Writing About Writing: Why I Hate The Word ‘Aspiring’

I am very lucky to say that I am friends with a lot of creative people. Doing a creative writing course I naturally made friends with a lot of writers, but I also know a lot of artists, and more recently have come to know a lot of bloggers. One thing all of these creative people have in common, other than much larger emotional ranges than normal and a tendency to lean to the left of political issues, is that they’re all reluctant to label themselves as such.

lovely ladies
Look at these lovely ladies. So much talent in one photo. 

A lot of people I know have a tendency to say they’re ‘wannabe artists’ or ‘aspiring bloggers’. This frustrates me because it shows a lack of confidence in the incredible work they produce. It downplays and even erases the hard work they put in to what they do. I had a seminar tutor once who told us it was bullshit to think of ourselves as anything but writers – we write, therefore we’re writers. We blog, therefore we’re bloggers.

If you do the thing and want to be the thing, you are that thing! 

Bloggers, even beginners like me, put a huge amount of work into blogging – those who can afford to even do it full time it can be such a huge task. Just because you may not be earning any money or have loads and loads of followers doesn’t mean you can’t call yourself a blogger – you’re blogging, you’re a blogger! If your writing hasn’t been published or your art isn’t for sale, you are still a writer/artist just in the fact that you write/make art!

It’s such a simple thing, but even putting yourself in the mindset that ‘yeah, I am a real blogger/writer/artist!’ is a great way to get yourself feeling more confident and in defining yourself as such on social media it shows more confidence in yourself and your work.

Don’t be afraid to lump yourself in with the pros – go for it! If you work hard and you’re proud of your work then you deserve to call yourself a blogger/writer/artist. You’re good enough.

Does your bio say you’re an ‘aspiring’ something?

Change it.

I dare you.

See you soon,

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Last Post: Fandom Friday – HELP! I’M STUCK IN A BOOK! (and not in the fun way!) 

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This gif is from the below video. Completely unrelated to the post but worth the watch.

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alwaysinthewrite

21. Writer. Dog Lover.

6 thoughts on “Writing About Writing: Why I Hate The Word ‘Aspiring’”

  2. Love this Roisin! I’m definitely ditching the word aspiring when I tell people about my blogging. It’s such a safety blanket though, its so terrifying to say with conviction that your a blogger and not an aspiring blogger when you don’t have many people that actually read your blog. You made such good points that you’ve convinced me though!! I am a BLOGGER! Excellent, well written post as always! Jess xx

    http://www.almostchic.co.uk

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  3. Pingback: Fandom Friday | How Girls Grow Up In Fiction: George Eliot to Winona Ryder | Always in the Write

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