As a journalist, the only way to get better at writing stories is to write a whole bunch of them. This involves making a lot of phone calls, asking a lot of stupid questions, and meeting hundreds of strangers.

For my first two years of school, I introduced myself to interviewees as a journalism student, and apologized in advance for any hiccups in the interview process. I explained that I was working on an assignment for a class and needed their voice to get a solid story. For some reason, my interviews never seemed to go well, and I left most of my sessions feeling discouraged.

One day, I was making calls from my apartment, giving my usual explanations and apologies. When I hung up, my roommate put his clothes iron down and looked at me sternly.

“Why do you tell everyone that?” he said.

I asked what he meant, and he expanded his thought.

“You keep apologizing to everyone, and you always introduce yourself as a student. You’re doing journalism, right? Why not call yourself a journalist? Sure, you’re in the learning process, but you can still use the title.”

I mulled on his advice for a while, and decided to give it a try.

It changed everything. As soon as I started introducing myself as a journalist, people started paying attention to my requests. Calls were returned faster, interviews went smoothly, and information started to flow. People saw me as a vessel to share their story instead of a student using them to get a good grade. My confidence was boosted, and I stopped prefacing every interview with an apology. By my final semester, I was winning awards and building a portfolio.

Some people would call this “faking it ’til you make it”, but really it was just giving a name to an action. I embraced the fact that “Journalist” doesn’t have to mean “Professional Writer With Decades of Experience”. With that decision, I gained an identity, and started to take myself and my craft more seriously.

And so, dear reader, I’m passing my old roommate’s advice on to you. If you are working toward becoming something, maybe you need to start giving yourself a little credit. Do you paint or draw detailed sketches? You’re an artist. Do you write short stories and publish them on a blog? You’re a writer. As soon as you stop apologizing for your lack of expertise and start giving your actions a name, you’ll find they start carrying more meaning.

I was given another chance to follow this advice while designing my business cards earlier this year. I could have easily put “Journalist”, because it matches my schooling and looks professional. However , I took a long look at what I was really passionate about, took a deep breath, and put two small, terrifying words under my name.

Clark Hodges

Artist and Designer