Introduction
As I sit down to write my 100th article (a span of 27 months), I am filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment 😊.
It has been quite a journey, and one that has allowed me to explore my hobby and share my experiences and ideas with the world. Like any round number, this milestone has given me the opportunity to reflect on my writing journey and the experiences that have led me to this point.
In this article, I want to take the time to share — few insights, the highs and lows, lessons learnt, and all the love and encouragement I received.
I’ll also share a roundup of the most popular articles and my personal favorites in different categories and offering my views on what made them special ❤️.
So join me as I celebrate 🥳 the milestone of publishing 100 articles.
I. The Writing Journey
My writing journey dates back to 1999, when I was a CS graduate student at the University of San Francisco. One of the professors made an observation after I turned in my final project — he published it on their internal sites as an example to other students, and he encouraged me to explore writing.
(Google wasn’t born yet!)
Cut to 2009, I explored blogging on topics that would help me and others in the field of usability and user experience. This habit enabled me to connect with industry leaders and opened up doors to my professional growth.
My writing journey on Medium (January 2021) began as a way to express my thoughts and ideas beyond my professional topics. I started expressing on things that make my personality — hobbies, interests, habits, challenges and lessons learned, travel — and so on.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” (Zig Ziglar)
At the time, I had no idea where this journey would take me or the impact it would have on me and my readers. As I started writing more and more, I realized that writing was becoming more than just a hobby. It was liberating and enlightening in nature, as it gave me a sense of purpose and meaning that I had been ignoring in other areas of my life.
Of course, this journey has not always been smooth sailing. There were times when I struggled to find the right words, felt uninspired or faced rejection. But, I never gave up, and learned to embrace these challenges and see them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
Most importantly, I focused on the sheer pleasure it gave me, more than recognition. Here are some valuable insights that have helped me continue the journey:
- Writing is a process — Often I would give up if I can’t finish an article in one sitting. It took time to realize that writing is not a one-time event, but a process that requires time, effort, and a lot of patience 😅. I learnt the importance of taking time to research, plan, and revise before publishing my work.
- Embrace your voice — It’s alright to borrow and steal ideas and even be inspired by other writers on the subjects that matter to you. But as a writer, it was extremely important to embrace my voice, and write from a place of authenticity. I always stay away from imitating someone else’s style or voice, and always strive for expressing the same ideas in my own unique voice.
- Read widely — As part of my writing journey, I always read articles on topics that are related and even those that are not related. It exposes me to different writing styles, techniques, and perspectives. It also helps me discover new topics to write about.
- Seek feedback — Receiving feedback from friends, family, other writers, and editors of publications has helped me improve my writing and identify areas that need improvement.
- Perseverance — Writing is not easy; it’s normal to feel discouraged and have a huge writer’s block as a result of the invisible burden of being judged by the readers. I have learnt to persevere and keep writing even when it’s difficult.
I am really grateful for the opportunities writing has given me, and the growth it has allowed me to experience.
II. The Best of Writing
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” (Octavia Butler)
Over the course of 100 articles, some topics have resonated more than others, and some pieces were more successful than others. In this section, I’ll share some of my most popular articles and personal favorites.
💎 Most Popular Articles 💎
👉 A Pathway to Heaven — A photographic narrative of a beautiful hike! 🥾
👉 Creating Portraits that Tell a Story — My learnings and process on creating effective portraits 📸 (photography).
👉 Moon in the Palm — A short story using a photograph that reminds of two classic Hollywood stories 🎬.
👉 Chasing the Flying Rainbows — A photowalk in Napa Valley with colorful hot air balloons 🌈 over the fields.
👉 7 Things I Don’t Want to See in Your Resume — Some practical advice on what not to do 🛑 on your resume.
👉 How I Quit Smoking After 18 Years! — A personal journey of triumph 🏆against a long lasting habit.
👉 Perfectionism Was Ruining My Life — A personal story of change in perspective 👀.
❤️ My Personal Favorites ❤️
👉 Confessions of a UX Designer — A personal account of my professional mistakes and learnings ✅.
👉 How to Be a Happy Runner by Avoiding These 9 Painful Mistakes — A personal journey of being a happy runner 🏃♂️.
👉 The Top Myths About UX — Debunked — An article done in collaboration with 4 industry veterans 👩🏫 on the topic of UX.
👉 How Being Social Is Good Hygiene for a Startup — Lesson-filled narrative on how startups 🦋 should embrace the idea of being social — with a distinction of being published in one of the largest publications of Medium.
👉 4 Reasons Why Hobbies Make Me Feel Like a Kid Again — A personal narrative on what multiple hobbies 💐 bring to my life.
👉 Valentine’s 10-Word Love Story Challenge — Accepted — A first-attempt at extreme short-story writing (just 10 words) on love ❤️.
👉 Confirmation Bias — Why do we gather information selectively? — A feature on why we (people) choose information and make decisions based on our own biases ❌.
