Confessions of a bird freak

Boo! I’m back.

Despite my best efforts — which have been minimal — I’ve been held captive and prevented from writing more blog posts for the past few months by people actually paying me to write. As much as I’d like Confessions of a Bird Freak to supply my entire income at a reasonable and well-deserved $3,000 – $6,000 per post, adulthood has slapped me across the face with the cold fish of reality and I’ve realized that to make a living, I’ll have to do more than monologue to myself (and you) on the internet. Instead of drowning in fame and riches, I’ve found myself sweatily emailing editors left and right, asking them: Have you heard about birds? How would you like to pay me to write about them? Sometimes they respond, sometimes they don’t. 

(And sometimes they pay me, sometimes they don’t. I haven’t been paid yet for the last three articles I’ve written; you may now shake your fist at God.)

Trying to build a writing career and freelance network from scratch hasn’t been easy, and progress is slow. Endless job rejections, emails to editors gone ignored, and invasive questions from my Hinge dates like “What do you do for work?” have gifted me with a staggering case of Unbridled Self-Doubt. I’ve expertly addressed this by going to the gym and picking up heavy things, breathing loudly, and then putting them back down, so at least now I have both self-doubt and back pain. Take that, universe! You may break my spirit, but I alone will break my own back!

I did recently have a story published that I am exceedingly proud of. It’s about my queer identity, finding community through birdwatching, and diversity and inclusion in outdoor spaces. The piece covers a lot of ground, but I’ve been misleadingly texting the link to my friends along with the message “Gay birds!” in hopes that they’ll read it. Writing that story brought me right back to the time I accidentally came out to my parents through the first Confessions of a Bird Freak email and then had a panic attack in a car full of my straight friends a few hours later when I realized what happened. Good times. This time, I decided to come out to the entire state of Michigan, so, you know, baby steps.

If you want to reach me, you know where to find me: inside my own head. (And in the comments section and contact page.)

Treat yourselves kindly this week,

Bird Freak