As Ether turns one - things that I learnt

When I was younger, I was always amazed by how carefully crafted patterns of words could breathe life into imaginary characters and weave stories that felt so real to me. This, and a variety of writing styles that I came across in books, made me want to write. Writing was also the most comfortable way for me to express myself.

Over the years, however, I stopped writing as much. So, when an opportunity came up at Ether, I was excited but nervous. The idea of a monthly magazine hooked me, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to begin anew. I did not realize that I had missed writing so much until I started again. As Ether turns one, I would like to share some of the things I learnt from this past year writing for the magazine.

I realized that as much as I disliked deadlines, I would not write without them. I could ramble about existential pains to my diary but would not create anything solid without a commitment. The monthly nature of the magazine was also an opportunity to write consistently. It helped me explore different types of content and a variety of writing styles. I found that I enjoyed researching and working on topics I didn’t know much about. And that exploring the trajectory of social movements, the history of festivals, art forms, and architectural wonders fascinated me. The very fact that I liked history was a revelation.

I feel that the way I approach writing has changed with time. The first few months were exciting as I was very new to writing for a magazine. Over the months, however, I realized that it had slowly become something I felt I had to do. Although no one was forcing me to churn out content, I felt that I HAD to research, HAD to write, and HAD to edit. Writing became a joyless exercise, and the very deadlines which used to motivate me became a pain in the neck. It took some time before I realized that writing was not something I “had to do”, but something I “got to do”. Sounds obvious, but this change in perspective helped me see the magazine as a platform where I could share my ideas or write about things I cared for. While it always was that, reinforcing the idea of writing as an opportunity rather than an obligation made the process much more enjoyable. Also, I could relate this idea to other aspects of my life as well.

I realized that it is okay to not have great ideas all the time. And that you didn’t always have to feel like writing. If you are super pumped up about it on one fine day, that’s awesome. But even if you don’t have an “I am going to crush it” feeling every time you start, that’s okay too. Maybe you get to that feeling as you progress with your content. Or maybe you don’t. I realized the importance of sticking with something and giving it time. Of just starting out and not waiting for inspiration to fall on your head. I realized the importance of appreciating your work and being proud of your effort. If you gave it your best, kudos to you.

To conclude, I would say that it feels great to be part of a space where a spectrum of ideas are welcomed and appreciated. And which gives me the space to do something I’ve always loved.