I still have a lot more to learn
I was thinking about this earlier tonight, and decided to write about it since I had some thoughts.
I don’t have a journalism degree (yet!) but I consider myself to be an “independent journalist in training.” The “in training" part is important. I’m definitely not “qualified” but I’m still passionate about my writing, reporting, reviewing, etc. I’m slower at it, sure, but I’m more thorough and I put things through their paces. I want to work towards being employed and making money from this passion, but that takes time. I’ll get there soon, I’m sure.
Back to the “in training” thing… This generally means I don’t have access to the same things that the journalists with media companies (or that have founded their own) have. I don’t have very many contacts, because I’ve never been blessed with that ability. I like to review things based on long-term, real-world usage, so it takes time. My mission with this long-term thing? It has always been to try to make the most of the things I have, make new discoveries, find new things, and educate others about the things I learn and discoveries I make. It will continue to be this way for the foreseeable future, I promise.
I launched my own independent publication, Kakariko Herald, years ago and shut it down twice since. Now, I’ve shut it down again until June 4th. Why? Well, if you take a peek at this link, you might just find the scope of the site now. It’ll be a newsletter subscription on Substack, and it’ll have a companion online website for those who don’t use email as heavily as I do, too. I’ll be posting when there’s something new to report on or review. Whether that’s each week or two times a month. I won’t force myself to write when I can’t, and I definitely won’t set deadlines on myself since again: it takes me time to process things and make sure it’s honest, fair, and meets my high quality standards.
When I told my friend what I was up to, he said “Too ambitious, try baking instead.” Maybe he’s right. I love baking too, but that’s more of a therapeutic thing. This is me we’re talking about, so I’m not listening. I’m going to make sudden decisions, I’m going to try something new. Because the right amount of change… well, it’s never a bad thing.
If you have any story tips, PR/Media stuff, or whatever else you might want to send my way for Kakariko Herald, send me an email at slade@sladewatkins.com. I’d love to hear from you!