Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Things I Wonder: What is the Future of Kaleidoscopic Raygun?
I’m not sure I can officially call myself a “writer”, but I’m starting to feel like I’m getting close. The journey began about 8 years ago when I read an article in Fast Company about “blogging” and said, “hey, that’s sounds interesting, I’m going to blog about stuff.” And so I blogged about “stuff.” It was nothing more than online verbal diarrhea, exactly what you’d expect a blog to be, and I enjoyed the creative outlet. I wrote about my hair, clothes, TV shows I liked, and my running and fitness. It was, as I put it, a blog about me written for me and if you enjoyed reading it, too, well, I was happy to have a fan.
My wife liked it. It’s like I had an audience of one.
I wrote about American Idol every week, for fun, and about a dozen people seemed interested in my stupid opinions on that show. And then someone was starting a website and said, “hey, you should write your American Idol blog for my site,” and so I did. And then the guy stopped wanting to run a website, but that was after we’d convinced two other people to write for the site, and so me and them …we took it over.
While running the site, we bumped into a radio talk-show host who wanted someone to write for her website – so I said I would, and I did for a long time. And while I was writing for her, and for my blog, I happened upon a company that manages people’s branding sites and writes content for them, so they hired me for some side jobs. Before I knew it, I was writing about TV, about motivation, weight loss, speaking to dead people, and plastic surgery …and then this social media company hooked me up full time with a motivational speaker, guru guy. And I wrote for him …and started to help him write his book.
One of the people on his team pointed me to a company that writes articles for other people, and I hooked up with them and started writing about odd things like green-living in Manhattan, cell phone usage in Africa, and benefits of the G.I. Bill. Then they hired me to write a book about a big music festival that I’d never been to that featured a hundred bands I’d never heard of. So I wrote that book. I must’ve done OK because recently I edited a 12,000 word diet/fitness book for another client of there’s.
Meanwhile, as I’d meet people, I’d say, “I write for people” and suddenly more people wanted me to write for them. A charity asked me to run their Facebook, blog, and Twitter. Then a local home builder. Then a school. Then a resale clothing shop (that’s my latest one). And, if that’s not cool enough, some legendary dude from the advertising industry said, “hey, write my book for me.”
So, I am.
I ramble through this all because yesterday, I was trying to explain to someone why I do it, how it fell into my lap, and why I enjoy it …and even I thought it sounded made up. But it’s not. It’s all true.
So I say this …who cares if people laugh at you because you have a blog or that you’re always on Facebook and Twitter …you enjoy it, right? Then, enjoy it. And if you meet enough people and ask enough questions and keep your ears and eyes open, you never know what could happen.
That’s my story. Part 1. To be continued.
Don Kowalewski 