Good article, Winston. I agree 100% that we need to learn to love the work we do. I have been writing over 50 years part-time. Often I would get up an hour before I needed to in order to write. I have lived a creative life both as a writer and as a business executive. I have written ads, brochures, speeches, and training programs and have been paid for doing so. I have written thousands of poems and have not been paid a cent. Nine years ago I published an article on LinkedIn about loving the work you do and appreciating the rewards you receive. There is nothing wrong with writing part-time and being able to support your family at the same time. Don't let the dream of writing full time prevent you from being successful.
I needed this today. I fall in and out of needing the external validation and being sucked into the marketing, stressing and burnout vortex. We're so lucky to even have the free time to create things to pass down to the next generations. I was losing sight of this. I've also written enough novels and read enough about publishing to realize you really have to enjoy those moments of "notoriety" with some humility and realism. No matter how many sales, reviews, and likes it will never be enough. My day job consists of taking care of farm animals and growing food, but a lot of times I'm resenting it because I feel like I NEED to do more marketing (constantly and even in my sleep). It's a sickness that robs the joy from other parts of life that are as nourishing as the creative stuff.
Nicely written and it can certainly feel like a lie when taken to its outer extremes. Perhaps the point of passion is that it's an internal motivator that simply drives us forward and motivates us to grow in a certain direction - maybe it nudges us to figure out who we are and what we want from our life so we can start to make better choices and curate our life, job, experiences, and education to better fit and nurture our vision.
A lovely article and a testament to the practice of living now, today. Not for the future, which never actually arrives.
Many people are beat up because of the never ending social pressure to do this, do that, buy this or that, and you too will be okay. It doesn't work that way, and the sooner we get a hold of that, the better.
So much of what passes for wisdom these days is a scam. Not in the sense of a deliberate deception, but in the sense that it doesn't really work that way, in the sense that it doesn't make sense.
Get up in the morning, enjoy the day. Do what you want without expectation of reward and that is its own reward. Play with your dogs (or cats or goldfish or goats), write, read, of go for a walk. The idea that life will be better in the future is an illusion. It's better right now.
I feel successful for doing what I love, not for fame or financial gain, but because I've accomplished many things I dreamed of doing. All my failures are lessons or material for stories, stories I continue writing whether I blowup on TikTok or Reese Witherspoon's book club takes notice--which I wouldn't hate, but that has NEVER been my goal.
Yes, I still need to work to pay bills. But I feel an inner thrill when sharing my stories. I have been writing my own tales since I could form letters on paper, to entertain myself, to share what gives me joy, and a long the way to find people who enjoy what I have to share.
I guess I'm not "everyone." This is not my idea of success: "The glamour surrounding fame and celebrity, especially in the age of social media and content creators, has warped our perception of success into something that requires outside validation to feel whole on the inside. Everyone wants to go viral; everyone wants to top of the charts, to be the next NYT Bestseller..."
“The glamour surrounding fame and celebrity, especially in the age of social media and content creators, has warped our perception of success into something that requires outside validation to feel whole on the inside. Everyone wants to go viral; everyone wants to top of the charts, to be the next NYT Bestseller, but at what cost to our present well-being?”
This. I see Substack going through what Instagram and Twitter users went through which is to jump on this moving train and try to catch it going up. And the funny thing is that the outstanding writers on this platform are rejecting it because it’s more of the same. I got caught up for a while, too. But this post says exactly what I think after twenty-plus years of shitty supposed self-help advice about crushing it, is that the grasping for success can be so toxic to the self and those around you. These last two months I’ve begun to see it this way, and finally I feel better after years of wanting.
Writers need adjusted expectations. Most successful writers have a day job (Bukowski, mail man for example). I'm not talking the name brand authors in the stratosphere, but the rest of in the middling sales range. They either teach, work part time or lean on a spouse. I believe F. Scott lived off the money his wife brought to the marriage.
Also, if you want to be a full-time writer, you can rent a room to live in and eat cans to tuna and spend all day writing. That doesn't sound that bad.
The first time I quit my day job to do some thing I loved, I ended up completely ruining that thing for myself. I no longer do it at all. It sucked all the joy from it, trying to do it for money. So when I started writing about the photography and birds that I see, I was really intentional about not wanting to ruin it with money. I would love to get paid more for what I do and put out here! But I do it because I love it, and I will not ruin that love for it by trying to make money at it. I hundred percent agree with the sentiment, it’ll happen if it happens.
As a part-time writer myself, and as someone who turned her passion (English) into a profession (teaching it), I can 100% second what you're writing here, Winston! For many years, I was the lucky one with the dream job - until i got fed up with it, and moved on. Don't let things ever get so bad that I have to do a teaching job again, please!
I, too, like someone else here, wake up more than an hour earlier in the morning to write. The balance between writing and my "day" job is perfect to keep my passion for both alive, and healthy. I love them both, there's no bills-versus-dreams divide.
It's good to read you're a part-time writer, Winston! Thanks for writing this.
