When I started delving into freelancing, almost immediately I got discouraged. A lot of assignments were clearly being lazily flung about the industry like fish flakes covering the top of a freelance aquarium that us poor writers believed was actually the ocean. When I did find an assignment I liked I felt apprehensive about putting into words what someone else could do just as well, probably better, with the right direction. And all the more convincingly, since their expertise and point of view would be more pivotal to success than the fancy words of someone hired to care.
I understand the need for a linguistic leg up over the “competition,” but there are writers out there with less talent and less education, thriving in their careers because they’ve discovered the simple principle of communicating themselves so thoroughly, that they’re nothing short of a beacon attracting the opportunities to them that suit them most.
So where do we find this principle and use it to our advantage? It’s well hidden, that’s for sure. In fact, most people have trouble truly expressing themselves, and think of their own perspective as average and obvious. As a writer, I have to observe and recognize beauty, have a clear understanding of who I am and what I want to say, because it’s part of what I do. You too may be doing what you love, but not every career is dependent on soul searching. Which is why sometimes you may come up blank. You may find that you know what you want to say, but look grimly on a daunting blank page as if you were at the bottom of Mount Everest. Or maybe you’ve written respectable pages of copy only to read it over and think, “this is garbage.” You’d like to get down to the essence of it like a Pulitzer prize winner but what deadline driven professional has that kind of time? Maybe you’re applying for college and finding that unique voice of yours is crucial to your success. Do you trust that what you’re saying is really you and not just another cliche trying to compete with thousands of others? Do you really believe you can stand out among the rest?
Well, believe it or not, you can. And do. It’s true that there’s no magic formula for such things, but it can be learned. Professionals know that successful communication is vital to every industry, and will do whatever it takes to enhance where a piece of writing can be lacking. Enhancing a piece to its fullest potential take great effort if you’re not accustomed to it– it’s changing your thinking habits, a complete retraining to understand that you do actually have things to say that no one else can, only then does your writing really soar. I’ve been helping people figure out what they ought to say since I was too young to realize what it was — first friends and family, then fellow students, professionals, now you. It’s true I could, with some time, do the work for you. But wouldn’t you rather present yourself… yourself? I think you as well as everyone else would be far more pleased with the result.
