Hey you,

I believe we have purpose and direction when we know our “why.”

Driven by the freedom of expression that comes with being a creator, I decided to join the other 165 million creators in the creator economy.

I divide my content into five buckets.

I put together my newsletter and blog to catch the attention of potential future employers. It’ll showcase my writing skills and evidence that I put my spare time to good use.

My posts on social media are designed to get more eyeballs and drive traffic to my writing entries.

As time went on, I was able to zero in on the purpose of my creative journey. With my content, I wish there’s any element in there that’s helpful or valuable to anyone in any way.

Do these look solid?

They didn't even exist months ago.

I spent weeks contemplating where and how to start. I had no idea what to write or how to put together videos.

I began everything by wandering, finding my way through the dark.

Perhaps wandering through life can also lead to some kind of purpose.

The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien once said that not all those who wander are lost.

Wandering in life is an option to:

• discover more things in life, for better or worse, and
• simply be reminded that we exist and our existence has value.

At the end of the day, we decide what our lives are for. We get to decide what we want to do with our lives.

But if you do decide to wander, first...

👍 Make up your mind

OK, so wandering through life can be an example of finding a purpose.

You’re probably skeptical. It sounds out of reach for all but the very rich. For business moguls and celebrities. For those who don’t constantly fight for survival.

I'm not any of those people. Forget wealthy family; I don’t even have an income right now.

And being a creator seems like a bad career option with such a limited access. It’s hard to tell what will happen, and success isn’t a given. Many new creators struggle to make ends meet.

But I still like to wander even when I can’t afford it.

I’ll regret more that I didn’t step into the uncertain world of this opportunity. I’ll loathe myself for writing off everything else that doesn’t fit the role or path that's expected of me.

❓ Work on your “gift”

Let's go back to the quote above:

I've put essential words in bold before looking them up in the Cambridge Dictionary.

• ​Gift: a special ability to do something
• ​Meaning: The meaning of “something” is what it expresses or represents

So:

• The purpose of life: why we live or why we exist → to find out our gift(s).
• The meaning of life: what life expresses or represents → to hand that/those gift(s) to someone without asking for anything in return.

The quote above, indeed, wasn’t absolute wisdom. But I love to illustrate my point, and the quote makes sense to me.

One of my skills is writing, and I will always want to improve as long as I live. My life is meaningful when my content is helpful or valuable to anyone in any way. 

Find something that makes us content and appreciative that we got to experience it. Find more of those, and work on them.

😕 Not always seeking validation

Nothing is wrong with wanting (or giving) it to someone else. Validation in and of itself is acceptable.

It becomes a problem when it’s rewarded instead of respected.

It’s terrible when people only value us when you help them. It’s wrong to let the actions or words of others determine how we feel. It’s unhealthy to look to others to approve of our actions or thoughts.

It’s a dangerous slope to go down if you need other people’s validation. And when you’re slipping, the last thing you’ll do is wander.

​

Disclaimer: Everything expressed here comes from my personal experience. I never claim to be an expert.

🌱 Good to know

​What Is the Creator Economy, and How Does It Work?​

The “creator economy” was a term I learned about during my second internship in Germany. I find this article comprehensive enough to let newcomers everything they need to know about it.

​Quitting social media? Not me​

My journey on social media has started since 2013, and I don't think I'll stop anytime soon. I shared how I use use social media based on these three things so that they don’t end up using me instead.

​Riding the prospect of the rising creator economy​

The creator economy in Indonesia has found firmer footing in the advancing digital age, and is foreseen to be on the edge of the next evolution.

Life as an 🇮🇩 in 🇩🇪

Sunday recharged my introverted soul after spending time with many good friends last week.

I also learned how an internet connection was set up in our homes. We use Telekom, a major player in the German telecom industry, as our connection provider. Telekom is sending a technician to our house, so we must be on standby.

I was nervous about speaking German to the technician because my German is still pretty bad. Fortunately, things worked out well, and I managed to answer his questions. 😌

Oh, and by the way, do you know what’s great for cold weather? Eating spicy food. 🌶️

I hope you enjoy this letter. See you at the next one. 💕

Cheers,

Devi