Taking the "Un" out of "Professional"

Today I thought I’d do a bit of gardening and tackle some sensitive issues. Weeding through certain life matters aren’t always pleasant, but necessary. Though I’m speaking from primarily a writer’s point of view, this would be applicable to most professions.

As a child and young adult, I dreamed of being a writer. I lived and breathed writing. I loved words–writing them, saying them, rolling them around on my tongue. I knew I was different. As the rest of my classmates talked about T.V. shows, fashions, dating, ballgames, and other pertinent subjects of the day, I would nod in vague understanding while secretly dreaming of nouns, subjects, adjectives, and adverbs and the stories I could create with them.

Initially, I chose a career path in human services and ministered to the needs of hurting children and families. The desire to write never strayed far, but I realized, too, that to write about life I had to indeed live it. It was a time of growth and maturation–a bittersweet time of recognition. Recognition that unspeakable, horrible acts and circumstances could exist within this old world, a world that our Heavenly Father originally had created unblemished and without sin.

It was one of the few times in life I had to remove my rose-colored glasses and let the tears of reality course down my cheeks while God prepared me for a vastly different calling.

Now, many years later, I’m on a new path tending a new garden. It’s an interesting journey.

For those of you who love words and yearn to published, I absolutely understand that intrinsic desire. Your circumstances may not be the same; you may still be in another career mode. However, if God has given you the desire to use your talent for Him, this desire won’t go away or wilt or dry up as you tend another garden. Putting bread on your family’s table with a weekly paycheck isn’t a “want to.” It’s a must. And for now, that may be what God has called you to do. Sometimes, he stokes our desires for a while until the moment is right for the flame!

There are things we can do while waiting for “our moment.”

These would include taking the “un” out of “professional.” If we don’t truly respect our own craft, then how can we expect others to? Initially, it may seem awkward when we announce “I’m a writer” to the world, but it’s all in the mindset.

• Approach your craft with confidence. Not cockiness, but an honest-to-goodness self-assured attitude that says, “This is what I do and I’m good at it.”
• Admit you’re still learning. Invite others along for the ride.
• Share your knowledge. Even if it’s limited and it seems like your skills are still being fine-tuned. That’s okay. We’re all hungry for the same thing and a morsel of insight can lead to a banquet of gratitude.
• Realize the more you tend your garden, you’re bound to unearth a few worms. Yes, unfortunately, there will be skeptics and naysayers from time to time. As your confidence grows in your craft, you’ll get better at shaking this off.

Remember small things matter, too. Practical tips while you write and wait might include:

• Have business cards printed. They speak professionalism. They don’t have to be elaborate or expensive, but I wouldn’t recommend polka dots if you write westerns, just as I didn’t choose guns or butcher knives because I don’t write horror. I write heartfelt, homespun, contemporary Christian romance. Not erotica, porn, graphic suspense, or murder and mayhem. My cards are simply done to reflect who I am and what I write.
• Surround yourself with positive reinforcement. Place things on your desk that convey your hopes, dreams, and vision. On mine are family photos, favorite scriptures, encouraging quotes, and writerly items.
• Begin the day with prayer. Yes, God knows the desires of our hearts, but He delights in hearing our thoughts and affirmations of praise.

To be considered professionals, we have to first recognize that professionalism begins in us. How we think, act, and portray ourselves will garner more respect than anything we say or do. Nothing puts the “un” in “professional” quicker than be being a wishy-washy sit-on-the-fence kind of person. There’s a big difference between a “newbie” and a “wannabe.”

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What other tips on professionalism could you offer?