III. Lessons Learned
Writing 100 articles has been a journey of learning, growth, and self-discovery. Here are a few elaborated points:
A. Writing Process
- Establishing a routine — One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the value of establishing a writing routine. Whether it’s a set time each day (mornings for me!) or a specific location (my desk in bedroom), having a routine helped me stay disciplined and committed to writing.
- Overcoming writer’s block — Writer’s block is a frustrating experience. My 100 articles journey has taught me various techniques to overcome it, such as taking a few days break, brainstorming with a friend, starting with a different part of my article, collaborating with other writers to co-author an article, or using AI tools to generate a few ideas and get a jump start.
- Editing and revising — Writing is just not about putting words that strike you first, on a page. I have learned to appreciate the value of refining and polishing my articles, sometimes even after they’re published. From small typos to inconsistent tone or style, I can always find tons of editing opportunities that I may have missed in the first draft.
B. Finding Inspiration
- Staying curious and open-minded — I’ve found that by reading widely, exploring new topics, and approaching each article with a beginner’s mindset, I can keep my curiosity and creativity flowing.
- Seeking sources of inspiration — Inspiration is everywhere, whether it’s personal experiences, current events, or something I read or watched. I’ve learned to keep an idea notes (on my phone) to jot down any interesting topics or thoughts that come to mind.
- Expressing through personal experiences — Writing from personal experiences can be incredibly powerful and relatable. I’ve found that by sharing my own stories and perspectives, I can connect more deeply with my readers.
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” (Oscar Wilde)
C. Building a Following
- Connecting with readers — Writing is not just about conveying information but also about connecting with readers on an emotional level. By incorporating storytelling in my articles, I’ve been able to create a deeper connection with my audience. Also, I take care in responding to my viewer’s comments on my article in a personal and timely manner.
- Networking — Writing can be a solitary pursuit, but it’s important to connect with others in the writing community. Through Bootcamps and writing social groups, I’ve learned the value of networking and building relationships with other writers (who can also be your loyal readers).
- Socializing — Social media is a powerful tool for building an audience and sharing your writing. Outside of Medium, I’ve consistently used LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share and promote my articles, and engage with my readers — resulting in reaching to a wider audience.
D. Personal Growth
- Self-discovery — As cliché as it sounds, writing has really helped me learn more about myself — thoughts, emotions, perspectives.. in the process.
- Staying authentic and vulnerable — By sharing my own experiences and emotions in my writing, I’ve been able to create a more authentic and relatable voice that doesn’t attempt to sound perfect, but is vulnerable and hence, real. Authenticity and vulnerability in writing as helped me connect with readers more.
- Feedback loop — By establishing a feedback process with my readers and some other writers, I’ve been able to improve my writing and develop my craft.
IV. Looking Ahead: The Future of My Writing Journey
As I move forward with my writing, there are several areas I plan to focus on.
A. Exploring new topics
One of the benefits of writing is the opportunity to learn about new topics and explore different perspectives. I plan to continue expanding my knowledge base by researching and writing about subjects that are unfamiliar to me.
An example of a new topic— based on a personal experience:
B. Experimenting with new styles
Writing is an art form, and like any art form, it is important to try new things and experiment with different styles. In the future, I plan to take more risks with my writing and explore new ways of expressing myself.
An example of a new style — based on a challenge prompt:
C. Engaging with readers and writers
Writing is not a solitary activity, and engaging with readers is an important part of the process. Going forward, I plan to make a more concerted effort to respond to comments and engage with other writers on their articles.
A recent example of my comment:
D. Collaborating with other writers
Collaboration is a powerful tool for learning and growth, and also to overcome writer’s block 😅. Going forward, I plan to collaborate more with other writers to offer my readers a variety of technique and expansion of expression.
A recent example of an article written in collaboration with four writers:
E. Continuing to write for fun
At the end of the day, writing is a labor of love. Moving forward, I plan to continue writing with passion and dedication — but most importantly I intend to enjoy the experience, without any performance pressure or the burden of being judged.
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” (E. L. Doctorow)
Conclusion
It’s hard to believe that I’ve written 100 articles on Medium! I am truly humbled by the support and love of my readers.
Looking back on my journey, I’ve learned so much and have had the opportunity to share my knowledge, experiences, and ideas with others. I like to believe that some of my articles have provided value, insights, or entertainment to my readers.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Through this milestone, I have learned that the writing journey is not just about the finished product, but also the process of self-discovery and growth. It has allowed me to explore different topics, perspectives, and writing styles, and has taught me the power of storytelling and empathy.
As I look forward to the future of writing, I’m excited to see where technology will take us and how we’ll continue to find new and creative ways to tell stories and connect with our audiences.
🚀 Here’s to the next 100 articles and beyond!
🌹 Thank you for being an inseparable part of this journey.
Copyright © 2023 Vishal Mehta. All Rights Reserved.
