A book made me a writer
on the myth of the solitary writer and the pursuit of creative growth
It was on a flight back to New York in October 2022 that I declared myself a writer, inscribing this truth into my journal. For so long there was a subconscious barrier preventing me from seeing writing as central to my identity, despite the evidence being plainly dotted across my life since childhood. I didn’t realise that making space for writing was something I could do. Once I believed this was possible, I began to explore ways to close the gap between how I lived my life and my newfound identity as a writer. Two months later, I launched this substack.
In the four years since then I’ve been on and off in my writing on this platform, but have always felt a sense of validation as a writer by knowing that I’ve created a space to share my writing with this online community. Through becoming open to the possibility of being seen, I could now explore my voice and go deeper in my reflections on life as it unfolds. There has also been something intimate about inviting friends and loved ones to engage with my writing alongside strangers. So like many others on Substack, I’ve loved what this space has done for enabling my pursuit of writing. One of my pieces even explicitly traces this evolution in my relationship with writing and seeing myself as a writer:
But somewhere along the way, I hit a ceiling in my growth without being aware of it. And as I progressed in my career and was building my life in London, writing became something I did but not really something that challenged who I was. Last year was my most consistent year in terms of posting, but posting isn’t the same as growing. Does posting on SoundCloud make you an artist? Does sharing content on Instagram make you a creative? Maybe. But what does it take to grow in your craft? I didn’t realise that the real work happens in between the thought pieces.
Writing changed my life when I decided to start writing a book. There is something that a book demands that necessitates reaching beyond myself. It is not enough to throw words on a page and call it a day. I have to engage in sustained research, think deeply about what my writing might mean from the perspective of the reader, and learn about the ecosystem of publishing. I started going out of my way to attend writing workshops and I sought out arts festivals to be inspired by other creatives.
I realised that there was so much to learn about the craft of writing and the journey of finding and re-finding my voice. I’ve been sharing excerpts of initial chapters with trusted friends and found the process of receiving feedback and iterating has pushed me in ways that writing on Substack alone never could. Through pursuing this path, my life has had to change to align with what it takes to grow into someone who can write a book.
It takes a village
For so long, I’ve thought that a writer’s life required a solitary path, perhaps because a few of the acclaimed writers I admire have said something to this effect. But the growth cannot happen alone. So I am no longer buying the Western notion of the lone wolf creative genius. Creativity is communal. And I don’t think that even engaging with ‘online community’ on platforms like Substack is enough. There is a subtle veil that is easy to hide behind when the creative process is limited to writing and sharing. The hard part is letting others in. Inviting friends and sometimes strangers into the work in progress, having subconscious assumptions surfaced and challenged.
I’m also not saying that you have to write a book to truly be a writer. It’s less about the end product than it is about the process of being in community and evolving through engaging with others. There are ways to do this both online and offline: libraries sometimes offer workshops, and there are so many great online and local communities for writers that share resources and provide spaces to connect with others on this journey.
One of my favourite artists, Thundercat, shared in an interview that he lives by the saying “Nothing makes up for time spent”. I interpret this as meaning that the time invested in the craft cannot be skipped in order to push yourself into becoming the best artist you can be. This is what I’m seeing too. I’m hopeful for what comes of this journey of becoming an author and growing deeper as a writer.
A few selected muses and resources on this topic:
Thundercat on Creativity, Positive Mindsets & Finding His Sound — Youtube video
Writing Our Legacy — an arts organisation focused on providing writing support and opportunities for people of colour in the UK. Their newsletter is great.
National Centre for Writing’s Writing Hub — a curated page of online resources for writing and the book publishing process
A Writing Practice to Help You Meet Yourself — Youtube video by Anna Howard (anna on substack)
I resonate with this so much! I just started writing on here last year. And I’ve been writing since the beginning of time lol, but I never identified myself as a writer until now. It’s been so liberating. Good luck with writing your book! That’s so exciting. I’m currently doing the same and it’s a loooot, but so fun :)