This post was such a breath of fresh air! I really needed to read this today. Thank you for this openness and honesty!
Can't forget this line:
"I want to help create a record that people can read directly from those who lived this reality, not from the historians who get to interpret the lived experiences of others."
this resonated a lot. the path of listening your yourself more than others feels full of friction in the beginning, but trusting your own intuition above the expectations of a system will forge new and more fruitful paths for yourself and others with time, i’m sure of it!
This post touches on many, many themes I've been thinking about! Lately I've been looking at the careers of writers who I admire, and noticing certain trends. Writers who got their start 15+ years ago, let's say, often went through traditional academic or editorial paths (PhD in English literature/comparative literature, tenure-track position, public writing and criticism; or working for several years as a journalist/editor at a publication). The economic changes that have happened since then—declining funding and jobs available in humanities academia; the declining media ecosystem due to Google/Facebook's advertising duopoly and the lower number of staff writer/editor roles—mean that those pathways aren't truly available to many writers starting out now.
I'm interested in how other people try to navigate this, and it seems like one route is to just publish on your own—e.g. a Substack or blog or something—while also slowly chipping away at things like pitching, publishing for larger magazines, etc to slowly build up one's credentials. Unfortunately, doing all of this is exhausting!!! I really appreciate you writing about it—how necessary it feels to do this work, and how much of a grind it is…
I truly hope you'll be able to do some of the food writing and recipe development that you feel most excited about, and that you'll have a platform (here on Substack or in other venues) to share that work. And while all of that is happening—I really related to this: "there’s real freedom in not relying on writing as your main source of income," and I think it helps in making the grind a bit easier. The current economic climate makes it exceptionally hard to write for a living, but choosing to disentangle writing from paying rent helps so much—and I think it affords a psychological and artistic freedom that is incredibly valuable.
You are so right, Celine. There are fewer and fewer tenure track jobs across all types of institutions be it R1, R2, Liberal Art, etc. The adjunctification of higher education is a topic I could talk about endlessly. I'm also very curious about the various ways writers/artists navigate this. There seems to be three categories; full-time writing jobs, full-time non-writing jobs (writing on the side), and independently wealthy.
Thank you, Celine. I think after everything I have been through these paths couple of months (years) I feel so much more confident about sharing my work here. I'm also so incredibly touched by all of the support, the community here has helped me feel so much more confident as a writer. I'm also realizing that I am super curious about doing different types of writing be it personal narratives, cultural criticism, memoir, sociology of food, travel, historical anthropology, history of thought/ideas, etc.
Thank you so much for reading my essay, Celine! I love your writing so much.
I am here and want only to keep you safe and healthy and happy. You have time! I've been around long enough to understand the workings of time to some extent and it is relative....hahah, that sounds familiar!!! It is important to slow the mind down and seek awareness in the moment. That is where the inner voice of wisdom will be heard. "Slowing down" the need to complete so much at one time. There is time for what needs to be done.
I'm with Alicia here. Keep focusing on work that feels deeply aligned and energizing; and *trust* in the timing of your life. Obviously easier said than done, but it's true! You've got a big community cheering you on, Olia ♥️
Thank you, Polina! You have given me so much helpful advice. I am so grateful for your and everyone else's support, encouragement, and kindness. The past couple of weeks helped me build confidence and trust in myself. Sending you lots of hugs and I hope the writing is going well on your end.
My love and support is with you and your partner, kitties as well...My thoughts and meditations are for your happiness, your direction and your peace of mind and your goals and direction. Positive thoughts of love are with you always.
This post was such a breath of fresh air! I really needed to read this today. Thank you for this openness and honesty!
Can't forget this line:
"I want to help create a record that people can read directly from those who lived this reality, not from the historians who get to interpret the lived experiences of others."
Yes! Exactly!!!
You are so welcome, Kelsey! Thank you so much for reading. I think about that line a lot. I will definitely be writing a lot more on the topic.
this resonated a lot. the path of listening your yourself more than others feels full of friction in the beginning, but trusting your own intuition above the expectations of a system will forge new and more fruitful paths for yourself and others with time, i’m sure of it!
This post touches on many, many themes I've been thinking about! Lately I've been looking at the careers of writers who I admire, and noticing certain trends. Writers who got their start 15+ years ago, let's say, often went through traditional academic or editorial paths (PhD in English literature/comparative literature, tenure-track position, public writing and criticism; or working for several years as a journalist/editor at a publication). The economic changes that have happened since then—declining funding and jobs available in humanities academia; the declining media ecosystem due to Google/Facebook's advertising duopoly and the lower number of staff writer/editor roles—mean that those pathways aren't truly available to many writers starting out now.
I'm interested in how other people try to navigate this, and it seems like one route is to just publish on your own—e.g. a Substack or blog or something—while also slowly chipping away at things like pitching, publishing for larger magazines, etc to slowly build up one's credentials. Unfortunately, doing all of this is exhausting!!! I really appreciate you writing about it—how necessary it feels to do this work, and how much of a grind it is…
I truly hope you'll be able to do some of the food writing and recipe development that you feel most excited about, and that you'll have a platform (here on Substack or in other venues) to share that work. And while all of that is happening—I really related to this: "there’s real freedom in not relying on writing as your main source of income," and I think it helps in making the grind a bit easier. The current economic climate makes it exceptionally hard to write for a living, but choosing to disentangle writing from paying rent helps so much—and I think it affords a psychological and artistic freedom that is incredibly valuable.
You are so right, Celine. There are fewer and fewer tenure track jobs across all types of institutions be it R1, R2, Liberal Art, etc. The adjunctification of higher education is a topic I could talk about endlessly. I'm also very curious about the various ways writers/artists navigate this. There seems to be three categories; full-time writing jobs, full-time non-writing jobs (writing on the side), and independently wealthy.
Thank you, Celine. I think after everything I have been through these paths couple of months (years) I feel so much more confident about sharing my work here. I'm also so incredibly touched by all of the support, the community here has helped me feel so much more confident as a writer. I'm also realizing that I am super curious about doing different types of writing be it personal narratives, cultural criticism, memoir, sociology of food, travel, historical anthropology, history of thought/ideas, etc.
Thank you so much for reading my essay, Celine! I love your writing so much.
This resonated, along with your passion for recipes as preservation and history. Rooting for you and can’t wait for your zine!
Thank you so much, Cassandra! Means so much.
I am here and want only to keep you safe and healthy and happy. You have time! I've been around long enough to understand the workings of time to some extent and it is relative....hahah, that sounds familiar!!! It is important to slow the mind down and seek awareness in the moment. That is where the inner voice of wisdom will be heard. "Slowing down" the need to complete so much at one time. There is time for what needs to be done.
You are one of the kindest people I have ever known, Victoria! Thank you for everything.
That means so much to me, thank you
I'm with Alicia here. Keep focusing on work that feels deeply aligned and energizing; and *trust* in the timing of your life. Obviously easier said than done, but it's true! You've got a big community cheering you on, Olia ♥️
Thank you, Polina! You have given me so much helpful advice. I am so grateful for your and everyone else's support, encouragement, and kindness. The past couple of weeks helped me build confidence and trust in myself. Sending you lots of hugs and I hope the writing is going well on your end.
My love and support is with you and your partner, kitties as well...My thoughts and meditations are for your happiness, your direction and your peace of mind and your goals and direction. Positive thoughts of love are with you always.
Thank you, Victoria! You are our rock.
Commit to you and your vision—the rest will follow!
You are absolutely right, Alicia! Thank you for your continued support.