My Progress on Medium

It’s Been An Uphill Climb, But I’m Starting to See Results

I have been on Medium since 2020. At first, I took it as another place to read information, learn new skills, and post my thoughts. I would post now and again and focus on other things. In 2022, as the worst of the pandemic began to ease, I focused more on Medium and my writing.

The dream of becoming a full-time working writer had me in its grip. As an educator, I knew the work I was doing was exhausting and thankless. I had lost the joy of teaching, and the added stress wore down my body. I knew that writing had been my passion since childhood, and I needed to give it the attention it deserved.

Yes, I’m also a poet and have devoted a lot of energy, money, and time to the craft of poetry. I have seen lots of success—winning my first poetry prize, traveling to conferences, and meeting other poets around the country. But nonfiction, writing essays, has been my first love since my teen years.

So, I focused more on essay writing and gave Medium my full attention. When I began writing on the platform, I didn’t have a specific topic. I wrote whatever came to mind. I started by writing a piece once a day, trying to write at least a thousand words. When life happened, I wrote when I could on the platform, reacting to local, national, and international events.

Over time, I noticed my essays were gaining a following. Readers were clapping for my pieces, highlighting sections, and writing comments. In turn, I began to read…