This post is free to read, but Wednesday’s post will be for paid subscribers only. To receive ALL of my posts each week & to get access to my Simple & Calm course and community of likeminded slow living enthusiasts, why not consider becoming a paid member for less than £1 per week? To celebrate my 6 month anniversary on Substack, I’m offering a 25% discount on my membership until the end of May. Not only will you be getting access to everything I mentioned above, but you’ll be supporting me and my dream of teaching my passion - how to live a simple and calm life, and that makes you a wonderful human being!
It was easy when I was a nurse. When people asked me what I did for a living, I could quickly tell them without thought.
Fast forward 5 years, I was self employed in my own print business and no one really understood what that meant. Sure, younger people knew what that meant, but trying to explain what a print designer was to a grandparent, or even my own parents was incredibly difficult.
The place I hated explaining my job role the most was, strangely, a price comparison website, when my annual car insurance was up for renewal. What is your occupation? What industry do you work in? I don’t know! I design prints on my computer and sell them on Etsy. Can I just put that? (I couldn’t in case you were wondering).
I’d be so jealous of inputting my husband’s details as a named driver on my policy. Occupation: Mechanical Engineer. Industry: Steel. Easy peasy. Not for me. Sometimes I’d wish I never left nursing because it was so much easier. Everyone understands what a nurse is.
No one quite gets what a print designer is, which is why the older generation in my family still think I’m unemployed. When I announced that I was pregnant with my third baby, I was met with “Oh. I thought you’d be going back to work now the children are older?” *rolls eyes, takes a deep breath, and politely says “I do have a job”*.
Following the birth of baby William in February, we officially registered him and I was met with the same conundrum. It went a little something like this:
Registrar: “So, dad, what is your occupation?”Husband: “Mechanical Engineer”
Registrar: “Great. Good. Now over to you mum, what do you do?”
*sweat pouring down my back, my face bright red*,
Me: “erm, I sell prints online”
Registrar: “Oh, you’re an artist!”
Me: “No, not an artist. I just design prints and sell them on a website called Etsy. It’s a bit like Amazon, but for handmade items”.
*sees a confused expression wash over her face. Sweats some more*
Registrar: “Oh. Erm. So. What can I put? I’ll just put artist”
Me: *in a blind panic that I was going to be mislabelled as a professional when I absolutely am not* “No! I’m definitely not an artist”
Registrar: *sucks air through teeth* “Shall we just put Online Business Proprietor?”
Me: *absolutely overwhelmingly embarrassed and just wanting this meeting to be over with* “Yes. Yes, just put that”.
I left the registry office feeling so stupid, and in physical discomfort from the encounter I’d just had. Why couldn’t I just have a simple job title? This random profession was now imprinted onto my child’s birth certificate for the rest of his life. I can’t wait to answer the confused question of what that means when he’s older!
The thing is, I don’t just have one job. When I became self employed I had to do it all. I had to learn how to market my business (does that make me a marketer?), I had to learn how to take photos and create content for social media (does that make me a photographer or content creator?), I built a website and listed my items for sale (am I a website designer or SEO guru?). No, but these were simply roles that I briefly adopted to get the relevant job done.
I have other actual jobs, though, apart from being a print designer. I think the cool kids call this being multi-hyphenated. For the last 18 months before my maternity leave started I worked as a virtual assistant and content creator for a company. It was fun and I learned a lot. It was also easier to describe as a job role too, especially since the pandemic saw the increase of people working from home online. My parents sort of understood this job role.
My most recent job and source of income has been writing here on Substack, specifically from my paid subscribers to my Simple & Calm course membership. This job, although it has the simplest job title and easy job description that others’ would understand, has been the hardest to call my own.
I’ve always loved writing, and ever since I could string a sentence together I’ve written in some way. I even won a competition and had my poem published in a book when I was in primary school. I wish I still had that book to read what I wrote, because I can’t for the life of me remember how it went. I do remember being incredibly proud of myself though. Anyway, I digress.
At the start of my maternity leave, I joined Substack. I wanted to write about my life as a slow living advocate, and I wanted a platform where I could teach the lifestyle to other interested people. Of course, I wanted to do all of this, but I wouldn’t be a proper writer.
I don’t know why I couldn’t quite call myself a writer. I suppose it’s because I hadn’t published a book, I didn’t write a column for a newspaper, I don’t have a higher education qualification in it, and I certainly wasn’t a journalist. But… I did write. And I do love writing. So, what’s the criteria I need to meet in order to call myself a writer? I still don’t have a concrete answer. What do you think?