Good article, Winston. I agree 100% that we need to learn to love the work we do. I have been writing over 50 years part-time. Often I would get up an hour before I needed to in order to write. I have lived a creative life both as a writer and as a business executive. I have written ads, brochures, speeches, and training programs and have been paid for doing so. I have written thousands of poems and have not been paid a cent. Nine years ago I published an article on LinkedIn about loving the work you do and appreciating the rewards you receive. There is nothing wrong with writing part-time and being able to support your family at the same time. Don't let the dream of writing full time prevent you from being successful.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/love-work-you-do-rewards-come-harley-king/
I needed this today. I fall in and out of needing the external validation and being sucked into the marketing, stressing and burnout vortex. We're so lucky to even have the free time to create things to pass down to the next generations. I was losing sight of this. I've also written enough novels and read enough about publishing to realize you really have to enjoy those moments of "notoriety" with some humility and realism. No matter how many sales, reviews, and likes it will never be enough. My day job consists of taking care of farm animals and growing food, but a lot of times I'm resenting it because I feel like I NEED to do more marketing (constantly and even in my sleep). It's a sickness that robs the joy from other parts of life that are as nourishing as the creative stuff.
Wow what a revelation and so eloquently written. This was a beautiful read. Thank you 😊
Nicely written and it can certainly feel like a lie when taken to its outer extremes. Perhaps the point of passion is that it's an internal motivator that simply drives us forward and motivates us to grow in a certain direction - maybe it nudges us to figure out who we are and what we want from our life so we can start to make better choices and curate our life, job, experiences, and education to better fit and nurture our vision.
A lovely article and a testament to the practice of living now, today. Not for the future, which never actually arrives.
Many people are beat up because of the never ending social pressure to do this, do that, buy this or that, and you too will be okay. It doesn't work that way, and the sooner we get a hold of that, the better.
So much of what passes for wisdom these days is a scam. Not in the sense of a deliberate deception, but in the sense that it doesn't really work that way, in the sense that it doesn't make sense.
Get up in the morning, enjoy the day. Do what you want without expectation of reward and that is its own reward. Play with your dogs (or cats or goldfish or goats), write, read, of go for a walk. The idea that life will be better in the future is an illusion. It's better right now.
Love this. I couldn’t agree more, well said. Love Mike Rowe too.
I feel successful for doing what I love, not for fame or financial gain, but because I've accomplished many things I dreamed of doing. All my failures are lessons or material for stories, stories I continue writing whether I blowup on TikTok or Reese Witherspoon's book club takes notice--which I wouldn't hate, but that has NEVER been my goal.
Yes, I still need to work to pay bills. But I feel an inner thrill when sharing my stories. I have been writing my own tales since I could form letters on paper, to entertain myself, to share what gives me joy, and a long the way to find people who enjoy what I have to share.
I guess I'm not "everyone." This is not my idea of success: "The glamour surrounding fame and celebrity, especially in the age of social media and content creators, has warped our perception of success into something that requires outside validation to feel whole on the inside. Everyone wants to go viral; everyone wants to top of the charts, to be the next NYT Bestseller..."
“The glamour surrounding fame and celebrity, especially in the age of social media and content creators, has warped our perception of success into something that requires outside validation to feel whole on the inside. Everyone wants to go viral; everyone wants to top of the charts, to be the next NYT Bestseller, but at what cost to our present well-being?”
This. I see Substack going through what Instagram and Twitter users went through which is to jump on this moving train and try to catch it going up. And the funny thing is that the outstanding writers on this platform are rejecting it because it’s more of the same. I got caught up for a while, too. But this post says exactly what I think after twenty-plus years of shitty supposed self-help advice about crushing it, is that the grasping for success can be so toxic to the self and those around you. These last two months I’ve begun to see it this way, and finally I feel better after years of wanting.
Thanks, Winston. You expressed this perfectly.
Writers need adjusted expectations. Most successful writers have a day job (Bukowski, mail man for example). I'm not talking the name brand authors in the stratosphere, but the rest of in the middling sales range. They either teach, work part time or lean on a spouse. I believe F. Scott lived off the money his wife brought to the marriage.
Also, if you want to be a full-time writer, you can rent a room to live in and eat cans to tuna and spend all day writing. That doesn't sound that bad.
Couldn't agree more.
The first time I quit my day job to do some thing I loved, I ended up completely ruining that thing for myself. I no longer do it at all. It sucked all the joy from it, trying to do it for money. So when I started writing about the photography and birds that I see, I was really intentional about not wanting to ruin it with money. I would love to get paid more for what I do and put out here! But I do it because I love it, and I will not ruin that love for it by trying to make money at it. I hundred percent agree with the sentiment, it’ll happen if it happens.
As a part-time writer myself, and as someone who turned her passion (English) into a profession (teaching it), I can 100% second what you're writing here, Winston! For many years, I was the lucky one with the dream job - until i got fed up with it, and moved on. Don't let things ever get so bad that I have to do a teaching job again, please!
I, too, like someone else here, wake up more than an hour earlier in the morning to write. The balance between writing and my "day" job is perfect to keep my passion for both alive, and healthy. I love them both, there's no bills-versus-dreams divide.
It's good to read you're a part-time writer, Winston! Thanks for writing this.