I've been a member here for a few years, but to this point I have not participated in any of the groups I initially joined, have not really established an identity or attempted to become involved at any level. I think it's probably time to change that. I first joined because I was looking for an online community that reflected my interests, and this seemed like a catch-all sort of place to be.
What I am, deep within the unflushed toilet of my mind, is a writer. Despite my intentions to the contrary, instead of embracing the many-faced god that feeds on my ego, I focused on the one aspect I thought defined who I was. So, I spent a soul-crushing span of time honing my craft, hanging out in workshops, critiquing other writers to improve my own skills, to the point that writing started to feel like a chore rather than a fun thing to do. I tried to confine myself by the alleged rules of writing. I gave up my voice for the sake of technique.
Sacrifice is a necessity at times, and I learned from the process, but I'm taking my voice back. I've found the balance. As a result, I've managed to sell a few pieces over the last couple months. Finding a home for the creatures of my imagination has been a long-term goal, so I'm happy to have placed a few of them, thrilled to receive remuneration for my words.
I've got a ton of rejected stories taking up space on my hard drive, but many of them made it through the initial slush piles, which I consider a small victory. To ultimately be rejected by an editor because a story doesn't fit their scope, rather than for poor writing, is at least a form of validation.
This is already turning into a TL/DR, so I'll break it off here for now. I write, because that's what motivates me to continue on to the next day, but I'm working on rekindling some of my other interests. I'll be around, looking forward to participating in discussions on writing and hopefully many other diverse subjects. The many-faced god is hungry, and I can no longer sustain it with a singular purpose.