When your most cherished pursuit becomes your job, it can quickly become a drudgery. But as this author found out, it doesn’t have to be this way.

by J.M. Shaw

I’ve been writing for more than thirty years. So long, in fact, that it has essentially become a part of who I am. Being a chronic introvert, I spent much of my life stuck in my head, analyzing the world and trying to understand how to integrate myself into the enigmatic web of society.

Regardless of my efforts, everything from conversations to body language continued to defy comprehension, and I was required to create imaginative scenarios in an attempt to comprehend such interactions. The instant I discovered that words could be used to paint a picture—or play out an adventure in your mind—I was hooked.

Ultimately, I began writing because I needed an outlet through which to channel my thoughts, emotions, and brimming imagination. But what started as a hobby eventually evolved into my passion.

My writing eventually evolved into a means of escaping life’s stressors, allowing me to immerse myself in whatever adventure I could conceive of, while vicariously tackling my emotional adversity through my characters’ struggles. Within the pages of my novels, I have vented aggression, confronted inequalities, and explored unanswerable questions that would otherwise have stewed within my subconscious, all without having to leave the comfort of my home. My mind is free to play the hero, the victim, and the villain in the absence of repercussions, and I have developed an understanding of friends, love, and life through my penned adventures.

While so many of us desire to turn our interests into careers, few realize the dangers of bleeding the joy from our choice passions. But there is hope.

It is not hard to see that writing is more than my vehicle of expression. It has become my method of self-care, an instructional tool, and an invaluable form of therapy, allowing me an element of control in an intemperate world. That said, too much of a good thing can steal one’s delight.

My dreams of becoming a published author began at sixteen. The thought of others enjoying my written journey inspired me to keep writing. After all, who doesn’t want to make their passion a reality?

However, once I released my first novel and began working on my second, then third, my perspective shifted. I began analyzing my proses, style, plots, and character arcs from a reader’s perspective instead of letting my creativity flow. I became hyper-focused on the mechanics of writing, making it nearly impossible to put my musing into words without editing along the way, and I started reading other books in my genre to get an idea of what my target audience expected of me. In doing so, my artistic endeavour was no longer a pleasant venture. It had now become a job.

While so many of us desire to turn our interests into careers, few realize the dangers of bleeding the joy from our choice passions, but there is hope. For although I struggle, as many authors do, to reconcile my creative muse with the demands of publishing, that inspirational spark is never lost, it is simply muted. I know this because whenever I step away from the professional noise of publishing and delve into a new project—telling myself this story is just for me—my imagination awakens, given the freedom to sing once more.

J.M. Shaw lives in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two young children. She and her family embarked upon a journey of understanding, acceptance, and lifelong learning when they discovered their shared diagnosis of autism and ADHD. Writing is J.M.’s passion, and with experience and interests in healthcare, psychology, martial arts, and personal training, she pours her unique insights and knowledge into all her creative fictions.