self-improvement

A worthwhile activity that gives me a gem of an idea

It came as a surprise to myself that I can write though I have not been approved by any publication or have won many audiences. The good and successful authors on the medium are always saying, “ Keep showing up”, “ Be consistent”.

I have been following some of these great writers. This morning, I picked Niklas Goke to decipher his thinking and find out why he is so productive in his works. One video I watched was “How Ideas Actually Form”. It was from his website where he conducts courses on “ How to write like a pro”

I like his analogy between the video game called final fantasy and writing. Especially on how he came to write about Spiderman because he had been exposed to his shampoo bottle with “Spiderman” on it. It is about the subconscious that we could all tap from.

That ideas do not just arrive in numbers and clear images. We need to tap on our subconscious network for ideas. This is indeed a powerful idea. We just need to draw from within our minds. Reading is not my only source for writing now.

I have also looked at my articles to probe further into where my source of information and inspiration came from.

A lot of it is from my own experiences. With sixty years under my belt, some episodes stood out in my mind that had influenced and shaped me the way I am today. Whether it was a childhood traumatic event or an extremely elated one, if they are worthy and of benefit to others, I could write about them.

Some were from my travels. Looking at my boxes of printed photos and my digital ones, I have done wonderful traveling as well as sports like scuba-diving and skiing. Because of these activities, more destinations have opened up before me. They beckoned and enticed me to go whenever there were opportunities. Photographs evoke memories and can inspire creativity. They become my source of inspiration for my writing.

I look forward to traveling again once this COVID-19 crisis blows over.

I received my ideas through observation. For instance, I noticed that my domestic helper is an excellent cook. I do not mince my words. She has worked in my house for 22 years now. Her forte is cooking and I called her my ‘Michelin’ chef. She can incorporate the best of Singaporean, Peranakan as well as Indonesian taste into her cooking. She produces high quality and delicious meals because she is passionate, patient and hardworking.

So, any chance I could, I would ask her for her recipe as she cooks each time and I would take pictures. Eventually, I created an e-book about her cooking which attests to all her efforts. My family loves it and I have decided to put them on online sale. I hope to share the success with her. She felt very appreciated. Since then, she has come up with more innovative dishes on her own by surfing the internet.

I have become more cognizant of what is happening to myself and what is going around me. Recently, I started to have a craving for Gelato, something that I cannot explain. I would look for a good Gelato parlor and savor my pistachio or dark chocolate ice-cream. Then it dawned on me that I could write about the art of making good gelato. That would require a lot of research. If I know about it enough, I may even start a small gelato outlet and live out this dream! I also would have another topic for my e-book.

Becoming analytical and attentive would help too like I did when I watched Niklas Goke’s video. It is only by following successful writers that one can improve. Many of these successful writers have a huge base of fans. It is very generous of them to share their success tips. By imbibing their ideas, we can then put through our thought processes and spin out something authentic.

Every writer has his or her strengths. We could spend more time among their works to pick up the gems. This is the fastest way to improve writing.

This article is written on the spur of the moment just by watching one of Niklas Goke’s video and I believed that if we can continue to follow the leaders of the medium writers, we are headed for success!

It is the opportunity to discover your potential as a writer.

Summer Lotus Apr 14 · 3 min read

Strangely, I would attempt to write like what I am doing these days.
I do not read much at all. I was never a reader and I have never paid much attention in class anyway when I was a student.

I have a checkered past and the dubious distinction of having my empty composition book flung out of the window in school by my form teacher ( yes, back in the sixties, teachers rule). Now, this incident has become part of the content of this article🤣

A large part of my learning was about dry subjects like dentistry which I love, Japanese and Mandarin language and public speaking.

I just happened to chance upon Medium.com one day while surfing the internet and casually read the articles whose titles attracted me such as “How to become a better writer”, “ For a genius brain, focus on how to think, instead of what to think” and “ Don’t avoid obstacles — overcome them”. I came to know about writers like Ryan Holiday, Nicolas Goke, Jessica Wildfire, and others.

Then I realized that I have been missing all those gems that could be mined from reading. I have missed a lot of life if I did not pick up reading. It is as interesting as traveling if not more. And more so for a dentist’s mind which I feel is so structured like an engineer.

I became more interested as I read. There were many good articles and some of the writers had followers as many as 70,000 and more! I aspired to be like them.

Many authors encourage others to jump on the bandwagon to write. Keep showing up, they say. I guess they meant to keep writing. Many shared their initial struggles and the secrets of being a good writer.
For example, tips on presenting your article in an uncluttered and formatted manner, choice of images and even relevant topics.

I never believed that I could write or at least write well but I gave myself a chance. I believed I could since I am already a senior and have enough life experiences. I started to dig into my long history and discovered that I did have many positive events to share.

Authors on medium.com are largely positive and optimistic people from diverse backgrounds. Everything I read from Technology to Philosophy was a bonus to me. I became more enlightened and felt encouraged to learn more.

Many writers dispensed solutions to common problems encountered in daily lives. They were open, sincere, and authentic. I have found a comfortable niche in the medium. Authors who wrote on their professional articles gave me much knowledge that was relevant to what I am concurrently learning.

For instance, in the study of philosophy which I have developed some interest, some authors were able to portray the thinking of philosophers in such a succinct manner, I would apply those principles to my life.

My thinking processes have improved and along with that, they have enhanced my public speaking skills in Toastmasters club’s meetings as I have more sources to reference from.

I have written about 60 articles since I started in December 2019. It was beyond my expectation that I could write this many though I know that I would have to improve my presentation and quality with each piece of work to warrant a publication to accept it.

It is an interesting learning curve. It is humbling to realize that I know so little other than my career and my hobbies. There are so many things to explore that are current and useful. So many ideas to improve my mind and my attitude.

Discovering medium.com is one of the best things that happened to me late last year. It has opened a self-belief in me that I can develop a new skill even late in life.

What I Learned From Watching Niklas Goke’s Video

How I Got Started with Medium.Com