How I started writing online
And an invitation to a cool online writing workshop
I started this newsletter last year after much resistance.
Having never written anything since high school, writing wasn’t a hobby I thought I’d love or be good at, and so I never gave it much thought as I’ve been through most of my adult life. I’d never been able to work up my nerve to share my music: something I thought I was good at; or any of my life out on the Internet. I wouldn’t have been able to start this newsletter if I hadn’t found this online writing program that I’m today writing mostly about, called Write of Passage (or WoP as the members fondly call it!).
I owe it to WoP to assuage my fear of publishing and being a perfectionist — and hopefully that confidence can someday spill over to my other vocations (such as music), and I’d be able to proffer a fuller version of myself to the world.
I’ve been able to explore what it means to be creative, along with learning to promote my writing and myself better.
I think Write of Passage is the closest one could have to being both at art school and business / tech school at the same time, and has some of the coolest and kindest people willing to support each other. And so, I've managed to get a few essays out on this Substack (woohoo ✊).
I found Write of Passage when I was going through a tough time personally and professionally, and meeting people from all over the world on the "Pathless Path" mitigated some of that confusion—and I'm truly grateful to WOP for that 🙌
Now—these guys are hosting a free hands-on writing workshop on 21st Sept (tomorrow), to explain how:
The POP Writing framework breathes life into your writing
Your answer to one question will propel you toward valuable real-world outcomes
Finding your audience can make you a magnet for life-changing opportunities
You’ll join writer and teacher David Perell to learn writing frameworks, complete live exercises, and see examples of others who have used writing online to catapult themselves toward new clients, businesses, new careers, dream jobs and book deals. Writing online is your ticket to living a 21st century life. Get a free glimpse of some of the best instruction for it!
You can register here for the workshop (affiliate link) -
A few premium features of WoP that could justify the investment you could potentially be scoffing at me for later:
Learning to build online distribution for your audience
Separate mentor tracks alongside the live lectures to gain specific expertise from masters—on such as writing on Twitter, the craft of writing, being a solopreneur, and much more
Feedback from trained editors that help you level up your writing exponentially for your personal benefit, finding your creativity or levelling up your business
Connecting with like-minded peers from all walks of life (tech, business, music, stand up comedy, you name it)
How to deal with writers’ block, and capture your best ideas so you don’t run out of what to write about
And a lot more on offer. I can’t possibly remember all of it here, it’s really that much!
If you’d like to sign up for the course, you can do that here. Or speak to one of their alumni here.
Now back to me—I'm still exploring what my writing should mean and to whom, although I find I can read my own essays when I feel lost, afraid or left behind to reaffirm what I truly believe in and stand for - my own words that came at the time from a place of excitement become my guiding posts, and I become my own teacher / therapist / guru / coach.
And that is worth more than the $$ that I’d probably spend on others pretending to be all these things.
And it has made me wonder whether I should stop seeking answers outside, and for now just work my words through my fears, across the mental maze that I can perhaps navigate myself the best. I write this stuff for myself for now, just to make sense of the threads swirling in my addled brain.
Sharing them is a way for me to take others along my journey if they find it resonates with them—and maybe I also find my tribe along the way!