What I’ve Learned After 30 Days of Writing
Has it already been a month?
Hi, I’m Katy Velvet.
I’m the creator of The Narrative and The Glossary. Just last month you didn’t know that I existed, but you do now thanks to this email:
Words matter, eh? Well, let’s see about that.
March 10 at 11:47 pm
It was an overwhelming Sunday, and I had a lot on my mind. My partner wasn’t awake anymore, and it was too late for me to text someone my life story at that hour. I started clicking away, looking to pour my thoughts… somewhere.
My initial plan was to sign up for another Wordpress. After all, I’ve launched previous websites through their platform and found it accessible. But I wanted something off the cuff, and Wordpress didn’t seem to hit the spot.
I considered Joomla, actually. It uses open source management, and I was ready to build a template from scratch. Thinking about web design brought me back to the first time I discovered HTML. It was a time when we survived on dial-up internet and free cd trials from AOL. Yes, I was indeed a fan of the shitty servers the late 90’s had to offer.
I wanted to re-live the old days of using CSS. The old days of failed attempts at learning the ins and outs of JavaScript. Marquee scrolls? Rainbow dividers? Yeah, I was that girl. The same 9 year old girl who used to sign your Guestbook with “cool page! visit mine!”. That was pre-social media. The only difference is that I had a counter that was neon green, and I was able to cheat my hits if I refreshed the page long enough.
And then I saw something that lit up my eyes…
What the fuck is a Medium?
Is this LiveJournal for adults? Is this Xanga on steroids? The Tumblr to my Deviant Art?
Click.
Anyway, enough meandering…
This is what my journey has taught me so far, and you’re welcome to contribute your thoughts at the end of it. If you make it that far.
1. Being a Chatty Kathy pays off.
Excuse the terrible pun.
If you’re like me and talk excessively, writing is a great outlet. In the offline world, my thoughts are similarly never-ending and I could easily chat with you over coffee until the wee hours. However, if you find me uninteresting at times and you’re too polite to tell me to shut up, then maybe being my follower would be a better choice. At least then, you can decide when you’ve had enough of me and choose the topics of interest to you instead. Either way, that saves us both time.
2. Ev Williams is a genius.
Oh hai.
If you’re ever reading this, Ev — I just want to say that you’ve started an evolutionary platform.
The other day, I read an article from Stephen Anthony about Medium becoming the new Instagram of words. While that may be true, it ain’t a bad thing. The world has become so saturated with appearances, and we are constantly pressured to keep up a facade of our so-called perfect lives. Yes, I watch sunsets as much as the next person but I also have mental breakdowns on occasion. Medium gives us a platform to be who we want to be, and we can celebrate each other while doing so. #Win
3. There are some really cool spots in Vancouver.
And I’m sitting with 9 pigeons as we speak.
Writing on my laptop has allowed me to indulge in all the fantastic places Vancouver has to offer, including the very spot I am sitting in right now. It’s a perfect Spring day, and I’m enjoying free #VanWifi outside on a picnic table in one of my favourite neighbourhoods. I’ve got Blenz next door, and a ton of interesting food choices next to me.
4. I like having writer friends.
Because they get me.
There is a plethora of fascinating individuals on Medium, such as Tom Keugler and Shannon Ashley. After reading their stories, I was inspired to develop my own writing voice as well.
When I first signed up for Medium, I stumbled upon Tom’s profile. It was full of useful blogging tips, and I signed up for his free webinar later on. After watching it, I realized that there were several people on Medium making a steady income. And they did this simply by writing about the things that mattered to them. I thought: well, I can do that.
I continued clicking around that night, and the name Shannon kept re-appearing on my front page. I visited her profile, and read her story of quitting a dead-end job to work as a full time Medium writer. How the hell was someone making that much money from a single website? I admire you, Shannon. You’ve been able to challenge the status quo, and many people on Medium are inspired by you.
And then there’s the writing community on Facebook. There are several groups such as Medium Mastery, Medium Partner Program Friends and Bloggers & Medium Support that have allowed me to spark friendships with a group of influential people from across the globe. I may not have met you in real life (yet), but there’s something to say about connecting with strangers through creative insights.
5. When I’m on a movie set, I can log onto Medium.
Jason Momoa could be in front of me as we speak. You just don’t know about it.
Yes, that’s right. Asides from writing, I do work in the movies. And I write while I am on set, too. You might not know this about the industry, but there can be several hours of downtime when it comes to working in film. (Leslie and Claire know what I am talking about.) And while I would love to share my amazing (and not-so-amazing) experiences with you, I have chosen not to share confidential details on this platform in respects to the productions I work with. Plus, it’s literally in my contract not to do so. Thus, I will have to remain a mystery in this department.
6. And get paid for it.
I actually get paid for pouring my thoughts onto a website? Sign me up!
My intention for writing was never to make money. But now that I can, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to. And now I’m running two independent publications on Medium, which I plan on taking to the next level. If you’re one of my contributors: I have every intention to sky rocket your success and I look forward to what we can build together.
7. Tea has never tasted better.
Butter sencha from David’s Tea? Don’t mind if I do.
Tea has always been one of those things I couldn’t live without. However, writing has given me an excuse to stock up on my collection. After all, you need something to sip on while you’re conjuring up ideas for a story. And now I have a kitchen cabinet full of various teas such as chocolate macaron, raspberry cream pie and golden turmeric matcha.
8. My offline friends actually want to read my blog.
“You write?”
If I have an acquaintanceship with you in the offline world, and you stumbled upon this article: good for you. Welcome to the world of Kat Kou, and her anecdotes on life. And no… my interests are not just makeup and hair. In fact if you‘ve had more than one conversation with me, you’ll know that I am also a big fan of the arts. And I rock out to Jagged Little Pill once in a while. And yes, sometimes I like to pretend that I’m a therapist on Medium. If this is a mind fuck to you: boy, were your assumptions wrong about me.
9. And now I want them to write, too.
I see the potential in you.
One of my best friends signed up for an account on Medium, as she was curious about my writing. And when she ran out of her 3 free articles per month, she decided to pay for a subscription. Now I’m just waiting for her to write about her experiences as a new mother. I see you, Svetlana.
10. Embracing solitude is a new concept for me.
And it’s not lonely.
As mentioned in a few articles, unplugging is something I never liked doing. And now that I have explored the joys of a writing community, I’d like to say that I want nothing more than solitude nowadays. I’m also happy to report that my partner who works in tech can focus on his own projects next to me now too, in silence.
11. Someone out there cares.
Is it you?
More often than not, I have random thoughts that I don’t share simply because no one cares. It’s cool to type them here, and learn that someone else does. For instance, I wrote about achieving mental stillness with an ADD brain in one of my previous articles. Carol and Sam were thoughtful enough to provide feedback on their personal experiences with children who suffer from this condition. Ladies, I appreciate you so much.
And if I ever inspire you (yes, you) to do something, I want to know about it. Send me a private note, comment on an article, or hell — send a stork to Vancouver… anything. It’s interesting to see who my writing impacts, and I will wholeheartedly celebrate your wins with you.
12. Writing is a never-ending journey.
And I‘m here to change the world. At least my world, anyway.
Well, you’ve made it to the end of my article and sadly, there is no million dollar prize. Just a picture of my face, with a link leading you to pretty things. Well, that’s only the other part of the story. If you connected with me through Medium first, I’d say we’re off to a good start.
Dear fellow writers,
Let’s celebrate another month on Medium, where words matter.
