I feel all blogs need to start with some sort of an introduction post – who am I? How did I get here? Why did I start blogging?
Well, my name is Lauren (@bylaurenann on Instagram or @morningcupofmedia if you’re looking for biz). I grew up in a small town in central Minnesota. I come from a huge family (seriously, my dad’s family had to rent out the local City Hall to celebrate Christmas together), although I seemed to be the Ugly Duckling when it came to pursuing creative endeavors.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. From stealing my brother’s composition notebooks in elementary school to write fiction stories, to attending a convention in 4th grade for aspiring authors and illustrators – it was all I ever thought about doing.
And sooner or later, I fell into the path of “Lauren, you’ll never be able to make a sustainable living writing” or “You’re doing the world a disservice if you don’t go into science.” And yes, my middle school science teacher actually said that one.
So, my passion for writing took a backseat in my life while I threw myself into everything society said I was supposed to be doing – sports, clubs, volunteering, working, band, AP classes, straight A’s.
Eventually, there came a time in high school when I was beyond overwhelmed. And depression took the driver’s seat in my demise. And it wasn’t physics, science, or programming that I turned to in my downfall, but writing. These passages, though dark, were the first writings I had shared with anyone. And for the first time, I realized my writing could make people feel something.
I had people asking for more pieces I had written. And I honestly think writing was the only way I survived high school.
Eventually, I graduated and went off to college where I thought neuroscience was a good path for me (*cue my current friends’ laughter at even the thought of me in medicine*). After my first year of almost multiple failed classes and absolutely hating my college experience, I transferred majors to journalism.
It wasn’t the creative writing I thought I would enjoy – but I found a new love for social media and advertising. Where, the goal was, to make the audience feel something that would persuade them to [make a purchase, follow a link, schedule an appointment, etc].
When I was struggling with the path to take after college, my professor pulled me aside and asked what I loved to do as a kid. I told him I was a writer, and he said I had my answer.
And I guess I did.
But copywriting jobs weren’t easy to come by, and so, I started my own freelancing business to help small business owners with their social media. And similar to how I became obsessed with being ‘the best’ in high school, I wanted to do the same here.
I threw myself into the business – taking on clients, sending proposals, creating content, learning from free resources. Until I eventually realized I had lost the creative spark I had once loved from writing.
So here’s where this blog comes in: an absolutely no-pressure place for me to share my thoughts with the world. So hopefully, I can help other struggling creators from making the same mistakes that I did.
Thank you for following along.