One day I was reading through an incredibly welcoming post by
where she invited readers and writers to cosy round the camp fire and introduce themselves, which I did. I headed into the comments to write my introduction, and what I saw stunned me. I realised I wasn’t alone.There were all sorts of comments about writing on Substack, and whether or not they belonged on the platform. People were saying that they weren’t writers either, but that they enjoyed Substack and, most importantly, writing on Substack.
I’d recommend heading over to the original post and viewing the comments in their entirety, but I’ve picked some out and tagged the author of those comments below:
There is still a bit of me that says I am not an experienced writer and that writing about crochet will not be seen as sufficiently serious and important for the platform (imposter syndrome is real). -
Kelly was so right! Imposter syndrome is a huge block for me sometimes, especially when it comes to calling myself a writer. I responded with this:
I’m definitely not a serious writer, but I have a passion (slow living) and writing is my voice to tell others about it. Other people use video or podcasts, but I’m not that brave yet so I’m fine hiding behind my writing for now.
Yes! Writing is my voice, and it’s a way to share my passion. I certainly don’t need to ‘hide behind it’ as I said in this comment. I’m fine to embrace writing, celebrate it and own it.
This is such a great space for writers - I'm not quite counting myself as a writer just yet - this was just about sharing my pictures somewhere new but I'm enjoying writing so much. -
You see, writing is addictive! Emily joined to share her incredible illustrations, but found her writing voice and is really enjoying being on the platform.
We are alll writers we just all write in wildly different ways?! -
Claire is spot on! We’re all writers, but in our own way. So, does it really matter if we are big time journalists, or if we’re smaller writers who use writing as a voice to share their passions?
I am, so slowly, trying to say I am a writer. Sure, one that uses terrible grammar and punctuation but still a writer. I think I put that on my About page so if it is irritating you know not to subscribe!
But my first instinct is to say I'm not really a writer and I have to catch myself. -
I’m still convinced you can be a writer despite having terrible grammar and punctuation. I never get it 100% right, but does it really matter? The point here is that Donna is instantly giving readers permission to not subscribe to her newsletter because ‘she’s not a real writer’.
I am happy to call myself a creative, crafter, crocheter but even though writing is a practical skill which I am perfectly capable of and I have been putting words into written form since primary school the phrase 'a writer' feels really loaded with some mysterious higher level of expectation and skill. -
And then Kelly hit the nail on the head with this comment. Why do we put so much emphasis on the title ‘writer’? Why does it have a mysterious higher level of expectation and skill? Again, no one has told me the criteria of a writer, so by definition, are we not all writers?
Haha yes Sophie!!! Maybe we should all manifest and agree to call ourselves writers in 2 months?! -
Heather found the perfect words in the end. The 2 month deadline is the 11th June, and I invite you all to join me to declare ourselves as writers. I’ll share a thread on that date, and your only task is to show up and ‘sign’ the declaration by writing ‘I’M A WRITER!’. Are you in?
So, I suppose the question is why are we so resistant to calling ourselves writers? Will it put too much pressure on ourselves? Will we have to live up to great expectations if we own the title? What if brands and companies reach out to work with us, will it all feel like a lie? Will you start to loathe writing, instead of enjoying it? I’d love to know your honest thoughts about what becoming a real writer would mean for you.
Whatever your reason, it is essentially just a mindset block to stop you from going any further with it. You have 3 weeks to work through this ‘I’m not a writer’ block and let it go. After the 11th June, we’re showing up as talented, capable and ACTUAL writers. Who knows, I might even put it as my occupation when my car insurance is up for renewal in November!
Pop the 11th June in your diary for ‘writers declaration day’!
**LAST CHANCE TO GET 25% OFF A PAID MEMBERSHIP!**
To celebrate my 6 month anniversary on Substack, I’m offering a 25% discount on my membership until the end of May. Not only will you be getting access to everything I mentioned above, but you’ll be supporting me and my dream of teaching my passion - how to live a simple and calm life, and that makes you a wonderful human being!
This resonates so much! Thank you. You are 10000% a writer!! I am, too ☺️💖
So happy I found this post and your page/publication...I thought it was just me questioning the ‘writer’ thing...! Thank you for putting words to my underlying fears/imposter syndrome about being on here and thank you to all of the commenters for the supportive and positive views. On my old blog I used the quote by Howard Thurman, “Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive” which I think is relevant here too. Love and solidarity to all x