

I want to build an audience, a community, and a modest income from those resources. There’s a lot of potential out there even when some say the market in these areas is saturated. I believe there’s a place for all of us, because we each have a unique voice and skillset. No one is exactly the same.

In conclusion.

So, thanks to Shaunta Grimes, I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.

Most of my pieces will be on my own publication here on Medium (Let the Adventure Begin), on other publications that I write for, and on my website.

If you want to track my journey, follow me on instagram and threads (@christine.denker). That’s where I will link my articles, or you can simply check back here.

Until next time, be well friends.