Here’s the Kicker
A Tiny Note from the Universe
When you find one, it’s a treasure
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A friend recently said that when she notices a theme recurring several times in a week, seemingly at random, she considers it a note from God or the universe to pay attention.
Thank you, Niru, for being that “tiny note from the universe” for me, this morning. I have also been struggling to write consistently, lately. Doing a bit better, this week, letting myself be inspired by inspiring a machine to make art.
I ran across your Reading List:
And Nancy Blackman’s 30-Day Writing Challenge caught my eye. 150 words a day? I can do that. Or, in the immortal words of The Little Engine That Could, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…”
What’s funny about this is that all the writers on Medium writing on writing is one of the reasons I haven’t been writing here as much as I used to. It’s like running across a roadside farm with one or two old dairy cows, long past their prime, and a sign hung on the barn door, “How to Milk the Cash Cow.” Except that you find out “Cash” is the bull’s name…
Inna Dinkins ✨makes a fair point: “Even if it’s content you’ve already seen, it may very well be brand new to the reader.” If you consider the sheer number of people reading and writing on the internet, and the fact that a person has to see the same message about 7–15 times before it really sinks in, repetition is only bad if you happen to be that one person who has seen it 157 times, already. Most people are skimming. Few are really paying attention.
But I think it’s important to be clear on your goals and not get caught up in chasing other people’s. To that end, I’d challenge you, Dear Reader, to jot down on paper the answer to “Why are you really here, on Medium?” There are no wrong answers, only a strong likelihood of disappointing results if you’re not very clear on the answer to that question, and actively using the platform to achieve your personal goals.
Holly Jahangiri is the author of Trockle ; A Puppy, Not a Guppy; and A New Leaf for Lyle. She draws inspiration from her family, from her own childhood adventures (some of which only happened in her overactive imagination), and from readers both young and young at heart. Visit her website at jahangiri.us and subscribe to her newsletter at https://hollyjahangiri.substack.com/
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