Make some magic on Medium.

Undoubtedly the changes on Medium have enraged a few, and I don’t blame writers for being dismissive of the new format.

I for one, endorse it — I think it’s headed in the right direction.

Medium, began as a platform for writers and free-thinkers to share their work.

Which it still is.

Albeit it’s far from where it was when it first launched, I don’t necessarily see a negative side to this evolution.

Much like any technological platform, evolution is a must — it can’t be static, otherwise what’s the point.

If writers and bloggers just wish to write — then there’s certainly competition out there.

The purists may not like it, but it is what it is.

I for one, appreciate adapting rather than criticising change.

I’m not brown-nosing here, because quite frankly I never have been a huge earner here on Medium.

Medium was a place for me to express myself, it still is.

The evolution on Medium has opened a new perspective, it’s changed how I viewed writing.

I’m not looking at just focusing on my “Writing” anymore, I’m looking at the bigger picture.

Content Creation.

Think of one of the biggest platforms out there for Content Creators, one that allowed many to monetise on their work; YouTube.

From being a streaming website where people posted clips and music videos, it’s now a hub for LiveStreams, News, Movies, and Podcasts.

It’s evolution, and those who adapted to it — rather than complaining about the changes, survived.

I think it’s crucial to accept and be honest with myself in what I hope to achieve.

I love writing, and I am still able to do that.

Doesn’t mean it has to be limited to it.

Medium’s new format of focusing on bringing together “Collections”, is a brilliant innovation — one that if used properly, could really help individual writers get the exposure we need.

I’ve read a few angry rants from purists, who do not seem to happy with the shortfall in their “Views” and “Claps”.

Some have even attempted to “crack” the algorithm.

But let’s not bite the hand that feeds.

I was here in 2017, and I’ve come a long way since then.

I’ve even been featured in one of the collections here on Medium, which I never expected.

It was euphoric, encouraging, and a great learning experience.

To have my story featured in a collection and have it edited by professionals, complimented by wonderfully crafted artwork — I could never accomplish that on my own.

I evolved and learnt how to tailor my work.

If I were to compare my original work to the one Medium perfected, I’d say I leant a great deal.

My original piece was a rant about frustration, of how angry I was with corporate culture — Medium took my story and made it into a wonderful piece of motivation.

It allowed me the courage to write better, to explore more, and most of all — to not constantly complain.

Sure, as an Independent Writers one may feel as though our “Safe-Haven” has been invaded by much larger publishers.

I think of it as an opportunity, as corny as it may sound — it’s a good thing major publishers are taking an interest in Medium.

Much like any Media Platform, corporate interest is bound to intervene at some point — but also recognise “Medium” is a Business.

First and foremost, their aim — whilst supporting writers, is also to sustain the business.

If the business fails to sustain itself, we independent writers won’t be able to hold down the fort either.

It’d be foolish to think that we could.

Medium is growing, it’s growing at a rate writer’s didn’t expect.

The format has changed, and the featured stories are now from far more recognise authors — doesn’t mean we don’t have a fighting chance.

Competition allows us to grow, to do better — complaining about it won’t change anything.

From a personal stand point, I’ve always held the opinion that I don’t bite the hands that feeds — Medium still provides me an outlet to express myself, and every now and then I make a few bucks off of it.

I’m grateful for it, why shouldn’t I be?

There’s no where else that I would find such an illustrious collection of Editors, Authors, and Publishers all banding together to explore and evolve Writing and Journalist to the next level.

There’s competition on every platform; Look to any Major Content Creation platform and one will find plenty of Corporate channels.

YouTube has it.

Twitter has it.

Instagram has it.

Facebook has it.

Every platform has it’s stars, the personalities that have emerged out of these platforms and truly made a name for themselves.

I personally adore some of the work that independent creators formed when platforms evolved.

Why can’t it happen on Medium?

Even the most famous personalities on Social Media,

Such as a few of my personal favourites,

All began as independent creators, and found exposure.

They didn’t complain about the competition, they kept on creating content; and found success.

So why are we complaining about the changes on Medium?

It’s because Medium evolved rapidly, and we think we’re forgotten of.

I think it’s an opportunity to turn it up a notch, and bring our A-Game.

Whatever that niche may be, I’m sure we’ll find an outlet here for it.

Slowly but surely, Writers will emerge — and a few may even become famous authors from this innovation.

We must embrace it, keep moving, keep writing, keep perfecting our craft; and with time — a few of us may succeed.

Ranting about it constantly, won’t bring about the success we’re chasing.

Being dismissive of it won’t either.

Embracing it, accepting it, and adjusting to it — just might.

As with any innovation, the plan to success has always been “Evolve or Die”.

and as such, my dear fellows — I wish you all, All the very best! :)

Thank you for reading!