Not a love story
First of all, I would like to say that writing is not my preferred way of communication. During my time at school, I was repeatedly told by different teachers that writing was definitely not my strength. It was only towards the end of my school career that I had a teacher who supported and encouraged me and thus built up my self-confidence. Today I have to write a lot of things in my professional life. Especially in this area, I am very critical of myself and often gripped by self-doubt. But thanks to this teacher, I always accept this challenge and dare to get out of my comfort zone.
The Beginning
This teacher always said, “The beginning is the hardest part. Don’t think too much. Think about a rough concept and then let the words happen.” I still follow this advice. First I think about a topic as well as a rough roadmap and then I just start writing and let my thoughts run. After most texts are written digitally, it’s quite easy to shorten, rewrite or delete individual passages or entire texts. The thought helps me to get started without worrying too much about form. Mostly I force myself to write down the text once completely. Even if I am not sure about words or phrases, I still have the possibility to change everything afterward. It’s important that I don’t stop the first flow because that’s where the text usually comes from.
The middle part
When I’m writing, it usually goes very smoothly and easily. If I have enough time, I like to leave the text for a short time and look at it again the next day or at least a few hours later. It’s important to gain a bit of distance because then I have the chance to see my text from a completely different perspective.
The final sprint
When I have gained enough distance, I revise my text again. First, I check whether the content makes sense. Then I correct spelling mistakes and individual phrases. Finally, I read it again in one go to get an overall feel for the text. When I’m happy with my text, I’m looking for suitable images to add some more life to my text.
Final words
I am very often very perfectionistic. However, after seven years of self-employment, I got over that very quickly. Or at least I got rid of it to some extent. You’re better off if you put your perfectionism to the back of the queue. So many times I have to deliver work and projects that are far from perfect by my standards, but I have a deadline. It always helps me to ask myself the question “What is the goal?” In most cases, I then come to the conclusion that I am not writing a dissertation but want to convey a message. This then makes it easier for me to publish my blog.
In summary, a blog will never be my preferred medium to communicate. I am far too visual a person for that and feel far too much at home in the world of images and videos.