I know my Facebook friends probably wish I would quit. They’re probably sick of getting a post from my random array of thoughts each week. And my Instagram followers are probably wishing I would quit saying “Click that Bio Link for more info.” But I’m not doing it for my Facebook friends. I’m not doing it for my Instagram followers. I’m not doing it for the shares or the incentives. I do this for me.

I’ve been an Odyssey content Creator for about 8 months now, and there’s been several weeks where I don’t feel inspired and I don’t feel proud of my submission, but I still go ahead and write. And I’m really glad I’ve stuck it out, because as I reflect on how I’ve grown over the past year, I know that telling my story on Odyssey has played a huge part in developing me personally and professionally.

I’ve always loved writing, that’s no question. I have never been able to fully express my thoughts as well as I can on a good ole’ keyboard and Word document, so when I started coming across more and more Odyssey articles on my Facebook feed, I really wanted to try my hand at creating content for a wider audience. And I’m so glad that I did.

Even though I’ve always enjoyed writing, I never really did it on a consistent basis (excluding my scatter-brained personal journal) until I started creating content on Odyssey last year. Being consistent in my writing has shown me that to get better at writing, you really do just have write, and write often. As I read back on some of my first articles, I’ve noticed that my writing has improved and that’s really cool to see!

Since the goal is to submit a piece of content each week, I find myself often thinking about what I’ll write as I go throughout my week. This has caused me to be much more critical, thoughtful and observant of the world around me. When I read my morning news, I digest it, but then I think about how I feel about it. When I feel a certain emotion, I like to dissect why I feel that way and how others may relate to that. So, being an Odyssey content Creator has really challenged my critical thinking and the way I perceive my world.

It’s strange to mention, but I think being a content Creator has also made me more empathetic. I read a lot of articles shared by team members and other Creators from across the nation, and the coolest thing about this platform is that all opinions are welcome. By being invested in Odyssey, I have also gotten to read how other people, from all kinds of different backgrounds, perceive the same events differently.

So, yeah. I still do worry sometimes that I’m bothering my Facebook friends by posting and promoting my writing. Self-promotion is never the most fun thing to do. And I don’t think I’ll ever be a popular writer by contributing my little thoughts to the huge array of thoughts circulating the internet, but I do this for myself. I do this to grow as a writer, as a thinker, and as a person. Thanks for helping me out, Odyssey.