Writing is not a job
They told her multiple times
to open her eyes and change her mind.
They fed her bitter lies
and they tried to define who she was.
They said “Writing is not a job”.
Writing is just a hobby,
it's for when you’re bored and you want to have fun.
You can’t make a living out of storytelling,
let’s be real,
unless your work is bestselling
but what are the chances that it can actually happen?
Do you know how many writers never
get their books published?
How many singers
sing only at karaoke?
How many artists
never see their work in galleries?
Listen to me,
If you don’t want to live on the streets
at the miserable age of thirty,
pick a decent course at university
and find a doctor to marry.
I mean,
I love your motivation
but what happens when you stop having inspiration?
Will you stop writing?
Will you stop feeding your family
and paying the bills?
And by the way,
Writing can be really hard and stressing,
do you think you can handle it?
It requires hard work and talent
and I’m not sure you can make it.
At the end of the day,
you are not Rowling or King.
I don’t want to be the one to destroy your dreams,
I don’t want to be a killjoy
but darling, writing is not a job.
It’s time to grow up
and face reality for what it really is.
I want you to be successful
but what if you don’t succeed at this?
What if?
What if…
But what if I can actually make it?
What if I can be as big as King?
What if I can make a living out of poetry?
What if I am the next Rupi?
What if you are the next Demi?
What if he is the next Dalì?
What if our dreams can actually be reality?
What if stars are not only meant to be seen
but also to be reached?
What if the world ends tomorrow?
Will I spend my life in regret for not even trying?
What’s so bad about not being a lawyer?
Maybe you’re right.
Writing might not be a job
but writing comes from the heart.
It is the art of painting with words
and unfolding mysteries and truths,
I am living proof of that
because I don’t know where would I be
without my books.
I won’t stop writing because is part of me,
it is oxygen , it helps me breathe.
And yes, I might not be really good at it now
and yes, I will feel stressed and I will feel like giving up
but I won’t stop writing.
The day I will stop writing
will be the day I will stop living.
Writing keeps us alive
and as long as we live,
writers will continue to write.
K
Keziah Barnes
Keziah is a teenage aspiring author with a passion for poetry, music and drawing.
When she is not writing, she enjoys binge-watching K-Dramas on Netflix
and colouring her notebooks.
Follow and get in touch with Keziah Barnes
Instagram: @fantastica.me
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