Are you happy with your writing career and where it's going? Even if you're not exactly where you want to be right now, do you feel like you're on your way? There were times that I felt this kind of satisfaction and hope along my writing journey. Unfortunately, lately has not been one of those times.
The freelancing waters are murky for me right now. I won't repeat a long story that I've already told once. But because writing is what I do, it just makes sense to try to sort things out a bit here, with other writers who likely understand. I thought I was doing well and that everything was going along smoothly. Things really seemed to be good.
But then something started tugging at me. That nagging feeling I so often get that things aren't how they should be. Yes, I was writing. For money. Isn't that what I wanted to do? When my main gig fell out from under me, I realized that simply writing wasn't enough. I'm an idealist, a romantic, and do-gooder. When I do something, I have to feel it. I have to know that it's meaningful, that it's what I'm meant to do. Even in traditional jobs that were less than fulfilling, I could usually carry on for a while if I believe that what I was doing had meaning, that I was doing something good. Writing SEO for corporations that would end up making tons of money from my work while only paying me peanuts was not giving me the warm fuzzies. Do you know what I mean?
So when that job ended (after the initial panic), I realized that it's probably time to make a change. A change for the better. For me and for them.
They need a mama who is content with what she's doing, or at least who is satisfied with what she's contributing financially to her family. I'm not naive enough to think that all jobs are going to be perfect. But recent events have been a wake-up call that the path I was on was not the right one for me or for my family. Though I'm feeling kind of low and a bit defeated, I am resolved to moving forward and working toward a career that fits.
I've begun reading or re-reading books on freelancing, and I'm working to regain my focus. I'm taking notes and really trying to pull the information from the material that I think will be most relevant and helpful for me, and it's been a beneficial process. I'm feeling hopeful about where my writing is going and am beginning to see a glimpse of just where it might take me. I can't wait to get there.
What do you do when you get into a writing rut? How do you pull yourself out to the point that you're excited about moving forward?
It's like being on a yo-yo, isn't it? Fulfilled by what you're writing...or not. When I'm feeling frustrated, I pull out my ideas folder and start writing that "something," that idea, that I haven't been able to let go of. It may not make a lot (or any) money, but it gets me excited about writing again. Best of luck to you!