I used to believe that writing was something you do later. Totally master a topic, then share that mastery with the world.
Then I wrote some things, and that changed my mind.
Writing comes first. It’s a thought exercise that clarifies rough ideas into clear action items.
When I started writing my book Art for Money, all I had was a pile of hard-learned lessons about creative freelancing. I just needed to get them down on paper. The process of getting the lessons down on paper is what crystalized them into a succinct point of view.
I’m a different person now than I was before writing it. I know precisely what hill I'm dying on. And that’s helpful in all scenarios -- especially the daily conversations that occur around work and career.
Highly specialized skill sets are important, but the strongest job candidates and leaders are those who can read, think, speak and persuade. Writing facilitates all of that, and packaged together, these basic skills make you a superhero.
You don't need to be a "writer", but I absolutely recommend being a person who writes every day.
“Clarity of writing equals clarity of thought.” - Matt Mullenweg
