These 4 Writers Are Medium’s Hidden Gems —Take a Sneak Peak
Some writers have more followers than others. Some write better than others. Some writers seem to be closely related to the nepotist algorithm and some are writing just for the joy of it.
However, these four writers share three important qualities.
#1 They are original thinkers.
#2 They engage with other people.
#3 I follow them 😂
Plus, they are a subject to my subjective liking, and seem like really good people.
Yesterday I was thinking about what to write while trying to find a cure for the lack of inspiration.
“It’s already Thursday and so far, you wrote three WhatsApp messages” — my subconscious mind taking full control of my hand at this point leading it into a facepalm…
However, the idea finally occurred to me a couple of moments later. I was peeling a Kiwi and checking notifications on my Medium account when it hit me.
I instantly made an intelligent conclusion.
I will chop a kiwi and hold my phone the next time I need an idea.
No.
What happened was I saw another writer engaging with my content. Clapping, commenting, and all of that stuff.
It dawned on me how grateful I was at that moment. Another writer shared thoughts with me and made me feel motivated to continue writing.
So, here is my shoutout to four of my favorite writers that engaged with me and whose work I genuinely appreciate and learn from.
I AM NOT AFFILIATED 🙃
Yvonne Vávra — Writes About Being a Human
She is not publishing that often on Medium, but when she does…
If you are looking for a writer that is Berlin-trained creative and not any less philosophical and deep in her thinking — you will probably hit a jackpot if you go to her profile.
Her writing bears a healthy dose of both societal criticism and self-awareness. She is both inspiring and thought provoking.
Here is how Yvonne described your inner troll. A mean entity that might be grimacing beneath your skin as well.
“I’m an idiot. A lazy, directionless waste of human flesh. A burden to my friends as I perpetually wallow in a chasm of self-pity that I am so much less than I ever hoped I’d become. I have no discipline when it comes to my work schedule and even less about eating an acceptable amount of Hershey Kisses per night. I’m sabotaging every good idea I get, all my achievements were more luck than judgment, and how much longer will I be able to disguise what a massive pile of insufficient failure I am?”
My apologies. I typically don’t talk about myself like that in public. Usually, I reduce myself to nothing in the comfort of my own head. And I’m not even a mean person! Quite the contrary, I have a lot of understanding for human imperfection.
She is also able to easily explain exactly what the moral of a story is. Here is a quote from her “All You Need Is Less”.
“Being is free. But we prefer having, thinking it will make being more pleasurable.”
Fireworks.
Yvonne Vávra Thanks :)
Mukundarajan V N— Writes About Being an Ethical Human
I found out about Mukandarajan right at the time when I was having doubts about my writing in English (still have them).
Sorry my English…
To my surprise, I was comforted by a retired banker from India.
In his piece about an issue of dislike towards non-native writers, he bespoke for all of us.
“Dear Anglophones, please do not resent foreigners speaking and writing in English. You are more proficient than us simply because you were born in an English-speaking family and were brought up in an English-speaking culture. You are more adept in English than us because you encountered it everywhere, every day, from the day you were born.
We are also Anglophiles and love English as much as we love our native tongues. Show forbearance and accept our ‘imperfect’ English as an unintentional byproduct of cultural upbringing and not as a deliberate plot to coarsen the language.”
Oh, by the way, this ex-banker decided to write in his retirement about ethical living and wellbeing.
Mukundarajan says writing is a tonic that enhances his well-being.
Well… Mukundarajan, your writing is a tonic that enhances my wellbeing. And most likely anyone else’s.
Oh and he also helped me relieve my gut issues with evidence. No, not diarrhea, it’s more of an instinctual nature.
Mukundarajan V N Thanks :)
Amanda Laughtland — Writes Poetry and Teaches
If Yvonne is a Berlin-level creative, well… Amanda is a Seatle-certified writing artist.
It is impossible to imagine her listening to Pearl Jam somewhere in the corner, but I can picture her writing in a jazzy coffee shop.
After reading her poem I can also imagine her being a favorite teacher to first-grade kids.
“Some letters could have more than one sound.
You sounded out stop and understood
how the drivers knew what to do. You saw
ice cream on the front of a store and knewa whole world you wanted.”
But I never in my life imagined learning how to write from Whitney Houston…
Start reading Amanda’s work, your imagination will thank you later. And your writing will likewise.
Amanda Laughtland Thanks :)
Martin Vidal — Writes Whatever He Figures Out
Please don’t put him in the box because Martin figures out a lot of interesting topics.
He is all around. He is 100% willing to share his struggles. And he is able to maintain quality in each piece he writes.
On Medium you’ll see him mostly writing about writing, healing trauma, and, well, anything else.
It seems as though Martin is really good at chewing a few incredibly difficult materials and spitting out an “easy-to-read” article.
Take a peek at “Why Everyone Is an Investor” and you’ll wish to have a conversation about economics with this man…
I know investing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but what if I told you that the last time you stacked dollars under the sofa, you were actually making a (bad) investment.
No, you weren’t investing in a sofa… Well, ok, I’ll let Martin explain it.
The primary point is this: When we put $1,500 in our bank account, we tend to feel reassured if, whenever we look back at it, we still see that number: 1,500. However, that number is functionally meaningless. If other retainers of value went up in price today, then the $1,500 will be worth less than it was yesterday. The real value in anything is constantly fluctuating. If the dollar is currently losing its relative value, then, at this time it’s simply a bad investment. There is nowhere we can move the value in our possession where it will be safe from change. We either ride the wave up, or we ride it down, but up or down, everyone is an investor.
If you want to read more from Martin, he has a really nice article collection on his website.
Martin Vidal Thanks :)
Any final thoughts?
Please follow the path of these four souls. And also follow them.
Remember to engage with other writers, but genuinely so. It matters. If you can, try not to expect anything in return.
Let those fingers fly over the keyboard, enjoy doing it just like these writers do, and write so we can all take pleasure in it.
