Category: update

July 2020 update: Oh my God, we made it

2020, what a start to a new decade. As I edge closer to the twilight of my twenties this year went from an exciting start to a bizarre limbo and an uncertain end. I run on the side of hope, that all will eventually balance out.

The Coming Month

Part of the goal with these start-of-the-month updates is a chance to better connect with the community and lay long term infrastructure for the blog. If I ever need to take a break from writing, I can update in this post rather than just randomly go off the grid, like I’ve done in the past. A lot of my posts I add the occasional life update but with a monthly update I can do life updates all in one place, without tacking it onto an article; this will help articles keep their focus. This month for our two articles we’re looking at a poem and the third chapter of New Horizon, which has not been seen since 2018. I want to do the third chapter right, so expect this post to be the last week of the month. As for the poem, that’ll be next week.

Other Updates

This year I’m focused on growth but more importantly, sustainable growth. What I like about WordPress is the sense of community. Before I was a writer, I was a reader and nowhere else have I felt more at home. In the past, I’ve shied away from active promotion and have preferred organic growth; however, I’ve come to realize these two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Simply put, I want more people to see my content and enjoy what I have to share with the world. Instead of simply waiting for more people to come, it helps to simply say “hey, by the way, it’d be great if you joined the community.” Simple, yet effective.

No more weekend posts

Sometimes I get excited and want to post right away. As I’ve found over my years of writing, while the time of a post typically doesn’t matter, the day does. Weekend posts have historically gotten no traffic, regardless of topic. Fridays and Mondays are also fairly slow. So as I organize the blog and look at reach, you can expect to see posts on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. All this really means for you is more consistency, which is good.

Updated Contact and About page

Long overdue, I finally got around to updating my About and Contact page. I gave both pages an updated look, making it easier to find information about me and to reach out. Links are above if you’re curious what the pages look like.

Looking Ahead

I am currently researching podcasts and already have a draft of a first season planned. If I do create podcasts, I’ll post the content on my Patreon for everyone’s viewing pleasure. My first book is nearing completion and you should hear more within the coming months.

That’s it! Like, share, and follow if you enjoy my content. I’m excited for the coming weeks as I delve back into poetry and short stories. As always, feel free to comment below!

June 2020 update

It’s June. As I currently mull over topics for my blog, I am at a loss for words. 2020 has been a mind boggling start to the new decade. From the botched response to the Pandemic from our government to the murder of George Floyd, I am left utterly speechless. A part of my life philosophy is to be well educated and informed on topics but knowledge has left me with no solace. I’ve slowly been transitioning this blog to be a larger platform and a part of that has been my desire to have a voice in this chaotic world. While I won’t get into the topic too much during this post, I am absolutely disgusted by the police brutality and use of military force; the protests have been largely peaceful and the sirens should be sounding when the police are armed to the teeth and have better protective equipment than our healthcare workers during a Pandemic. To a certain extent, our government is murdering its people and it’s important to take a stand for what’s right.

Scrapped Articles

Over the years, I’ve scrapped many articles. The most prominent of which was my gun violence article. I’ve talked some politics on this blog but have primarily kept the focus to creative content. I write on WordPress to relax and discuss personal growth projects. My Mental Health Awareness month series in 2018 was my greatest challenge but I was able to talk about my Father’s alcoholism. These last couple months, I’ve been reassessing how I post content. Business articles had a time and place on this blog but I’ve been happy with the decision to move the articles to Linkedin. I’m also beginning to start writing projects outside of the blog, like writing a book. Before June, I had begun work on integrating calls to action into the format of the website itself but that still is currently in progress. As for articles on race, gun violence, and politics, I am now reconsidering writing on Medium. That’s not to say I won’t write about those topics on here but Medium will allow me to write one off articles when I feel the need to voice my frustration. My blood is starting to boil again and I want to use that passion constructively.

Now… The month of June

The blog has steadily been growing over the last couple months. The new format will be an update post the first week of the month followed by typically 2 posts in the following weeks. In addition, I’ll be adding 2 annual series; Mental Health Awareness month and an Earth Day/Sustainability (Earth month) series. These series will be an article a week and last for the entirety of their respective months. Eventually, I would like to integrate the causes I support onto this site. At the moment, I have a couple I’ve donated to. Over the next couple months, I’m going to take a look into various organizations and learn more about social impact. As such, I don’t have an ETA on this. I have a couple ideas of what I want to do but nothing concrete.

