Who am I and what do I do?

In the first blog post for my website I give you my personal perspective of how I feel my life has been leading up to this moment…

as I take the plunge and launch my own freelance copywriting business.

Why have I started this business?

It’s a long story and I’ll try to be brief. From an early age I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to write stories: create new imaginative worlds and explore relationships between characters. I didn’t know why, I just knew that I enjoyed it. But at some point this desire to create stories set into the fixed goal of ‘becoming a writer.’ I sat down and tried to write novels, short stories and poetry but I didn’t seem to make any progress. I was overcome with a sense of failure. Why was it not coming as easily to me when I was younger and did it purely out of love? So I distanced myself from that dream.

I had kids, I started to raise them, lived my life, worked in casual jobs. I even worked as a marketing assistant for two years, which foreshadowed the choice I would later make to put my writing skills to marketing use. I was busy and happy, but I still needed some form of creative output so I started singing. I joined a harmony group and found my voice. I sang with friends. I started frequenting the local folk club and learned to perform in front of an audience. I fell in love with singing the way I loved writing as a kid.

And as my creative spirit was unleashed, the pressure to write something, anything started to ebb. I still did bits and bobs, but mostly I wrote my journal every morning and read as much as I could in the evenings. I still loved writing, but it didn’t define me anymore.

Then about a year ago my best friend Sara told me I would make a good copywriter. This was something I had never considered before and, as it was not my idea, I disregarded her. Not long after that I had quite a challenging time. I quit my part-time job as I couldn’t get the childcare to fit. My benefits were sanctioned. I moved flats. I was skint. I was coping, but very stressed. I developed a twitch in my eye that lasted months.

As being a full-time single parent began to really bite I had to be tough and decisive. I needed to work full-time, but the jobs I was in – catering and waitressing – didn’t pay very well. And the jobs that paid well required going back to the drawing board and training in a new industry. Were those my only choices? Was I doomed as an ‘artistic type’ to find a ‘proper job?’

Perhaps there was a simpler solution that had been staring me in the face the whole time.

It dawned on me: Sara was right. I could be a copywriter. I don’t know if you’ve ever had that experience in your life when everything starts to link up and make sense, but it’s very nice when it eventually happens. It had taken me a long time to realise, but there was a job for someone who likes writing and helping people. Copywriting allows me to serve my clients by writing engaging effective web content to help them with their business goals.

I’ve faced my fair share of challenges.

But through all my efforts and by learning from my mistakes, my set-backs, my ignorance, missed opportunities, and general cluelessness I have grown. So here I am starting a new chapter in my story.

And the reason I set up my business is to help you tell your business’s story. Whether you are already established or just starting out, you got to this point driven by what you truly love and believe in – no doubt with your own trials and tribulations – and you will have a strong narrative to engage people alongside a great product or service. I want to help you with your challenge to create engaging marketing content. I want to get to the heart of your business and communicate exactly how you meet the needs of your customers.

I look forward to hearing about what you do and how I can help communicate that message to your customers.