The Secret to Continuing note Was 'Knowing Yourself'

This is my first article about note in about seven months, since last October.
When I first started, I had so many personal realizations that I couldn't help but write.

But what about now?
Although there have been changes to note's features, it feels like I am the one who has changed even more.

It is not exactly what you would call "growth," but rather a feeling closer to “resignation” after having understood the essence of note (SNS) to some extent.

Writing the word "resignation" can be interpreted as giving up and observing, but to resign oneself also means to see things clearly, and it is by no means a negative term.

On the contrary, to put it cheekily, it is close to the first step toward enlightenment. I feel that after five years of various twists and turns, I have finally begun to reach enlightenment.

By writing down my daily life, I have come to know my own changes and perhaps the essence of my own note is gradually becoming visible...
Thinking this way, I feel that my own note style has naturally settled without me worrying about those around me more than necessary.

This time, I would like to summarize the "essence of note" that can only be seen once you know yourself.
I would be happy if this could serve as a reference, especially for those new to note.

Cultivating sensibility to understand your own note

I will say this first: as long as it is not slander against specific individuals, you are free to write whatever you want on note.
That is why the range of themes is wide, and the “framework” of what and how you write is very important, which corresponds to the large and small "headings" in note.

Furthermore, at the stage before that, I think it is about knowing which genre you want to write in, or what you are capable of writing.

Yes. Knowing yourself is even more important. I believe that only by knowing yourself can you truly express your "individuality."

What you want to write

Everyone has their own strong genres, and it is natural to have themes you are good or bad at.
It might be simpler to say “what you are interested in.”

"Interest" is the most indispensable material for writing.
And realizing that such material is scattered everywhere in daily life is more important than anything else.

To be more precise, you should not look for topics to write about, but rather cultivate the “sensibility” to discover them. Just by changing your consciousness in that way, you will be able to gain insight into the truth behind things.

For example, in my case, when I look at a Buddhist statue at a temple, I don't just look at it; I take a step further and think, "Why does it have this expression?"...
I feel that the unique imagination that spreads from there becomes my own "material to write about" and leads to the individuality of my writing.

How you want to convey it

Since you are using an online medium like note to share with the world, it is meaningless if it doesn't at least reach the reader.

Even if you have decided what you want to write, how you finish it into an easy-to-understand piece of writing is the ultimate test of your skill.
However, there is absolutely no need to finish it into a professional-level piece of writing using your entire vocabulary.

The first thing to be careful about is, rather, not to make the writing difficult.

The fundamental premise is that it must be text that flows easily when read. Using difficult kanji or unnecessary phrasing makes it hard for the reader to follow, and it is difficult to get them to read until the end.
Using difficult kanji or unnecessary phrasing makes it hard for the reader to follow, and it is difficult to get them to read until the end.

When reading other people's articles, you may come across works that make you think, 'I want to write like this.'
What you should refer to there is the writer's 'sensibility' behind it, and never just imitating the text as it is.

Reading comprehension is essential for this.
It is necessary to deeply understand not just superficial things, but the sensibility and individuality at their root, digest them within yourself, and then reconstruct them as your own unique words.

Even if your model is a difficult piece of writing, I think it is necessary to at least replace it with something simpler.

How far should you analyze?

Taking a step further from there, how do you express your own individuality?
For that, analytical skills are required.

For example, when writing about current events, if you just write about them lightly, you can read that anywhere on news sites.
Not only can such things not be called your own article, but there is also no need to read them on note.

How do you dig deeper from simple facts...
That becomes your own unique individuality.

This is even more true for reviews of movies, dramas, or books.
Articles that consist mostly of a 'synopsis' cannot really be called reviews, can they?
Rather, I believe it is essential to include what you felt from the work, what you associated with it, and your own unique perspective.

What is the extent of your perspective?

To what extent can you dig deep and analyze...?
For that, it becomes very important to see how much you can delve into the information you gain in your daily life.

