Obscurity versus Influence
Writing from the Margins
As a reluctant writer, I discovered what a tiny bit of influence felt like, and I have struggled ever since to walk the fine line between influence and obscurity.
Let me be clear — I do not believe I have any real influence over anyone in my life. Just ask my two children, who would tell you their mother is a total pushover. But I have no shortage of thoughts and opinions, and since I can be sarcastic, blunt, and opinionated when I speak, I have found that writing is a far more effective way of getting my views across.
That said, writing about faith, Christian living, and self-promotion has never sat well with me. I understand that in today’s publishing world, platform-building is a must — no writer can ignore it completely. Like it or not, it exists, and we have to play along.
But that is not to say one cannot have a voice and still cultivate a rich life in the margins. If I end up writing for an audience of five, I am still a writer, and people still read my opinions. I simply need to learn contentment and ask myself whether a life of quiet obscurity is enough. If my answer is no, then perhaps I have a great deal more business to do with God.
Here is a snippet from an essay I wrote two years ago for Christianity Today
“God calls us to a life of knowing him and walking with him, and we must cultivate that first. If a large audience is something God wants for us, he can bring it to pass. We need not waste our time striving for prominence and platform. We can grow where we are planted, grow in the knowledge of God, and practice his presence in the mundane. The true measure of success is not a follower count or sales record but our depth of fidelity to God.”
Read the rest of the article at Is God Calling Me to Obscurity of Influence?
Writing, as a career, is probably full of tension. The moment you depend on something for income, validation, influence, or access to power, you become at least partly beholden to it. The real struggle is figuring out how to remain authentic when the systems around you are asking something different from you.
Often, you want to say no, but you can’t. Work wins those internal battles more often than not.
In most professions, the only real hedge against losing yourself is creating boundaries and building enough independence....whether through savings, other income streams, or alternate platforms.....that you can afford to walk away when necessary. That freedom makes authenticity possible.
Writing couldn't be much different. The complexity of mixing faith into this tension is not enviable.
As an author about 5 months away from my newest book launch, I feel this! I'm fairly shy to begin with, and building an online platform takes a lot of strength for me. But, it's part of what comes with writing. Appreciated you calling out this discomfort a lot of us face!