Sometimes you need to take the plunge and keep going.
The Internet created a lot of opportunities for people. Many of us use it as a medium to learning new things, gaining skills, working and finding side hustles, creating small businesses — and many other things. The opportunities are virtually endless.
Medium gave many of us a chance to share our writing talents with the world. This website allows us to improve writing skills, and for some like myself, it became the reason for considering the art of writing from zero. I am at the very beginning of my journey, and I hope my skills will gradually improve.
This website appeared in my life at the exact moment I needed it. I was in a bad place. I “caught” the third wave of depression, which hit me quite hard, right at the beginning of the pandemic. If it weren’t for Medium, I would have struggled much more. But instead, I suddenly had another reason to wake up in the morning. …
Don’t get upset — instead, get better.
Many of us like writing. We didn’t necessarily want to be writers or journalists in our teens, and our first word as a baby wasn’t “typewriter.” Nevertheless, many of the world’s population associate themselves with creative arts, and writing is a popular form of artistic expression.
But we are used to people telling us we can’t write, or that we’ll never be writers, or that we should choose a more “prominent” (opportunistic, secure, financially-efficient, etc.) field. Because, you know, life is all about money and security — obviously, it’s not.
Here a kicker: nothing in our world is secure, and no one knows what may happen tomorrow. This is why, when someone tells you writing isn’t a sustainable career choice — remind them they can become jobless tomorrow, just like any one of us. …
Turn the painful life moments into art of writing.
Pain is an unavoidable factor in our lives. It sounds sad, but unfortunately, it’s true: no matter how happy and fortunate you are, life constantly throws rocks at you. It’s virtually impossible to omit hardships and disappointments. Since we don’t live in a utopia, every one of us has to deal with deep-rooted pain.
There’s nothing wrong with experiencing pain, grief and other negative emotions sometimes. Sadly, it’s a part of life, and there is no escaping it. Having that said, hurting emotionally can be a source of endless inspiration. You may feel like hiding under the blanket and ceasing communication with the outside world, and those feelings are valid. But what you can also do instead is channel that pain into creating something beautiful. Writing and other art expressions don’t have to be positive and sunny — on the contrary, they can be quite dark. Edward Munch’s painting “The Scream” doesn’t represent warm and fuzzy emotions, nor does Rembrandt’s “The Storm on The Sea of Galilee.” …
A big chunk of income came from Shelby turning YouTube videos into Medium articles.
YouTube became a source of income for many creators, and it even replaced full-times jobs for some of us. Regardless of you starting or turning into a “big fish,” many of us want to know how profitable the platform is. Does it pay enough? Is it realistic to make a living off YouTube? And who are the creators who turn this dream into reality?
The beautiful thing is, there are quite a few Youtubers out there who talk openly about their YouTube income. …
Social media and other superficial mediums are giving us an awful image of success and happiness.
Everyone has a different perception of success. Countless writers came up with well-marketed books promising to show you how to succeed. An insane number of life coaches post motivational quotes and positive videos on Instagram and Tik-Tok, encouraging you to sign up for their ultra-expensive courses. Some of them have decent ideas; others are simply trying to earn a quick buck. Regardless of what they promise, all these sources have different levels of usefulness, and you should never believe a stranger promising you “the key to the kingdom.”
Success looks different for everyone. There is no magic formula or ultimate life hack that will make you successful overnight. …
It’s easy to write these short funny poems
Poetry has many different forms. Some of them are easy to master; others are elusive. And some aren’t hard to learn — anyone can write them, regardless of their competency level.
Haikus are fairly simple to compose; the same applies to sonnets. But my favourite is limericks. They are easy to write, fun to read, and you can even publish a book after coming up with a few dozen of them. I’m speaking from experience because I did that already. But what is a limerick, and how do you write one? Let’s learn together.
What is a limerick?
Limerick is a short humorous — and sometimes inappropriate — verse that consists of five lines. It takes its place from England, where it became popular during the 18th century. The famous poets who gained recognition thanks to limericks are Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, Rudyard Kipling, and others. …
You may be talented in more than one thing and succeed on more than one platform
If you like pranks and watch YouTube regularly, you may have heard about Mark Rober. He’s the guy behind one of the best pranks, as well as the most curious engineering inventions, featured on the platform. Not many other YouTubers can flaunt the success of their science channels, but Mark is an outlier. He’s known for original and extraordinary inventions, as well as superb execution.
Only a few years ago, this man used to be a NASA employee. Well, an employee would be an understatement, as he was an engineer working on the Curiosity Rover that’s currently scouting Mars. Still, how did he reach 16 million subscribers in the short term of two years? …
The news doesn’t reflect the real image of what’s happening.
If you read the news recently, you may have seen the announcement about Argentina winning the first round of passing the abortion law. The Parliament’s lower house voted 131 to 117 to move forward with the bill, which means there is a chance women will get the right to an abortion in the foreseeable future.
At the same time, in another part of the world, Polish people protest the newly implemented law forbidding virtually any abortions, with small exceptions. Poland’s decision angered the European Union, which the country joined in 2008. …
This Internet service shall become accessible from any point on the planet, but it starts in the Beaverland.
Suppose you are aware of Elon Musk’s inventions. In that case, you probably know about Starlink: an ambitious idea to make high-speed Internet accessible all around the Earth without being limited by your router. I meant it used to be an idea. Once Elon secured the government’s approval to launch the satellites onto orbit, went through with it, upset a few people here and there — and finally, Starlink stopped being a dream and suddenly became a reality.
Canada and the United States are the first countries to get this unique service, with Canada being the first country to test out the beta version. Recently, on December 8th, 2020, a few rural Canadian community became the first one to gain access to Elon Musk’s creation in Canada. The locals of Pikangikum, a remote Canadian community of 2,800 people, has the honors of receiving the Internet connection through Starlink’s satellites. …
It’s easy to recognize when you’re exploited and under-appreciated
One percent. That’s all the “raise” I received for my work in 2020: a one percent salary change. It’s not even a raise; it’s more of an inflation adjustment. The thing is, inflation is measured at 2–3% where I live. And here’s the sad truth: inflation had nothing to do with anything. Similarly, my employer screwed me out of a pay raise last year as well.
What do you do when your boss doesn’t value you and your work? Most importantly, how do you react when you’re being exploited and manipulated? There are always options. …
