The Joys of Being a Writer With a Day Job
What it truly means to be “a marketer by day, writer by heart”
“Hot Filipina writer based in Oaxaca.”
At one point, that was the goal. I should mention that that point was in 2020 — I was stuck indoors, trying keto (hence the ambitious qualifier “hot”), a little bit (debatable) unhinged, and looking for ways to supplement my income. I had just started writing – more specifically, writing online. And I discovered the very possibility of making a lot of money from simply having a laptop, decent wifi, and your digital savviness.
Out with the boring blouses and in with the breezy summer dresses, I saw it all so clearly in my head. In some artisanal cafe in downtown Oaxaca, I’d ask the barista, “Un cafe con leche, por favor?” Then I’d take a seat, open my laptop, and start smashing at my keyboard as a self-employed writer, all-around content creator, and let’s not forget — queen of my digital empire.
It’s not that I was unhappy with my then-job. Far from it. I had a comfortable lifestyle. Work-life balance was great. I had enough time and headspace to keep writing — but also to incessantly mull over my career and purpose in life. The main question being, “Am I meant to be a writer?”
