#AskAmirah: How did you have the confidence to quit your conventional job?

I’ve wanted to add a section to the blog answering questions for a while. I’m currently hosting ‘Write It, Sis!’, an 8-week Digital Writing Retreat, designed to help writers publish their books in as little as 8-weeks. When one of the attendees asked about my journey to becoming a full-time writer, I wrote my full story out and new it should be shared on the blog. When I was again prompted by a similar question on Instagram, I decided to post my story in the first #AskAmirah post. If you have any questions you’d like answered in my #AskAmirah series, please send it here.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my journey to writing was a bit unconventional. I studied accounting in college, because I thought that would make me some money. At the time, that was my main objective. I thought money would equate to a nice lifestyle.

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, which is a small city. When I moved to DC for college, I was sold on the big city life. I wanted a grand lifestyle, so I graduated and moved to LA for an ‘executive’ position with Target. I was a glorified manager, but it had a “good” salary, and so I thought it was it.

I got the apartment I wanted in the middle of the city, and spent every dollar I made to make up for the fact I had to wear khaki and red every day, and spend upwards of 50-hours working a job I hated. I did this for a year and a half before realizing I needed a change. 

I wasn’t happy.

So, I bought a pink beach cruiser bicycle, a bunch of leather bound journals, and random Groupons. I started dating myself. It hadn’t occurred to me that I needed to do that. I needed to get to know who I was, and what I wanted.

One day, I’d buy a deal for a Cuban restaurant, walk through Melrose looking at homes, and go out to eat alone. Another day, I’d ride my bike to a massage deal. On all days, I’d take a notebook and write to myself about what I wanted, how I was feeling, and the answer to a question I realized I couldn’t easily answer.

“What do you like to do?”

By that point in my life, a good day for me was strolling through Marshall’s or Ross, finding accessories for my apartment. Or, drinking with friends during my days off. But I knew they weren’t the true answer. I enjoyed that time, sure. But even if it was what I enjoyed, I felt that was because I hadn’t experienced anything else. I wanted more. I craved more.

After months of journaling, I started opening up. I had to break through my own guard, afraid of admitting what I truly wanted. I guess, I thought if I admitted it, I’d then be on the hook to achieve it. So, I usually said I wanted things I could manage – a vacation, a new pair of shoes, a manicure weekly.

Eventually, I got to the big reveal – I wanted to write, and travel the world.

I’d always wanted to live abroad. My plan was to live in LA, then NYC, then London. I decided to skip NYC, and find a way to move abroad. Anywhere abroad. I found an online service that would help you find a job and live in Australia, so I thought that was the move. 

I was going to write, as I’d always wanted to. 

When I was younger, I wrote poetry and short stories. I always said I was going to write books. But at some point, I buried that idea. I’d uncovered that in my months of dating myself.

Life would have it go differently than I imagined. 

An anxiety attack would push me to quit my job sooner than I planned, about 3-months after admitting I wanted to travel and write. Two months after that, I was married. And a year after getting married, my husband and I boarded one way flights to Panama to begin an adventure that would take us around the world, for 7-years and counting.

We didn’t visit Australia until 6-years after our departure. And I never did get a typical job again.

I started writing a blog, but no one was reading it. Then, I started freelance writing on the site I told you about. I’d write whatever I could get paid to write. One time, that was aromatherapy recipes. I think I wrote 50 of them – how to cure a headache, sinus remedies, that type of thing.

Once, I wrote 25 articles on two way radios to populate a blog. Literally, any topic, I’d write on it. A few years later, I began writing fiction for myself, and used that to apply to ghostwriting jobs. I would take a book summary (2-3 paragraphs), and write an entire outline, and then book for someone.

The stories were awful, unbelievable, and cliché. But that’s what they wanted. 

I knew I could write better stories, but I was unwilling to sell them as a ghostwriter. I wanted to own my stories. So, I began writing my own books. And by this time, people were reading my blog (I’d continued to share my story this entire time).

That’s how I got into writing.

XOXO