I think perhaps my first comment was a little snarky. I'm not a fan of Skinner anyway, since my BFF Alfie Kohn tore him to shreds in Punished by Rewards.

I guess I'd say writing is a fulfilling creative hobby for me. I discovered joy in it when I wrote a novel in 2018. Then I tried to write a sequel, but I never got into it. Instead I found myself writing small essays and posting them on Facebook or email lists - about ancestry, politics, religion, agriculture. I would show up to my IRL writers group with nothing written on my novel but lots of writing done. One of my writing group friends said: why not drop the novel and focus on short pieces?

That is when I started a column for my local monthly paper - about ancestry research. It has been just over two years since then. I initially started a Medium page to store my columns and share them digitally, since Facebook is not really the best place to share essays. Once on Medium, I ended up writing about more than ancestry. There is something about creating an essay that feeds me. When I am working on an essay or a piece of fiction, I have it going in the back of my mind when I am not writing. It is like noodling a problem on the farm and coming to an elegant solution. It is satisfying to me, especially when I write about important topics like climate change, race, anti-capitalism, masculinity - because it feels like I am participating in the global conversation that might move these topics forward.

The other thing is that unlike Facebook, almost none of the people on Medium know me in real life. I think of farming as a test for skills. If I don't care for the soil, space the plants out correctly, choose the right varieties, remove weeds in a timely manner, and harvest at the right moment, then the quality of the vegetables will show. I like that the garden is a literal test of my skill and attention. You can't fake it. I would like to think that Medium and Vocal have some of the garden energy in that if I write well, then I will get readers to interact with the piece and think about the ideas. They are not here because they are my friends and family. I know I am not a professional writer, but I think of Medium and Vocal as a real place I go to test myself as a writer and hopefully improve my craft - perhaps this is why it irks me to have zero views on a contest entry-because it undermines my perception that these websites reward quality with views and money.