I write cause it's what I love to do.
It's my passion, my hobby, my outlet, my escape.
I write for others and myself. I write when I'm feeling all sorts of emotions. I write to organize my thoughts and keep track of all the moments in my life—good or bad. I write when I have a hard time finding the right words to express myself. I write to express my creativity. I write to educate and entertain others. I write to connect and share my story. I write to inspire and motivate others to live wholeheartedly. I write because I can be my most authentic self.
This is why I write.
Ever since I was young, I've always loved to read. It was my favourite pastime, and I was known as the bookworm. I would visit the library often and borrow at least 15 books each time. I would read daily, a novel a day. My imagination would run wild, and gradually, my love for writing grew with my love for reading. My favourite genre was adventure and horror. Eventually, I wrote on a daily basis too. I would journal and write poetry and many stories. And I would get recognized for it too.
My first published piece was a short poem about being your authentic self. It was titled "Just Because..." My teacher thought it was a great piece, so it got published in a Young Writers Anthology. This happened when I was in fifth grade.
I wanted to be an author. It was my childhood dream.
It wasn't even a big deal to me back then. Thinking back now, this was huge. This was the start of something amazing.
Growing up, I didn't read or write stories as much as I used to. I didn't get lost in the novel I was reading, losing all track of time. I didn't even make time to visit the library anymore, and would occasionally dream of going there to borrow books and read. Instead, I’d read textbooks to study for exams and prepare for university and my future more 'practical' and 'financially stable' career, which doesn't include any plans of becoming a writer.
But what I do remember is that I started my blogging journey way back in elementary school. Was anyone else a member of AsianAvenue, Zuup, Xanga, Live Journal and Tumblr? Those were the good times and the start of something huge.
In eleventh grade, I miraculously earned a perfect score on my final English project. My grade was quite high. I always did fairly well in English, and it was my favourite subject. Then my dreams of doing anything writing-related were crushed when I struggled to obtain a decent grade in twelfth grade English class. I needed a good grade to apply to university, and I got the grade I needed, but that's when I realized that my English actually sucks. Thanks.
Then in my first year of university, I became obsessed with TVB Hong Kong dramas. I grew up watching them, but started reading a few fan fictions online. People were such incredible writers, and I started writing my own. I wasn't confident with my own writing, but I decided to publish a few chapters anyway. What happened was that I had many readers that gave me such positive, motivating feedback, which gave me the confidence and motivation to continue writing my fan fiction. I was on fire and wrote several chapters every night. I ended up finishing my story with 35 chapters. My grammar and vocabulary aren't nearly perfect, but I have to say, my story is pretty epic. (I never told anyone about this cause quite frankly, I was embarrassed.)
The website eventually shut down, and I stopped writing. University got in the way, new interests developed, and I had other goals to achieve. It wasn't until after I graduated, did I start reading and writing again. It wasn't until I met other writers, my mentors Anita Wing Lee & Bobby Umar who advised me to just write and not be afraid. To publish my pieces and take in the criticism. It took a few turns of events for me to understand my truest passion and purpose in life. More than anything, I'm certain that I want to be a writer. Today, I no longer call myself an aspiring writer.
I am a writer.
Moving forward to 2016, I wrote my first networking article on 10K Coffees, have my own travel blog on Verge Magazine, and my first anthology published in South Korea.
Then in 2017, a month before returning to Canada after my year abroad, my sponsor Dr. Jean Kim offered me a position at her organization (Live Your Potential) as a content creator. She read my networking article and followed my other articles over the years. I also received a complimentary spot for the women’s leadership and career development program! Through this experience, I built my writing portfolio and communication skills both written and verbal.
I also worked as an English teacher in Toronto. Although I only have my TEFL certificate and a year of teaching experience, I still got the position! It was an extremely rewarding experience to create the 8-weeks ‘Power English for Adults’ program curriculum, teaching my students everything from public speaking, intercultural communication, business writing, networking, and personal branding.
Then, I got my first paid gig on MyWorldAbroad. I also received a personal message from the founder Jean-Marc Hachey for a great piece. What’s amazing is that I actually met him a few years back at the University of Waterloo. I attended his seminar on traveling overseas and was truly inspired. Fast forward to today, he is one of my most genuine connections.
The story doesn't end there.
In 2018, I connected with a writer that I absolutely adore—Sarah Vermunt (Author of Careergasm). She gave me a ton of tips and techniques on how I could improve my writing.
2019 rolled around, and I join her 3-month writing program. I connected with a community of writers and together, we dediced a few hours to writing every other week. I even got to meet her book editor and learn the entire process of self-publishing and working with a publishing agent/firm. Eventually, the goal is to publish my own book. (I started working on it, but as of now, it’s for my eyes only.)
I’m also a contributing writer for Thrive Global (founded by Arianna Huffington). It’s a blog that I love to read and a community that I completely resonate with.
And now, finally, after so many years of talking about it—here it is, my very own personal website. All my work over the last several years.
What’s next?
2020 is the start of a new decade and the year I accomplish my dream of becoming a freelance writer. I am finally getting paid to write! It’s incredible how my writing journey continues to unfold through a series of connections and events.
Near the end of 2019, I attended a panel event hosted by Sarah on burnout. I took many notes throughout and felt so energized after. There was one speaker who stood out to me in particular—Kattie Thorndyke. I connected with her online, but little did I know how much of an impact she’ll have in my life later on.
A few months later, I finally wrote an article about the event. I shared it with Kattie and she was blown away by my post. I asked her to meet for coffee, and in January 2020, I had one of the most genuine and informative coffee chats I’ve ever had. She was so easy to talk to, and she gave me so much insights and advice. Kattie even wrote a promising testimonial referring me to a marketing agency she worked with. I applied to that agency, and a month later, I was hired to work with Tangible Words (TW) as an SEO copywriter.
Funny how timing works, because the same day I heard from TW, I also received an email from TalentEgg (my dream company) for a contract as a freelance editorial writer. I applied to this position a year ago…
I am now also a contributor for Thought Catalog, an online publication for millennial storytelling. Thanks to a connection on Shapr for the honest feedback that one of my pieces has a “Thought Catalog vibes” to it!
What’s next?
I always knew what I wanted to be growing up. Now, it's no longer just a dream and an unrealistic goal. Who knows where it’ll lead to? Either way, I’ll always continue to write and share.
Most importantly, I'm going to do all of this for me.
What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn) by Seth Godin
(Last edited June 29, 2020)