Why I Write - Q&A with Manu

I keep getting direct and indirect questions on Why I Write? There won't be a better occasion than this to address this Q and other frequently asked Qs.

It's been exactly 2 years since I started this website - Manu's Medley and apparently this is my 100th blog post. 

So Why I Write? 

I can give a fancier reply stating "I chose to follow my passion". But I won't, as it isn't true. After being in the IT industry for more than a decade, working tirelessly all through the weeks, months and years, I moved to Canada carrying my little one, when the whole world was witnessing one of the deadliest diseases COVID. It was at the same time, I had to take a career break due to few compelling personal reasons and decided to be a full time mom. 

It's a new place and a new role, with almost zero support, unlike the support system at India. To top it, the lockdowns and restrictions were never ending. The three of us spent months together within our apartment and my kid literally grew up without knowing that there exists a world outside our home. The only time he stepped out was for his hospital visits which always left him perplexed, scared and wailing at the sight of strangers. He couldn't be blamed. It was a general trait observed in kids born around that time. I jokingly refer to them as "Covid Kids". 

As I had been busy for most of my life until then, the initial few months at Canada were like a boon. I got lot of free time which I spent reading books, cooking and baking, watching TV (caught up on some old Tamil serials which I couldn't watch while I was in school. I heard most of my classmates and neighbourhood friends discuss those). But as the days went by, the leisure and silence became unbearable. For days together, I wouldn't get a chance to talk to someone apart from the daily calls to family at India. Life doesn't spare anyone. It kept our few friends and acquaintances here in Canada too, busy. Instead of looking outside, I opted to explore something within to keep myself occupied. 

Despite the challenges motherhood brings, during the maternity break, I had some time to think through beyond the IT world. That's when I got the idea to share my experiences with a larger audience. After moving to Canada, the thought grew stronger, as I felt there is a genuine need to share useful and important information and experiences with others, which often is overpowered by fun, entertainment, business aptitude or the regular saas-bahu (mother in law and daughter in law), husband-wife mockery etc. in any media platform. So after a contemplation of nearly an year, I started Manu's Medley on 14th Oct '21. 

Gradually, I started a youtube channel under the same name "Manu's Medley" in 2022, primarily on my relatives request. Though I wasn't initially very active, I increased my focus there since the beginning of this year, where again I make videos on content useful for everyday life, focusing on new immigrants and moms, alongside with those I love doing the most - reading, cooking and gardening.

I grew up surrounded by books and love for books runs in my genes. If there is something I am greedy about, then it is the ever growing list of books I want to read😛 I started a dedicated youtube channel "Our Bookshelf" where I publish read aloud kids books primarily to entertain my kid, books I read during my free time and reading sessions with my son. 

Below are the channel links, in case you want to take a look.

Manu's Medley                                  Our Bookshelf 

In my 1st blogiversary post, I promised to answer below questions. I hope, by far I have addressed questions 1 to 4. I leave 5 and 6 to those who told/ asked. If they assume so, so be it. 

1. Why blogging? 
2. Why this blog (without a specific niche)? 
3. Why not vlogging? 
4. You have good writing skills
5. She doesn't have anything great to do, so she writes
6. It is very easy to write 
7. Let us see how long she blogs
8. How much do you earn out of this? 
9. In what way blogging helps you?

None of these were planned and executed overnight. Everything found its place organically and in fact writing is something I never dreamt that I would be able to do. But I am glad I could. So I will continue writing until I can. This answers Q 7.

Q 8 is the most asked. Many who knows about my blogging/ vlogging, they seldom talk about it to me, though they silently read/ watch😁, often without subscribing. But those who do, have predominantly asked me about my earnings. Talking about the monetary benefits, I have had zero revenue for my work. In fact, I pay annually out of pocket for maintaining this website and for the equipment I use to create content. Most importantly I have invested countless hours of my time.

Occasionally few reached out to me on FB/ insta/ mail to thank me for my articles. I am glad that my work has reached those who are in need and benefitted them. Those messages make my day. I write because it keeps me sane. It is my happy space. Whenever I write a good article, it gives a great satisfaction and this sums up my answer to the final question.

Finally, Thanks a ton for being part of my journey and knowingly/ unknowingly helping me learn in the process. 

If you wish to read my latest articles and watch the content I create, you can follow me on Youtube!! It's absolutely free, except for your time. I assure your time will be well spent.

Finally, don't be hesitant to shoot out your questions. I will be glad to answer. Happy Reading!!!