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Ann Mary Alexander

I made $8.50 in 15 minutes

Published 2 months ago • 1 min read

I’m smiling as I write this.

Last year, I attended a family function, and if your family is anything like mine, you know what that means.

  • The nosy aunt.
  • The judgmental uncle.
  • The cousins who pretend to be friendly but talk behind your back.

I felt trapped.

Uncomfortable.

Counting the minutes until I could leave.

The moment I got home, I turned to writing.

I opened my laptop and poured my emotions into a poem titled A Family Affair.

It took me 15 minutes, but it felt like a release—a way to process my frustration and reclaim my peace.

I posted it on Medium without much thought.

The next day, I checked my earnings and was stunned.

That single poem had made me $8.50.

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It wasn’t a life-changing amount, but it was proof.

Proof that my words had value.

Proof that turning raw emotions into art could resonate with others—and even make money.

Taylor Swift once said, when accepting a Grammy for Mean, "There's really no feeling quite like writing a song about someone who was really mean to you... and then winning a Grammy for it."

I felt a fraction of that.

So next time someone frustrates you, don’t just sit with the feeling.

Write it. Shape it. Share it.

You never know who needs to read it—or how it might reward you.

What’s something annoying that happened to you recently that you could turn into content?

Hit reply and let me know!

Stay creative,

Ann.

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Ann Mary Alexander

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