Keep Doing Little Things

A few weeks ago, I got a message from one of my college friends. This one came as a surprise since I've never been close with him. We barely hang out together because we belong in different circles of friendship. Even when we were still in college, we rarely talked to each other unless it was really important.

He messaged me because he was looking for a story editor. Apparently, he had been working on a web series project and he needed someone to help him develop the script. I was his first choice.

Well, considering our nearly non-existent friendship, his offer really baffled me.

He then explained to me further about the project; the team involved, the fee, the sponsor, etc. I felt very honored, of course, and it was an exciting offer, but I said no. I told him that I don't have any experience in script-writing, and I know how different it is from content writing, which I'm more familiar with. I just didn't think I was the perfect fit for the role he was looking for. Besides, I'm working two jobs already, so I won't have time to work on his project and even if I did, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to give my 100%. And God knows how much I would hate that.

Despite me saying no, after that he still tried to push the offer further, which was expected. But what I didn't expect was his answer about why he chose me.

He told me that ever since college, he had this "feeling" (his word, not mine) that someday we could work together on a writing-related project. He said my writings had impressed him. Every time I posted a review of a book or series on Instagram, it convinced him that I'm good at writing my feelings down. All those emotions I feel when reading a book or watching a series, he said that I can channel them well in a written form.

I was baffled. Again!

Because here's the thing: I have a love-hate relationship with writing. I used to love it so much (much much more than I do now). Back then writing felt so fun and every time I did it, I was genuinely happy. Whether it was writing fiction, blog posts, or book reviews, I did it wholeheartedly and I did it often.

Everything changed when I started writing for work. Suddenly there was this HUGE pressure to always do well. Gone were the days when I could write openly and recklessly. I just could no longer see writing as a fun activity. I simply did it for the sake of work. Thankfully it got better over time as I learned how to separate writing for work and pleasure. That's why for the latter, I always try not to think too much when I write. I just write for myself. No pressure or expectation whatsoever, and it feels so liberating.

Sharing about books or series I've enjoyed—I consider it writing for fun as I just blurt out anything that comes to mind. That's why I felt so touched (still do) hearing someone say those nice things to me. It just feels so damn nice to know that this little thing you do—turns out it isn't as little as you thought. So don't ever belittle yourself.

Let's just keep doing little things that make us happy.