Learning to write is quite the journey. When I started on Medium, that's when I started writing in general. It's been a very interesting road, and like you mentioned, enthusiasm can carry you past the disappointment of initially writing poorly, as it did for me. I wanted to become a better writer, but I felt my pieces were so rushed, crammed with info, and unfocused.

I tried a few different methods and then found that drafting by hand helped reign in my wandering speedy mind. Only then did I start making things that I felt made sense and I began getting decent feedback from people. That was about a year ago and I still draft by hand. I wish I could just type up my pieces from the initial drafting stage, but they end up feeling rushed, just like my mind when I don't have something to anchor down into the moment. But that's just me. Finding a method that works for you is so important, and you only find that out through experimenting.

Thanks for this piece, Barbara.