Technically speaking, or rather, technically writing, but not that kind of technical writing, I’ve been a writer for the past eighteen years.

For about fifteen of those years, I’ve written almost entirely for myself. I’ve entered one contest (or should I say – I’ve entered won contest); I’ve hidden most of my fiction away, and, truth be told, the government has stolen most of the money I’ve made on TMS. Writing has almost always been an entirely intrinsic process, and one of the most freeing, reflective aspects of my life.

What I’ve discovered since changing the name of this site to rhysdesmond.com, is that I like it best this way.

I like writing best when it’s (almost entirely) for myself. For the mental boost it gives me. It’s nice if other people get something out of my work. One small takeaway. One small laugh. One small eyebrow raise of utter confusion.

BUT, I like writing best when it’s a library of educational content for myself.

It’s the most freeing feeling. I can LITERALLY write about whatever I want, in any style I want. With no regard for views, visitorship (someone at Oxford should definitely make that a word), SEO, social media, email marketing, or money.

This is how I feel as though I’ve produced my best work. By not care-bearing about what anyone thinks. By making myself laugh and writing nonsense until it says something quietly profound.

_{I literally wrote ‘care-bearing’ to test the validity behind my statement. Guess it’s true.}

I never want writing to feel like a chore. I’ve always held off on making it a job or career. In fact, the articles that have made me the most money have been the least enjoyable.

That, in large part, is because the articles that actually make money in this industry are more fact-based, matter of fact, factual. The kind of articles where you can’t get away with saying ‘fact’ three times in one sentence. Not my kind of article, personally.

When you do opinion-based pieces, you’re usually putting yourself into a hole with SEO, even if you can initially grab some headlines or views off social media and/or a built-in audience. If you actually want people to read your work, you often need to present your opinions as though they are facts.

When writing for TMS, I was always conscious about which titles, which headlines, which tags, etc. would get the most views. I wrote my work in a way that would optimize for SEO. It worked.

As far as written content goes in the football analysis world, my site was just about as big as anything. About five years in, anyone I interacted with (from casual fan to professional pro) had read my work, whether they knew it was me when they were standing next to me or not.

For many reasons, with that reputation being one of them, it became about other people. It became about money. It became about content I didn’t even care about. It stopped being fun. The notion of ‘written work’ became hyphenated, with the ‘work’ side accentuated.

I still should keep a relatively consistent tone here. A relatively consistent set of topics. But, overarchingly, it does not matter to me if you can find my poetry in the same spot where I’m writing about my resemblance to Batman or how to stay conscious when you drown.

It does not matter because this website is actually for me, more than it is for you. I love you. I love that you like my work. I love that you are reading my work when I’m professing my love to you. Even if you don’t know me. But this article is actually for me. And that, is what I think most people should do in most situations in their life.

That is – to do things for themselves, that make them happy. Best case scenario – while you’re doing it, you’re also making others happy. That’s a nice added bonus. The cherry on top of the cake that this one girl named Emily will never make you.

To write for yourself is to discover yourself. That’s one of the most beautiful things you can do as a person, that will only make you better in presenting and showing up as your best self for others.

_{Thanks for reading and see you soon.}