We are all short on time, and can’t juggle different sites and social media platforms. How do we decide where to invest?
(Originally posted on https://medium.com/@chaoticsanityblog/picking-one-writing-platform-over-another-234c1a1c64fb)
When you make writing a passion, you keep looking to grow your seedling. Not only does it require adequate sunlight and water, it demands nurturing.
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Birth of Chaotic Sanity
Back in 2017, when I launched Chaotic Sanity, my main reasoning was that it would be a platform where I could share my thoughts, something I could call my own.
Simultaneously, I created a Facebook page to share new blog posts with family and friends.
I wasn’t consistent but it was there whenever I did have a spurt of momentum to finish a story.
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Background of Writing Journey
Words have always been alongside my journey, whether it has been in form of letters, journals, school assignments, poetry… writing has been a part of it all.
When I moved from Pakistan about thirty years ago, I would constantly write letters to family and friends in Urdu and English. It was a medium to hang on to the life I have always known and give them a sneak peak at life in Houston.
From ESL (English as a Second Language) to regular English class, I got a lot better with sentence structure and essay writing. And once I was in high school, I was picking up words as a creative medium to explore poetry.
I can’t remember if I did much writing in college years, outside of academics. I did take extensive notes during lectures and produced color coded typed review sheets. I think that is how I scored recommendation letters for my masters program; some of the professors remembered my sketches from biology lab to color coded paragraphs in psychology courses.
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From Ink to Colors
Over several Art courses in high school, I had also become a fan of colors. If I wasn’t writing, I was trying different materials to keep sketching and painting.
Therefore, when I moved to Kentucky after getting married, away from all my family and friends, I found an outlet in colors. On so many dark lonely days, I was able to smile looking at what I had created.
Not too long after, I got my acceptance letter to a masters program and all the sketch pads and stationary went back into boxes.
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Re-Intro to Writing
From baby books to reminders on sticky notes, I was stepping back into the creative world. [you may think what’s creative about yellow sticky notes, so dear friends, that was a new world of colorful note taking stationeries].
Once the kids got old enough to hold a pencil, we started painting together. I explored lots of new ways to teach alphabets and numbers. I created so many templates to teach phonics and reading sight words. [I wish I had saved them; they may have created a means means for passive income]
I explored short poetry here and there, some on paper and some on notes app on the phone.
From nowhere, I was sucked into the world of blogging. I was searching for new easy recipes for my son with food allergies. I was exploring ways to advocate for him and raise awareness for GI issues. And I came across a great source, full of Paleo cuisine. Ashley from My Heart Beets had shared how she had been blogging for the past few years and shared steps to creating a blog on our own. Well, I took the plunge and launched Chaotic Sanity.
–> How to Start a Blog | My Heart Beets Thank you Ashley!
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Growth of Chaotic Sanity
With every spurt of momentum, I would write new stories on Chaotic Sanity and had a great pool of family and friends encouraging me from the sidelines.
From WordPress and Facebook Page, I moved on to Instagram. Insta was a great platform for not only sharing blog posts, but also sketches and crafts (Silhouette vinyl creations to be specific).
Recently, I ventured into Medium. I debated whether to have a pen name or my real name and went with my married name to keep the branding consistent throughout the different platforms. There is no hiding from words. I use my personal experiences, conversations I have, and articles I read to create a new story.
The inspiration is always around us, we just have to avail ourselves of the opportunities.
Currently, I am working on building an email list and a newsletter to build more audience. If you are interested in my upcoming newsletter, please hit the subscription button or connect on social media.
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The Vision
Where do I want to see Chaotic Sanity take me? I am definitely putting in hours to grow the blog, but it is Chaotic Sanity that is giving me a purpose to get off the couch and follow my dreams.
How Chaotic Sanity has given me a reason to venture out, and not dwell over how I am not needed 24/7 as a caregiver, I would like to encourage all stay-at-home mothers to find their sanity. We all need to have skills and hobbies in our nest so we can cash on our talents when life gives us a minute to ourselves. Before we start questioning our presence and our purpose, we must invest in a self-care plan.
Don’t depend on others to bring you happiness, create your happiness yourself!
With that game plan in mind, I am looking into writing a memoir or a self-care book in the near future. I had written a few chapters for a memoir and finding sanity in sketches during Covid-19 lockdown, but I am surveying what kind of book will flourish more. [If you have tips, please do share in comments]
I can’t emphasize the importance of writing enough, it is needed in everyday life and a profound skill to have to land a scholarship/ grant, or a job. Therefore, I may explore a crash course into creative writing for our youth or a journal to prompt their writing.
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The Challenges
Juggling two writing platforms and social media accounts requires a decent amount of time. Nevertheless, I don’t ever spend a day on all the platforms. There is no time with kids’ schedules and home demands.
Many writers pick one platform over another and devote their time exclusively on one. I don’t think it is necessary. We can distribute available time across the platforms. We have different audiences on different pages and you never know where the opportunity will arise from.
Even if I was monetizing (which seems a far reach today) from one channel, I would like to take my brand all across. And I couldn’t do it without your support. So thank you!
