Ever since I could remember I always journaled. Writing was my escape. I wrote down all of my thoughts and dreams, stories I told myself in my head. I poured my heart out onto the paper, free from judgment.

I wrote to just write.

As I grew older I thought maybe I could turn my love for articulate words and writing into something of a career or professional hobby.

I started writing for various publication websites week after week. And I learned very fast that journaling and journalism are two very different things. It is not enough to just love writing to be a writer. You have to know how to communicate your thoughts in a style that will resonate with your readers.

Adapting to the open publication of my thoughts, I started obsessing over each and every word. Concerned about my diction and in which way they would be received.

Knowing what you want to say, but not having the right words to say it is the biggest predicament. I know in which way I want my thoughts to be conveyed, but my words never come out in the style I want it to.

Thinking of topics to write about week after week can sometimes become exhausting. Being in a funk not only becomes a burden on my health, it is also detrimental for my work. When I can’t find inspiration, I have nothing to write about.

I realized something had drastically changed with my writing. With the demand for higher page views by publishers, my writing turned less of something from the heart, and more about what content would appeal to the highest number of people.

Today’s news articles crave the most attention. Words are manipulated and thoughts are turned around to appeal to the highest number of viewers possible. That is where fake news comes from.

I started writing articles as an outlet for my thoughts. It appealed to me because it seemed like an open platform that embraced freedom of individual speech. However, the open publication of my thoughts manifested into something less genuine.

I do not care about achieving the most page views or sharing my content on platforms that will be seen by large numbers of people.

I care about the authenticity of my words, and the credibility of the articles I choose to write.