For a long time, I've really enjoyed writing. It was my favorite subject in school because I was never any good at math or science, and it opened the door to creativity for me. I always enjoyed taking boring research papers and trying to turn them into something my teacher would actually enjoy reading. Writing allowed me, a quiet introvert, to express my thoughts and emotions in a way that didn't draw a lot of attention to myself, and it became a platform and stage I could be myself on. Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.
I love the creativity of writing, too. I enjoy listening to stories and the ancient art of storytelling, and I love how writing can appeal so greatly to one's emotions. Why else would 75 percent of social media now consist of sharing articles full of inspiring stories and thoughts on life and how to live it? Writing puts letters together to form words and words together to form sentences and thoughts that match emotions and experiences. Writing is life-giving to me, and it's something I'm passionate about and love sharing with others. Hence, this blog.
As of late, however, it's become too easy for me to exchange my passion for success when sharing my writing with others. I've fallen into the trap of experiencing a taste of successful writing and trying to pursue that, rather than pursing the passion for writing. I've become more worried about what will get the most "shares," rather than focusing on being inspired by what I see, experience and feel. I've slowly drifted into the dangerous waters of pleasing others, rather than pursing passion. I started Cliff Notes in August so I could begin to write on a more 'professional' level and begin to take my passion for writing more seriously. Cliff Notes started to follow a dream, not to get shares.
A few days ago, I wrote a post on why dreams are worth 30 minutes a day. I wrote this, not only as a motivation for others to follow their dreams, but also as a motivation for myself. Those who follow my social media, may or may not have realized I've been writing and posting a lot more over the past couple of weeks. I've written a lot more as of late because I'm trying to pursue that 30-minute/day goal and follow my dream. I want to be a writer, and to write for a living requires writing every day. Being a writer would be a dream come true.
With that, I've set a goal to post 100 blogs in 100 days. In order to make this happen, I'm asking for a lot of help. I'm asking for help from friends to write guest posts and I'm asking for accountability to keep writing. You see, I don't just want to write in order to "post 100 blogs" or clog up everyone's newsfeed, and I don't want just my voice heard. I want to write and share writing relevantly, and I want to write quality content that inspires, reflects and challenges myself and others. The last thing the internet needs is more "content" that just takes up space. Writing is a gift and passion God has given me. I want to steward that gift well, and I want Him to be glorified through that gift.
So here's to 85 more days of writing, and cheers to you if you've been reading and following Cliff Notes. I truly mean it when I say that every time you read a post or give some feedback, you're helping make my dream come true, and I can't thank everyone enough for that. It's like my own, personal Make-A-Wish foundation. It will be interesting to see how this season of writing evolves, but you can be sure to expect to hear from some other inspiring writers, as well throughout the process. I couldn't be more stoked.
Let's make a deal. If you keep chasing your dreams, I'll keep chasing mine.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Writing is like the introvert's Madison Square Garden; it's a stage you can perform and be yourself on without anyone watching you.