Skillshare

The Pandemic I’ve been using as a time to reinvest in myself. I saved money from work and when I quit my job, I was ready to leave. Over the last couple months, I bought a Blue Yeti mic for streaming, podcasting, and more. I also signed up for Codecademy to have consistency with learning to code and am using Skillshare, so I can finally take writing courses and hone in on my other creative endeavors. Right now, I’m learning to paint and eventually I want to get out and take photos again. It’s been keeping me busy. I’m still learning languages and surpassed a 30 day streak on Duolingo; when the Pandemic ends, it is my hope to go out and see the world.

In Summary

It’s been a roller coaster of a year. These monthly update posts are meant as a way to keep you informed and let you know some of my thoughts outside of the articles I write. It’s a time for feedback and general discussion.

As always, thanks for reading! I’m excited for the year ahead as I finally start to do what I want with my life, not what I think others want me to do. The last couple months have been great seeing the blog grow and I’d be blown away if we hit 200 followers by the end of the year. Part of my strategy has been to promote the site and that starts on the individual level. Every like, follow, and share helps bring new viewers to this site. If you’d like to support me as a creator, below is the link to my donation page, which includes Patreon and Ko-Fi:

Support this Blog!

Have a great week and stay safe!

Day ??? into the Apocalypse

Hello Everyone! I hope you’re doing well. Last Monday I made the decision to stay home from my Call Center job amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not have a remote option for my department and I am left to figure it out as I go. It’s made me realize that I desperately needed a vacation and disgusted with the fact, that as an American, we have been brainwashed to accept the conditions we work under. They could always be worse, yes, but not by much. I had to choose either my health or to work and make money during the Pandemic, and while I don’t regret my decision, I find it funny how employees break their backs for employers and once adversity strikes, employers are typically unwilling to do the same. I could go on about the mess of the situation my company has put me in but honestly, I’m glad. I’ve been thinking of quitting for the longest time now and this just might be the straw that broke the camels back.

As far as my plan, I don’t really have one. I’ve played around with a couple ideas in my lifetime and this really is the first time I get to decide who I want to become. The last year and 10 months I’ve coasted along, going out and simply enjoying life while hating my job. I’ve been waiting for a promotion that never came, and a pay raise that wasn’t enough. The Pandemic is essentially hitting the reset button for me. This blog, at the moment, is my main source of income. I do some freelance customer service here and there, but I typically don’t make more than enough to cover a cup of coffee (not that I’ll be getting one for a long while). I spend about $100 a year for this blog and it’s been a dream of mine to make money from this hobby. Rare? Yes. Impossible? No. As much as I’d love to ramp up production of content, I am only one Man. I write and edit all my content and that takes time that I typically don’t have to invest.

My main expense currently is my student loans. A degree in Management with an option in International business was not cheap. $34,000 that could have been used to invest, currently being spent on an education that has seemingly been not worth the cost. That said, I’m happy to say my student loans in the last year alone have been paid down to $14,000. My goal for the year was to have the loans entirely paid off and I’m still holding myself to that. I’ve made a concentrated effort and put myself in a good spot. To help with this major expense, I am going to have a $3 a post payment method (you can do multiple payments per post if inclined) that is completely optional. This money will go directly to my Paypal. There will be a link in every post and I will be taking feedback in regards to payment methods. I will also be publishing my poetry book (no ETA yet) and will charge $5 per copy, so expect a post on that when it becomes available. Beyond this, when the Pandemic ends, I hope to be in a better position to ultimately begin a career in Freelance.

Thanks for reading! Expect more content in the coming months. I’m still in the planning phases currently but I’m expecting to write more update posts to keep everyone in the loop as I begin to venture outside of this blog with my writing. Hopefully the next post will have a link to a published book, in the meantime, your support means the world to me. Stay safe everyone and wash those hands!

Help Mike pay off his student loans!

Hi All, Any support would be greatly appreciated! Student loans at the time of posting are $14,588.56. I will update everyone periodically as progress is made and hopefully we can get this paid down by the end of the year!

$3.00