I have a confession to make.
When I started this small blog on writing productivity, helping other people wasn’t one of my intentions. Truth be told, this website is all about myself–how I struggle as a writer and the strategies I use to beat my writing enemies.
But the harder I try, the more I realize I’m lacking something REALLY important.
I love writing BUT….
..there’s one demon that keeps on holding me back.
At first, I thought it was just simple procrastination or lack of proper time management skills. But after I tried every possible way to kick my bad habits away — from Pomodoro technique to Dark Room software — I realized that my efforts were bearing no fruits.
End result? A faceless online business and a meager income that’s not even enough to cover my health insurance.
So I started to ask myself:
What’s the missing link?
It’s not long before I finally discovered the culprit behind my unproductive freelance career. Painful as it may seem, I have to admit it’s ME and only ME all along. My lack of ‘writing confidence’ should be blamed why I have failed to raise my income from zero to hero.
But as I began to reflect on this, I found out a few alibis why I’m still stuck in the rut:
- I never took writing-related course in college.
- I’m not a native English speaker.
- I’m a slow writer.
- I was not the best English student back in high school.
- I have tons of online business ideas but too afraid to put my thoughts to writing.
Combine all the factors listed above and you’ll get a writer who can’t muster the courage to grab bigger opportunities. And although I consider myself a self-taught writer and a passionate human being, my experience is clearly not enough. I want to earn something that will tell my prospects–and myself–that what I offer is not a flash in the pan….
Something that will help me sell health supplements and build a solid copywriting business from scratch.
Something that will give me the confidence of a native writer and help me to get my words out there.
Something that Damn Fine Words can deliver 100%.
So do I deserve to win?
Not if I don’t care about my ‘calling’. But I do.
Besides, a writing course as prestigious as DFW will serve as a first aid kit for my dwindling confidence in writing. I believe in the power of my craft but having someone to help you break through all the clutter makes this pen-less journey even more worthwhile.
I know, I know.
Writing this piece also means taking a risk. But I believe in my profession and there’s no other way to move forward but to get better. Every. Freakin’. Day.
Writing is non-stop learning and I hope to find my teacher soon.
Photo credit: wansherliza.blogspot.com
