What a year of consistent writing (and publishing) has taught me

The healing power of words

As you might have seen, I have changed the name of this publication (again ;-). For a very good reason though and in this blog I will tell you all about it!

I had been thinking about writing this blog for a while. But as I was on my paddleboard on the sea last week, I understood why I hadn’t written it before. Because the story I wanted to share wasn’t ready yet. Which is one of the things about writing from your heart, some stories are ready the moment you think of it and others need time to grow.

Therefore I also have folder in my computer with unpublished stories. These stories are part of the process of getting to the point of an article I am writing. These stories are often part of my healing process. I write to heal and grow, but I also write because it is my creative backbone. I cannot and will not stop writing, because it is my way to show the world who I am.

In this blog I share with you the lessons learned of one year of consistent writing. In a future blog I will share more about the power of writing to heal yourself.

My year of consistent writing

In the summer of 2022 I decided to devote myself to a new writing project. I was going to write a blog every week, for at least half a year. Even though I had been playing with the idea of starting a Substack, I decided to start publishing on my own platform and in my mother tongue (Dutch).

It was my intention to change the world with the stories I wrote. I wanted to talk about sustainability, healthy food and all kinds of things that would make the world a better place.
I did write a couple of really nice pieces on the subject, but as the weeks progressed, I started sharing my personal story. I started writing about the process of moving away from everything I knew to a life that suited me better than the life I was living.

Was this really everything I could give in my writing?

I felt happier, but I also felt shame, was I really not able to share stories with a wider view on the world? Why did I always needed my own story to talk about the things that were happening to me? I checked with my readers and they told me they were happy with my stories, so I continued in the way I had always written. From my heart, sharing what I felt was important.

After half a year I moved back to Corfu and knew I was going to stay. As I made this move, I felt the need for a language change. And with that a change of platform to publish.

My reasons to move to Substack

In March 2023 I switched to Substack. There were several reasons to do so: The first one was to expand my horizon and see what this beautiful platform could bring me. The second one, I wanted to add the option for people to become a paid subscriber to my writing. My stories are my income. And I felt it was time to earn some money with it. I also wanted to have a community of people who were willing to share about the themes I was writing about. I felt Substack would be the perfect place to make this combination.

The lessons I learned 

To be honest the move to Substack didn’t give me what I had expected it would give me. But with everything else in life that I felt called to, it taught me so much more…

1. Writing is a constant process of learning and healing

   As I said before, writing can help you heal things that need to be healed. But consistent writing and publishing helps you to find your own voice and the depth and essence of your true story.

   When you write for yourself you get into different learnings than when write and publish your story. Writing for an audience makes you rethink the story you want to tell. By editing and rewriting you get to the essence of your story and this helps you grow as a writer and a person. This is especially important when you use blogging as a means to share more about the work you do.

   For me it was important to come back to the essence of my writing. It is my aim to share my personal stories that are guided by my intuition to show you that you can change your life no matter the circumstances you’re in.

2. A tool to earn money?

   I thought by moving to Substack it would be easier for me to earn money with my writing, but until now, this didn’t happen. The community I wanted to create didn’t come to fruition yet and after some introspection, I also know why. I needed this year to find my voice and to understand why I write about the things that happen in my life.
   As the year progressed I saw the stories I write changing. There is a big difference between my first and my last post and I know I will be progressing with every piece I write.

   Moving to Substack in the end wasn’t about earning money, it was about finding my voice. Finding my true audience and letting go of a lot of thoughts and ideas about myself and the world that weren’t true. It helped me to see who I truly am and how I write. And this finally becomes something to share with the world in a different way.

3. Every writer has its own voice and approach
   At the start of my Substack I wanted to have some topics ready to write about. I wrote about topics like playfulness and abundance. The truth: I wanted to teach and show that I was an expert on certain issues. But the thing is, I am not a teacher.
   I am a guide, a facilitator, but definitely not a teacher. I am an expert on how to live life in a way that suits me best, instead of living the life that others might think I have to live.
   I am an intuitive writer, so I write about topics that inspire me. My intuition is my guide and that has brought me the most joy in my life and in my writing.

4. Consistency sparks creativity
   I am a big fan of letting life flow in the way it wants to flow. I don’t do schedules or strict regimes. But having a consistent writing habit, really helps to keep my creativity flowing. So I write almost every day. I use writing to understand myself and the world I live in. It helps me to heal and see the wisdom I already have within me. It helps me to listen to what is happening inside of me and what I can do to shift things.
   If you want to write and publish stories, start with a consistent writing routine, until it is normal for you to write almost every day.

5. Writing can changes lives
   Writing is the best thing I can think of doing every day. It sparks my joy and it is even more joyful when a blog or article sparks the inspiration of my readers. But writing can feel lonely when there are no reactions. Even though you can see the statistics of how many people opened your email, that doesn’t say that they read your piece. But you never know how your story impacts someones life. I know from 20 years of writing experience that every piece I write will impact someones life. They might not tell you (and yes this sucks), they might tell you after 10 years (this sucks as well, but a little less ;-) or they react to your post immediately (which is sheer joy!!). But never let a lack of response stop your writing, because you can change lives with the stories you share.

If you love writing I hope you will start your own writing journey soon. It really is a powerful way to learn and grow and to share your voice with the world. If you want to get inspired or meet like-minded people, you can become a member of this publication. And you can join the monthly events for connecting and intuitive writing.