Eva Barrows Writing & Editing Services
Content Writing - Editing - Publication Management
I’m Thankful for My Writing Life
I used to dread getting out of bed on weekday mornings to head off to a job that did not utilize my skills and talent or provide me with any creative fulfillment. My days were filled with tedious document processing and repetitive phone calls in a highly regulated environment. I felt trapped and didn’t know how to get out.
To give myself some time to think, I took a vacation day and went to the beach. After enjoying a crab sandwich on Miramar Beach Restaurant’s patio in Half Moon Bay, I strolled down a long stretch of beach. Hands shoved in jacket pockets, I mulled over what I was doing with my life. I wanted the freedom to go to the beach whenever I felt like it. I wanted to put my time and effort into doing the work I was called to do.
There seemed to be an elusive alternative way to work where people worked for themselves and transformed a table at Starbucks into their office. At the time, this way of working seemed so foreign yet thrillingly enticing.
As I explored the beach, I walked by an art house. It appeared to be made of driftwood and frozen in the aesthetics of another era, perhaps displaced from a fantasy land. Faces of creatures emerged from wood carvings. The house offered a peek into the creative artist life others were leading. The next day, I slunk back to my cubicle in what I envisioned to be a black hole.
Time passed. Then, one day, I was informed the office would shut down in a few months, and I would be out of a job. I wasn’t angry or worried. I was relieved and excited. Opportunity had arrived. I decided to start my own business as a freelance writer. I dove into learning how to run a business and line up writing projects to work on. My artist husband understands my drive to be in business for myself and has always supported me, for which I am thankful.
Since starting my business seven years ago, I’ve been helping individuals and businesses realize their publishing dreams. I use my writing and editing skills every day, sharpening them as I go. With each article, blog post, newsletter, and book editing project I work on, I constantly grow my knowledge of the topics I cover while strengthening my craft. When I get up in the morning, I’m excited about what the day will bring.
On a random Tuesday a few weeks ago, I tagged along with a travel writer friend as she took photos of local beaches for one of her articles. As we photographed from the bluffs of Half Moon Bay Beach overlooking the blue waves lapping the fine sand below, we walked by the art house. It was seemingly unchanged. Those same whimsical wood faces watched us. But this time, when I looked at the house, I did not long for an artist’s life. I was thankful for the one I am living.