I've been struggling with writing "publicly" in the past few months. Your piece resonated. You are right, I think, that we deceive ourselves into mixing up the medium and the act. I somehow feel like there is a hierarchy of sorts. Yes, I can write a few lines in the corner of a notebook, or in my diary, but it will somehow feel less worthy than a published piece. I really needed to read this!
I’m really glad that this piece resonated with you. Thank you for your message. I didn’t like how, over time, my relationship with the medium shifted, that wasn’t the case two years ago, when I was posting more frequently.
The thing with writing online, especially when having no desire whatsoever to go viral or to become more “known”, is that it can sometimes feel like throwing stories and ideas into an abyss. In my case, I’ve struggled to understand how much of the online interactions are even “real”, because I’ve noticed a big lag between publishing/sharing and any tangible consequences in day-to-day life, beyond the usual social media signals of likes and comments.
But I do think that everything we share ultimately shapes our lives in some way, weeks, months, or years from now, through friendships, ideas, and in ways we cannot yet predict. That feels exciting, and I think it will keep me going for a while.
Oh yes that last bit on not knowing how your writing will shape your life is so incredibly true. Social media more as message in a bottle, less like self-validation drugs 😊
I've been struggling with writing "publicly" in the past few months. Your piece resonated. You are right, I think, that we deceive ourselves into mixing up the medium and the act. I somehow feel like there is a hierarchy of sorts. Yes, I can write a few lines in the corner of a notebook, or in my diary, but it will somehow feel less worthy than a published piece. I really needed to read this!
I’m really glad that this piece resonated with you. Thank you for your message. I didn’t like how, over time, my relationship with the medium shifted, that wasn’t the case two years ago, when I was posting more frequently.
The thing with writing online, especially when having no desire whatsoever to go viral or to become more “known”, is that it can sometimes feel like throwing stories and ideas into an abyss. In my case, I’ve struggled to understand how much of the online interactions are even “real”, because I’ve noticed a big lag between publishing/sharing and any tangible consequences in day-to-day life, beyond the usual social media signals of likes and comments.
But I do think that everything we share ultimately shapes our lives in some way, weeks, months, or years from now, through friendships, ideas, and in ways we cannot yet predict. That feels exciting, and I think it will keep me going for a while.
Oh yes that last bit on not knowing how your writing will shape your life is so incredibly true. Social media more as message in a bottle, less like self-validation drugs 😊