I have this habit—let’s call it a bad habit—of regularly changing my social media bio. And I mean regularly. I think I updated it like 3 times just yesterday. Partly, it’s that I don’t know how best to represent myself. I like to think I’m not so easily described. That’s a nice thought. The reality is that my interests and expertise are in constant war with themselves. I’m one part software engineer, one part creative artist, and the two are never at peace with each other. My social media profile is the battle field on which that war is waged.
Sometimes I’m a “software developer working on web and cloud.” At other times, I take a more writerly approach. There was a brief period where the bio was “ I am large, I contain multitudes.” See, I told you I like that idea of myself. Thankfully, I realized the pretentiousness of that and deleted it.
Things would be simpler if I wasn’t like this. If I were purely a software engineer and put this writer’s brain to bed, my career would thank me, probably some colleagues too. It’s hard working for large corporations carrying around Hemingway’s shit-detector. If being a writer was enough, that would make for a simpler description. I’m so envious of those 3 sentence writer bios at the back of a book. My engineering side is way too practical to allow it, though. Immediately, my mind starts rationing my bank balance.
After about the 3rd or 4th change yesterday, I settled on this simple form: “software developer and writer.” It’s direct. It’s true. It’s also the form of myself I’m most at peace with. I really do like being both of these things, fully and completely, and conflicted enough to make life interesting. Now, let’s see how long this version of my social profile lasts.