on writing

(I've restarted this piece a couple of times. It's been a while since I've written as myself, about myself. That should be easier, right? I'll find the right words somehow.) 

Welcome to the first issue of Amanda's Archive, my latest attempt at starting a public writing habit! If you've known me since 2021, you may remember my Medium article, Why I Write, where I declared my desire to write more, what I hoped to get out of it and to keep me accountable. I failed, avoiding that accountability so much that I've since deleted the article. Oops. 

It wasn't all for naught! I still developed some writing habit, and achieved my desired goals in other ways. Hopefully, this newsletter project will help me grow even more. In this first issue, I'll talk about what this archive means to me, reflect on my writing habits in the last year, and goals I hope to achieve through writing in 2023. But first...

Who am I? 

Not only have my goals and lifestyle shifted since I last wrote about myself, but my online networks have also expanded quite a bit, I'm taking this little debut as a chance to reintroduce myself. 

Hi, I'm Amanda! You probably know me from tech-and-startups Australian twitter. IRL, I work in business banking by day, photographing a food spot by night, and chronically online 24/7. I started off this year joining a grad program with various rotations to try out areas of work I had an interest in, but I've found a great team in my stint as a product owner. Fingers crossed they'll take me on permanently. 

How was my writing in 2022? 

I didn't as much as I'd like to, both in terms of depth and frequency. My initial writing goal for the year was to write on Medium and publish through Twitter as a way to learn, form connections with people and start insightful discussions. 

I only wrote two more articles this year on Medium, both about topics I was passionate about - rom-coms and a cool credit-tech startup. Not much, but I got my writing fixes elsewhere: a fortnightly tech-themed newsletter in my workplace where I've published three issues and wrote five articles, and a food instagram where I've posted a dozen bite sized reviews. Through this, I got to know other individuals with similar curiosities outside my usual circles! I wish to write more extensively without the length limitations of both formats, which I'll make up for in my next writing project. This one! 

What's the archive for? 

Like it says on the tin, this newsletter is a home for the rabbit holes I go down, for when stray thoughts grow into questions and form a life of their own. Some topics floating around include...

• A post-mortem of my article on pretty privilege now that I've worked full time

• Lessons to learn from male audacity (this will make sense!)

• The weird and wonderful world of anonymous personal finance social media

I've yet to narrow down to a niche, gimmick, or consistent format. One of my goals is to figure that out as I go - more on that below. For now, I'll end every issue with a food recommendation in Melbourne. While I will usually focus on a specific topic, I'll have occasional issue sharing personal anecdotes, or a style of writing I never got to commit to in 2022. 

Why am I starting the archive now? 

Short answer: the Twitter meltdown. I'm unsatisfied with the recent changes on the platform post-Elon, but it's made me realize the volatility of relying on a social platform to connect with an audience and create a personal brand. I want to stay connected without thinking about what would happen if a blood-diamond billionaire decided to buy the platform for funsies. 

To say I want to 'own my audience' feels a bit presumptuous, and committing brings out my impostor syndrome. But I'll get comfortable saying it eventually. I also hope to use writing as a way to overcome some roadblocks in my personal development by...

Developing a writing routine,

I've always had an issue developing good, lasting habits that are beyond minimum effort. Long-form writing is a great way to practice this. While I've developed a bit of a rhythm with churning out shorter articles, I'd like to get to a point where creating (in some shape or form) becomes part of my life. 

...committing to curiosity,

I need a safe space to write whatever I want, with no restrictions for length, topic, genre, etc. My only commitment is to be curious and follow that. It's harder than it sounds for a chronic procrastinator-perfectionist like myself. Hopefully, the regular releases will force me to not procrastinate by thinking of the perfect topic. Instead, I must keep it simple and hit publish. 

...and eventually, building my personal brand.

I hope that quality will arise by focusing on quantity (i.e variety and consistency). Maybe the more I write, patterns will naturally start to form and I'll find a niche. It's better than being a sitting duck. If I fumble along the way, at least I'm hoping to get some cool discussions out of it. 

All in all, I'm starting this so I can figure things out by doing. I won't have the right words right away, but I will one day. They will be simple. 

As promised...

📌 WILDLIFE, BRUNSWICK EAST. Come here for their SPANAKOPITA and TWICE-BAKED CROISSANT (sweet, chocolatey, hazelnutty) which I dare say is on par with Lune. 

Thanks for reading and coming along with me as I start this journey. If any of the topics I've mentioned interest you, or you just want to bully someone to write, please subscribe! 

👇 DM me on socials, let's be friends!👇