Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.
~John O’Hara

Ever since I can remember, I have always had a passion for reading and writing. My first memories are reading “Danny And The Dinosaur” by Syd Hoff and “Little Bear” by Elsa Holmelund Minarik at the age of three or four. My parents always encouraged me to read early and often, often sharing books with me daily.

The passion for writing grew from my passion for reading. First manifesting in my story-telling, creating make-believe scripts, and utilizing everything in my environment to invent plays with my sister and friends. Ultimately, my love of reading and my enjoyment of writing led me to an enjoyable education.

After graduation, I entered college to become a an elementary school teacher. However, I ended up in a law office, working as a legal assistant. This is where I have been for 23 years. My legal career afforded me the ability to use my writing skills, and plenty of opportunity to read, though in a more narrow and technical way.  However, my creative passion did not dissipate.

While I was earning my living by providing written work product and legal research for attorneys, my inner writer was not dormant. I continually wrote in my journal, wrote poetry, and short stories.  Upon the urging of my husband, I then started transferring my thoughts and words onto a blog, SMILED SOUL.   Soon after,  I found myself interacting with other writers and poets online.   The more I engaged with them, the more I found myself estranged from the confines of the law office and the monotony of my vocation. After two decades of pouring my heart and soul into my job, I started longing for a work life not regulated by the hours 9 to 5.  I wanted to complete writing projects on a variety of topics; not court documents regarding personal injury or product defect.

My husband has been a tenuous cheerleader, rallying me to pursue my passion for writing. He, an IT specialist and web designer, often encouraged me to enter the world of freelance writing.  He had more confidence in my talent to produce web content, blog articles, and such, than I had in myself. I would help him occasionally on projects he was assigned, but had no clue how the freelance world operated, where to  start, the first step to take,  and to whom I should present my well written and interesting pieces.

I found myself looking for stories in everything and everyone. I found enjoyment in writing on topics through another’s point of view.  One day I met a friend who was established in the fields of  Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization.  She had worked with my husband on several projects and learned that I was wanting to write professionally.  She presented me with the opportunity to produce written web content and blog articles for her company.

Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.
~Baltasar Gracian

I will forever be grateful for the opportunity Julie gave me.  It opened the door for me to pursue what I love to do, professionally. The projects started rolling in. I then posted my profile on iFreelance.com, Guru.com, and LinkedIn offering my services as a freelance writer.  I enjoy working from home, conducting phone interviews and submitting my work electronically. I must confess, in the beginning I felt outside my comfort zone.  Being a perfectionist, I had to resist tweaking my product for hours and hours. Yet, as with everything else in my life, stepping outside the box of comfort is exhilarating. Before I started my freelance writing business, I was reluctant to tread on uncharted territory, now I look forward to it.  I search for it.

I don’t pursue my freelance writing to make millions of dollars. I write out of passion, not pretense. My bread and butter currently comes from my work as a legal assistant.  Hopefully in the near future, I can rely upon my profession to sustain me. Yet when I look back over the past year, I realize how far I have come as a freelance writer. Freelance writing has given my passion for writing wings and me the courage to soar. It is ultimate satisfaction. A dream fulfilled and on my own terms.

However, I am also grateful for my long legal career. It has provided me the means to live a decent life, to assist in providing for my family, and to provide the necessities of food, shelter and health. It has also provided me with valuable insights and experiences about people. While my freelance writing business is not making me rich, I have my legal career that affords me the opportunity to pursue my passion of writing professionally.

What I have learned on this journey is that every life experience can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. Every experience is a story waiting to be written. I have learned to connect with like-minded people and to step outside of the box of known and explore the unknown. I am eager to expand my awareness and I find myself speculating more than ever.

There is an aspect of my personality that is timid and shy.  I have learned to bypass it and pursue every opportunity for writing, even if it is in area where I have no familiarity.  Because of my passion for reading, I find anything can researched and anything can be written — if the passion is there.  However, it is not easy to establish yourself as a writer without someone having trust in your abilities and skills.  There are people out there willing to give an aspiring writer a chance. You just have to keep knocking on every door until you find them. Courage and resolve are the force that transform passion to profession.