If you are or want to be a content creator, these might be the challenges you might resonate with. Sharing my experience to seek suggestions and brainstorm solutions.
What a wonderfully honest article Harshal. I totally resonate with the challenges and the uncertainties. But fundamentally, I get the sense that these challenges have really started to stress you out. If that is the case, my invitation will be for you to step back and stop looking at Writing as work. I've seen your writing at work, you clearly love communicating coherently with the written word. At work, the goal is not to get the max number of readers, but to get the job done (and reduce meetings, hehe!)
Remember why you started Writing. Not to "create content and build an audience".
But to share.
To have an outlet for your thoughts.
To get a chance to structure what you're thinking about.
My favorite poet Sarah Kay says that whenever she's trying to figure something out, she starts writing a poem about it. Most of the time, she still hasn't figured the thing out by the time she's done writing --- but at least she has a new poem out of it. :)
Similarly, I think that my journey writing is most rewarding when I've figured out somoething while writing about it and communicated it. Whatever the length, or the number of iterations on editing.
This hasn't been fabulously efficient, for example, I have published dozens of articles on Medium (medium.com/@prateekdhakra) but I have double the number of unfinished drafts on there. This used to bother me, but now it doesn't. Unpublished drafts are fine, as long as I found value while trying to write something.
In terms of time spent - I agree. Too much time is spent on making the perfect visuals and charts. But I think this gets better with practice, as with any art form.
And, totally agree on not finding a regular cadence of when to write. I've been trying to keep a notebook next to bed, and I can't fall asleep without writing at least fifty words- it has been relatively helpful!
Fundamentally. I think you write high quality insightful stuff. Sometimes, I wish you didn't get so wordy on some stuff. But I enjoy your thinking. So...
Thanks Prateek, that makes a lot of sense. To reduce the worry, embrace the concept that not every idea will get published, and find opportunities to learn while writing. I find your new posts are pretty spot on in their tone - kudos to maintaining a casual yet polished tone in your articles!
What a wonderfully honest article Harshal. I totally resonate with the challenges and the uncertainties. But fundamentally, I get the sense that these challenges have really started to stress you out. If that is the case, my invitation will be for you to step back and stop looking at Writing as work. I've seen your writing at work, you clearly love communicating coherently with the written word. At work, the goal is not to get the max number of readers, but to get the job done (and reduce meetings, hehe!)
Remember why you started Writing. Not to "create content and build an audience".
But to share.
To have an outlet for your thoughts.
To get a chance to structure what you're thinking about.
My favorite poet Sarah Kay says that whenever she's trying to figure something out, she starts writing a poem about it. Most of the time, she still hasn't figured the thing out by the time she's done writing --- but at least she has a new poem out of it. :)
Similarly, I think that my journey writing is most rewarding when I've figured out somoething while writing about it and communicated it. Whatever the length, or the number of iterations on editing.
This hasn't been fabulously efficient, for example, I have published dozens of articles on Medium (medium.com/@prateekdhakra) but I have double the number of unfinished drafts on there. This used to bother me, but now it doesn't. Unpublished drafts are fine, as long as I found value while trying to write something.
In terms of time spent - I agree. Too much time is spent on making the perfect visuals and charts. But I think this gets better with practice, as with any art form.
And, totally agree on not finding a regular cadence of when to write. I've been trying to keep a notebook next to bed, and I can't fall asleep without writing at least fifty words- it has been relatively helpful!
Fundamentally. I think you write high quality insightful stuff. Sometimes, I wish you didn't get so wordy on some stuff. But I enjoy your thinking. So...
Don't stop Writing.
But stop fretting about it.
Thanks Prateek, that makes a lot of sense. To reduce the worry, embrace the concept that not every idea will get published, and find opportunities to learn while writing. I find your new posts are pretty spot on in their tone - kudos to maintaining a casual yet polished tone in your articles!