Taking Breaks Doesn't Mean Giving Up

As 2023 draws to an end, I find myself looking back, and I can confidently say it was my best year as a writer so far. People have finally started recognising my work. Never before have I received such an overwhelming amount of love for my writing as I have in 2023 from people all around the world. However, it hasn’t come without its struggles, including doubts.

In 2021, I published my first book and attempted to promote it on social media, but it didn’t work. Discouraged, I took a break, occasionally working on my second book and new stories. It wasn’t until the end of 2022 that I rediscovered my love for creating videos. I focused on posting short videos on social media. In today’s world, social media is the best way to find the audience that will love your work as much as you do, if not more.
Posting consistently paid off as one of my videos went viral. People started to follow me, among them readers. They learned I had published a book, and my sales rocketed. Before, I used to make a few euros a year, but not this year. If I had given up two years ago after seeing no results on social media, I wouldn’t have what I have today.

However, the journey of success doesn’t stop here. If anything, I find myself working harder than before. Since I write in English, a language not native to me but one that my heart speaks, I try my best to improve it every day. Despite the increased sales, I still cannot make a living from writing, and if I want to earn something, I have to stay active on social media. As social media is fickle and posting regularly is the best way to reach more people, it places a mental toll on creativity. There are days when I have zero sales, and I want to give up. Nevertheless, my passion for writing stories prevails over the little voice questioning if I am built for this, sometimes urging me to quit.

Ultimately, giving up should not be an option, unless what you’re striving for is not what you really want. However, it is also important to recognise when you should take breaks to prevent burnout. Achievements are accompanied by struggles, and in moments of doubt, remember that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. If you quit, you might never discover what you could achieve. I certainly wouldn’t have if I had never returned to posting on social media after the unsuccess I faced two years ago.

Austėja Keturkaitė on 21/12/2023