The agnostic writer

Agnosticism isn't just for religion

When most people think of the term "agnostic", they think of someone who isn't sure if there is a god. Well, you could say that about me. I don't know for sure if there is a god or not. But I can act as if there is one and simply have faith that a God exists. It's certainly my choice. To me, everything is a matter of faith.

I like what Alan Watts has to say on this subject. He says that faith is distinct from belief in that one can believe or "lief" regardless of contrary evidence. He also says that faith is a reservation of judgment, the opening of the mind for new information. That's me. Most of the time, I am in a state of reserved judgment.

So in that respect, I think that the term "agnostic" can be applied beyond the narrow realm of spirituality. I like to say that I am agnostic as to all things. I say this to keep my expectations low. I say this because in most cases, I really don't know what is going to happen next. I can only make educated guesses.

Our grasp of reality is very narrow at best. We see a tiny bit of the electromagnetic spectrum. What we can't see, we must use special instruments to detect. We are limited in all of our other senses, too. Dogs and cats can hear things we can only dream of hearing (not that we'd want to), their sense of smell is far superior to ours, too. Don't known about their taste buds, but I'm pretty sure our skin is more sensitive than most domesticated animals. Suffice it to say, with our limited senses, our grasp of reality is fleeting at best. That is why I must have faith.

Applying faith to writing

When it comes to writing, I've learned to be agnostic. I cannot be thinking about what others might think when I write. For one, I don't know what others are thinking, so whatever I think others might think of my writing is speculation at best. Even if I did know what others think of my writing, my inner censor would be all over the place, telling me what works and what doesn't. I have to start by having faith that writing is worth the effort to begin at all.

To be very plain about it, I write for me first. I write because I enjoy how it feels to think of these things, put them on the screen and then share them. I write for fun, I write because I'm impassioned about something, or I just noticed some quirk of life and wanted to share it. I write because I get into a sort of meditation when I write. I hear the voice, I type the words. I edit for clarity. I keep going until I think the article is done.

Even if I write for myself first, sharing is what makes writing all worthwhile. I enjoy the feedback that I do get when I get it. I enjoy just putting it out there, flapping in the breeze, hoping someone else will notice and read it, and respond.

Message in a bottle

I don't write to make something happen. Here on Steemit, I don't beg for votes. I put my writing out there, and wait. I watch. I check to see if there are any comments. I don't get unhappy if there are no votes, no comments, or a resteem. I don't allow myself to get attached to the outcome. I'm only responsible for the writing, not the outcome. I'm not responsible for what you do. Once I write something and publish it, I let it go, like a message in a bottle.

I mean that message in a bottle thing, literally. I think of social media like a river in flood. Put your message in a bottle and set it free in the water. Then go do something else. Take a walk. Go to the park. Read a book. Set your mind free of the message and wait for a response.

Life has its disappointments. So I've learned to detach from the outcome. I've learned to let things go when they no longer serve me. I have learned to write the article and let it go. Wait for the response and see what happens.

Years ago, I did standup comedy for a hobby. I have a video of me doing just that here, on Steemit. It's one of my earliest posts on Steemit. See, I'm not all totally serious, so I do let on with a pun, a joke, or a zinger. But when I write, I write about those things that I'm most passionate about.

When I say something that I think is funny, I don't say it to make people laugh. I say something funny to see if people will laugh at it. If they laugh, I write it down. If not, I toss it and move on. I am the same way with writing, to some degree.

You won't see me writing about the latest fads. I'm not a travel blogger, or a cryptocurrency expert. I'm just a philosopher, mostly. Everything I write about, I write about because I believe it is worth thinking about, and I allow it time to spend in my head. Then when I get fired up about it, I write about it in the wee hours of the morning.

Write it and let it go

When I post an article to Steemit, or anywhere else for that matter, I let it go. I allow myself to be done and to move on for the day. One of the reasons I like to write and share my writing is that these things are important to me, and I don't know very many people who share the same interests. Writing allows me to talk about these things and let them go so that I'm available for everyone else in my life. The people I know, the people I see, the people I love in my house.

Once I post an article about one of my beloved topics, no longer do I need to work them into a conversation with a neighbor, my wife or any one of my relatives or friends. I am completely available and capable of listening to someone else.

Everything else is a bonus

When I get an upvote, a resteem or a compliment, I'm always happy to see it. That's the bonus, the icing on the cake for me. If I don't get any upvotes on my comments or my posts, I don't begrudged the effort because I enjoy writing. I will consider if my writing is appropriate for the audience. I will work towards engaging my audience with greater effort. But I will keep writing, regardless. I write to live.

I'm still relatively new here to Steemit and I know it's going to take time to build an audience, well, to find my audience. I don't expect everyone to like my work. So I must engage the audience every way that I can to find out who likes my work and correspond with them. I don't write to make people like my work. I write to find out who likes my work and take note of them, and I keep writing.

Write on.