The Balance Between Serving Yourself and Serving the Reader

As a business writer, I’m buried by articles and social media posts from others that promote the idea of serving the customer. For wordsmiths, the customer is, of course, the reader.

If you subscribe to this concept, virtually the only path forward is to write only within topics and genres that are are trending (or that you have good evidence would if given the chance). Every page becomes an exercise in delivering what makes the reader feel good.

But what about you, the writer? Aren’t you supposed to feel good, too?

Putting on your oxygen mask as a writer is not selfish

There is some satisfaction in giving to others. This is the side of writing that’s driven by the desire to bring joy and healing to others.

But if a writer never puts themselves first at all, if they never put into words what their own thoughts, imagined goals, or values are, what happens then to their authenticity and self-expression? What way does a reader have to fully understand who the author is?

Spending some time to write only what you want to write is necessary to write well for others. It is the oxygen mask you put on before you create for other people. This is not selfish despite the fact it is a foundational act of self-care, because the entire point is to be prepared and equipped enough to then give others what they need.

There can be overlap in your service, but give space to who you are

In an ideal situation, the material you write for yourself will simultaneously serve others, even if the audience is small. But because you are your own person, it is nothing to be ashamed of if there are topics or ideas that matter or are interesting only to you. Yes, it would be nice to be able to have empathy from others around those things. But one definition of maturity is the ability to accept and be alone with yourself exactly as you are.

Rather than shy away from the things that matter or are interesting only to you, embrace them as unique identifiers that honor your individuality and irreplaceability. Write about them with complete abandon and no fear of judgment. Set the words free so that, ultimately, you will be, too — the freer you are, the better your writing for others will be.