Perhaps we are frustrated artists (Was: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?)

Subject: Perhaps we are frustrated artists (Was: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?)
From: "Hemstreet, Deborah" <DHemstreet -at- kaydon -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:32:41 -0400

I suppose, after reading my comments about how I got into Tech Writing,
it could be seen as a fallback, sellout, or stumbled into...

But the truth is, since I was a child I wanted to be a writer. I still
have literally hundreds of unpublished poems, though when I find it
appropriate, I do share one with friends... (which they seem to
appreciate)...

In any case, at the bottom of things, I believe myself to be a
frustrated artist. In fact, in my last stint (10 years in one place),
the fast pace and creative demands on me literally sapped all of my
creative energies. During the 10 years that I worked as the lone writer
and later team leader for a medical device company, I wrote almost no
poetry, and did very little artistically. But at work? I poured my heart
into designs, crafting text, creating presentations, and developing
graphics (I'm no graphic artist, but I love it when people ask me to
create a "make do" graphic for use until a decision is made for final
designs.... The fun part, many of the final graphics have been based on
my original designs - and at the project I am working on now, I made a
logo for the project, and everyone comes to ask for a copy to put on
their cubicle... But I digress...)

Now that I am in a less demanding job, I am beginning to think
artistically more, and now frustrated by the lack of TIME

Before I had TIME and no artistic energy; now I have the energy - but no
TIME <grin>

But I'm working on that too and am working on ways to free-up my time...

My whole point? I guess you could say I fell into Tech Writing... But I
remember when Mark L first told me I was doing the work of a tech
writer. My first question: "What is that?"

Back in my day (some 20 years ago...) I had no idea what a technical
writer was. I, after all was a nurse. Now ask me what a paroxysmal
arrhythmia was, or a gastroenterologist, I could tell you... But
technical writing? But having "fallen" into it, I found I loved it.

The difference these days, is that people who love writing are now aware
that this field exists as an option for them. For many of us, we fell
into it, I believe, on our way to find "it", not knowing what "it"
was... And then we found "it"... And are happy in our professions.

Just my two cents worth on this cheery Wed. morning...

Deborah

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