Always Immersed

Choosing writing as your vocation almost feels like a cheat code.

Today, I woke up before 8 AM, spent most of the next four hours on travel logistics and packing a car, then drove for five hours to get back to my apartment. My mom joined for a short visit, so, after unpacking, we went to get ice cream. I dealt with some Pokémon card dealings, showered, and meditated.

Now, it’s 10:30 PM, and, technically, I haven’t written a thing today. Except I’ve probably typed north of 2,000 words already—an accidental side product of going through my day.

I typed search queries into Google. I typed domain names into my phone’s browser. I chatted with half a dozen friends, answering various messages and opening new threads with others.

During that one hour of catching up on my collectible deals, I talked to another half dozen or so people. I updated product descriptions, re-listed items, and explained products in more detail for those who asked about them.

Of course, none of this writing is the kind of writing I aspire to do—but that doesn’t mean it’s writing without any value whatsoever. Even during simple exchanges, I can pay attention to grammar, capitalization, and which words I choose. The right phrase at the right time can make all the difference—for a friend, relative, or stranger mulling over whether to buy a $200 box of shiny cardboard from you.

At first, I thought writing was unique in this way. We all do so much of it. But we also all do a lot of other things every day. We see. We listen. We smell.

If you’re chosen vehicle of meaning is movies, an ad on a Youtube video or silent news stream playing on the tram can still teach you about lighting, editing, and storyboarding.

You can’t sing all day long, but you can listen to people’s voices. You can dissect their accents and intonations, and think about how their voice would sound if it lay one octave higher or lower.

The people who want to be are always immersed in the skill they most wish to get better at. To swim like a champion, find a way to stay in the water even when you’re on dry land.