Sometimes, when I come across a note that makes me think 'I see!', I realize the parts where I am lacking.
It is natural that even for the same thing, people have different perspectives and look in different directions, but I end up realizing the limits of my own analytical power.

However, knowing those limits is important, and from there, you can see how to broaden your perspective.

No matter how excellent your writing skills are, I think writing that only looks at things from one direction lacks interest.

Understanding the essence prevents you from being swayed

To summarize the above, it is as follows.

1. Cultivate sensibility
2. Do not make the writing difficult
3. Analysis is essential
4. Know your own perspective

Some people may look around and sometimes compare their own follower counts or 'likes' with others.
However, I think that is completely meaningless.

In the first place, on note, you mainly see people in the following three patterns.
・People who prioritize search traffic
・People who prioritize interaction with peers
・People who write as a diary

Of course, all of these are fine, but I personally find value in articles that are read for a long time via search engines.

There is no need to feel pain in continuing note by being swayed by short-term changes with a narrow perspective.

Instead, you should prioritize 'polishing yourself' by keeping the above points in mind, and focus on your own growth.
I believe that is how you should aim to maintain your motivation.

Interactions on note that lead to 'soul friends'

One of the important things for maintaining motivation on note is the existence of soul friends born from interactions.

When I am constantly writing notes that involve deep contemplation, I feel that people understand me better than my close friends do, and strangely enough, I begin to feel close to people I have never even met.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce two of my classmates and soul friends on note.

Mikitomo-san

The other day, I met with my friend from note, Mikitomo-san.
She lives in Germany, but while she was visiting Japan, she went out of her way to come to Osaka to meet me.

We had so many topics in common that our conversation flowed, and before I knew it, we had been talking for over four hours.
Perhaps it was also because Mikitomo-san is from the Kansai region, so our conversational tempo was a perfect match (laughs).

Now, as I have written several times before, I am somewhat negative about 'paid articles' on note.

I have a desire to contribute to the note company, but I feel that my own abilities are not yet at a level where I can charge for my content.
Therefore, I have never posted a paid article, nor have I ever bought one.
However, the only article I have ever bought, and likely ever will, was this one by Mikitomo-san.

I was drawn in by her precious encounters and experiences, and above all, her masterful writing, and I just had to read it to the end.

It was a work that I subconsciously judged to be worth paying for.

The 'Special Girl' on the left was published in 2007 after professional children's book author Toshiko Sawada interviewed Martha and Mikitomo-san.
The one on the right is the booklet that Mikitomo-san turned into a paid article on note, and it serves as the sequel.

I was once again amazed by her vitality in being able to turn things into reality like this.
Actually, I am currently taking on a new challenge myself, so this encounter has become a great 'tailwind' for me as well.

Coucou-san

I have introduced her many times, but we started on note around the same time, and she has helped me with various things from the beginning.

She recently launched the goods sales company mentioned below, and I have also helped her in my own small way.

I was surprised when I saw what was sent to me!!
To my surprise, all sorts of thoughtful little gifts were included.
I think it might be problematic to post everything, so I will only upload what I ordered.

Looking at all the little gifts, I truly felt that I absolutely want to meet her.
Even though we have spoken on the phone, we have never met in person.

I can easily imagine that there would be so much to talk about that the conversation would never end (laughs).

Even though interactions on note take place online, there are 'real human beings' on the other side.
Being able to have real-life encounters with those people and share your passions is a major secret to keeping it up.

In addition to the summary in the previous section, the presence of close friends is also a great support and an essential nutrient for maintaining motivation.

That said, I myself have only just reached the first stage of enlightenment and am still halfway there.
Sometimes I worry about the numbers, and sometimes I feel down when I can't write as well as I'd like.

Even so, after continuing for five years, I think that rather than comparing yourself to others, it is far more enjoyable to look at whether you have grown a little more than you were yesterday.