It’s been over two years since I launched this blog, and it’s been amazing to see the journey that God has taken me through. I often sit and think about how far I’ve come. If you came to me in my teenage years and told me that writing would be a defining factor in my life, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Yet here I am. Since I was a little boy, I would proudly declare that I was going to be a game designer. It’s funny, because I’ve been writing all kinds of pieces since I was a teenager. Blog posts on Myspace turned into Facebook notes, and my love for Christian Hip Hop lead me to do album reviews and interviews with artists, plus more.

Even though I would always write on social media and other platforms, I was so intent on doing game design for a living that I didn’t see it being much more than a hobby or I just had something to say. Now I’m in a place where I’m excited that I get to communicate through this; and give people an avenue to think through things, and even have a way to articulate what they may feel but don’t know how.

This paradigm shift took time, as I moved from game design, towards intentionally carving out my identity as a writer. So allow me to give you a peak into the mind of a creative.

One of the first things that gets established when you write pieces over time is the character of your voice. Each writer has a unique way of communicating their thoughts and emotions when they share with you. There’s a defining factor to my “writer’s voice”, which happens to be my love for connecting the small issues that affect the big issues that we all encounter. Combined with my passions, it’s produced incredible think pieces and ideas through this blog, which I enjoy. I’m glad that I enjoy my own writings, I love what comes out of the writing process!

Another thing that influences you as a writer is your personality. It is my personal opinion that if you’re an introvert, your ability to write is stronger than those who aren’t, because of how deep and often your thinking goes and is engaged. Introverts tend to be avid readers as well, which increases one’s vocabulary, and results in a greater ability to communicate what you’re observing, thinking, and feeling into words. This is what I experience myself. God changed how I saw my personality and I hope you learn to appreciate your own as well; whether an introvert, extrovert, or everything in between.

One last, yet important thing I’ve learned as a writer is to not rush anything you’ve observed if it’s hard to put the words together right now. Sometimes you see things and they’re supposed to be in your heart, and the time comes where you’re in the right place to produce your content. Some of my recent blog pieces came from things I observed and pondered years ago, but only came together at the time that I finished it.

If you’re a Christian writer/blogger, this is even more important to realize. God will sometimes show you something as you observe yet you’re still growing, and when you do it in His timing, what you have to say is more fulfilling than it would’ve been at that time.

Being a writer is a privilege and a gift, a very powerful one. If you’re reading this and you’re a writer, I encourage you to take this seriously, even if your blog is a hobby. You’re an influence in the life of a reader, and as a creative, you create opportunities for people to grow through what you write. So be intentional, be humble, and take care of the responsibility you have.