The Writing Life
I left writing behind for years. It feels sad to write those words and even worse to say them out loud. Writing has been sitting in the back of my mind for years, but not something I’ve prioritized in this crazy busy life.
My college years were dedicated to writing. I am one of those nerds who loves to write essays. I love everything about it - diving into the research, the smell of library books (does that still exist today?), getting lost. I loved mulling over the words while writing and rewriting each paragraph countless times until it was just right. I still write this way today.
Once out of college, writing jobs were scarce and highly competitive. The internet was nowhere what it is today, and I had trouble knowing where to look or who to turn to for help. I happened upon a copywriting job at a very small advertising agency near my house. What was copywriting? I had no idea, but thought it was a great opportunity to jump right into writing, my dream. I soon found out that copywriting is very different than my kind of writing, and the quirky, short taglines were really difficult for me to perfect. I quickly lost confidence in myself without proper guidance and mentoring from those around me. Sadly, this opportunity lead to a change in direction. The politics were too much for my timid personality, and I moved on to something that made more sense: project management.
After being laid off from that position at the height of the recession, I looked for positions at agencies in Atlanta, but was nowhere near prepared for the competition. Out of desperation, I landed a job as a project manager and the rest is history. I’ve had a very successful career in project management with 10 years of deadlines, long hours and stress. Now that I have kids, I’m ready to return to my first love.
Why am I telling you my story? Because I miss writing. I admire other writers and bloggers doing exactly what I want to do. I feel like I have something to say, but I’ve been too afraid to put myself out there for fear that nobody is listening. Now that I have kids and project management doesn’t really make sense for me or my family, I’m ready to move on. I don’t care if nobody is reading this, I still want to write. I'm hoping to find the time to come here often and share my thoughts, life and hopes.
I am a writer.