How to find your voice in a noisy world

What launching a little travel blog taught me about being authentic

Heart pounding, my mouse hovered over the button, the cursor blinking on my words.

In four days, I was boarding a plane for a solo round-the-world trip with nothing but a backpack and a draft blog post. First, I had to find the courage to hit publish.

My family would read this. My friends and ex-colleagues. I followed successful travel bloggers who were funny, eloquent and beautifully honest. What if I couldn't measure up? What if no one cared?

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the button to launch my blog into the world.

These same fears stop many people from putting themselves out there. How do you find the confidence to share your voice when you don't even know what it is?

The comparison trap

I created my site, BackpackingBella.com, in early 2013, when travel blogging and Instagram were going mainstream. The noise has only become louder since then.

Now our phones buzz with endless content from friends, news sources and influencers. The sheer volume is overwhelming.

The comparison trap is everywhere - polished feeds with perfect lighting and professional photography. You scroll and convince yourself you're not skilled enough or interesting enough to attempt your own version.

But here's what everyone misses: those 'perfect' creators started precisely where you are now.

Share before you’re ready

For years, I'd written for my employers - crafting their messages, promoting their launches. I'd perfected the art of disappearing into other people's priorities.

Sitting at that computer in 2013, suddenly I had no corporate guidelines to follow. No brand voice to adopt. Just me, trying to figure out what I actually wanted to say. The imposter syndrome was real, but with the deadline of my departure date looming, I did it anyway.

So, what happened after I launched my website?

Friends and family sent me supportive comments. Strangers from around the world were reading my words too. This was the boost I needed to keep writing.

Your mess is your message

When I began my blog, I hadn't even started my trip yet.

I was heartbroken from a relationship break-up, burnt-out from my job and I’d moved back in with my parents. I definitely didn’t have things figured out.

The good news is, readers crave honesty. They’re reassured to know other people’s lives aren’t ideal either. They love following someone who's trying to make things happen, step by step - mistakes and all.

A few weeks into my trip, while I was in Borneo, I decided to write about something other than its orangutans. I published an article about the messy emotions behind my decision to travel. And you know what? It got the most responses of anything I’d written until then.

It’s not about having prestigious awards or years of expertise. People want to hear from someone who understands the struggle because they're living it too. Even if you're only one step ahead, you could be exactly who they need to hear from.

Writing to an empty room

Some creators seem to launch with 100,000 followers on day one. And that's intimidating as hell.

But they didn't always have a massive following. That influencer was once a beginner, sending their posts to their mum, their best friend and their cat. Everyone has to start somewhere.

The key is to write as if you already have an audience, even if you're broadcasting to an empty room.

In my very first entry, I had the audacity to declare that “I'm going to share my adventures with you lucky people,” even though I wasn’t sure anyone would see it. I encouraged my as-yet nonexistent readers to “leave comments, ask questions, share tips,” so I’d know someone was “along for the ride with me.”

Your first few readers might take a few days to find you. Share consistently and slowly, one by one, they'll start arriving. It may take a while but that's normal.

Keep showing up. They're looking for you too.

The practice of becoming

Perfection isn't the goal when you first start. Like me, you'll probably ease into the process.

I documented my early solo travel experiences in Asia - post after post, photo after photo. Gradually I stopped overthinking it. The words flowed. I wasn't trying to convince anyone of anything. I was simply sharing what was true for me.

After a while, instead of feeling intimidated, I looked forward to tapping away at my latest article on my laptop at beachside cafés. With the sun warming my skin and waves lapping nearby, taking time to write became a genuine pleasure.

In those moments I understood why it's called a writing practice - you discover who you are one paragraph at a time.

The winding path

The truth about finding your authentic voice? It's messier than the success stories suggest.

Some days, writing flows effortlessly. Other days, you'll stare at a blank screen wondering if you've run out of things to say.

You’ll spend hours on one post, only to have it met with silence. Then you'll dash off something casual that unexpectedly resonates with hundreds of people.

This is the real process. Not a straight line from amateur to expert, but a winding path of discovery.

Each piece you share teaches you something about who you are and what matters to you.

Looking back

Twelve years later, that little travel blog I nervously launched is still going.

It even helped me land jobs when I returned home. I never could have imagined this on that first day on the computer at my parents’ house.

What would I tell my younger self? You've got this.

The big names will always be there. But so will the people who need to hear what you have to say, in precisely the way you say it. Our unpredictable, complex world needs more authentic voices, not fewer, to help us make sense of it.

What you have to say could help someone feel understood and less alone, or make them smile on an otherwise dull day.

Even though there are so many loud people around, none of them are you. Keep writing. And make sure you hit publish - your future self may thank you.

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Thank you so much for reading this post! I'm Claire, and every week I share travel wisdom and practical guidance to help you design your most authentic life.

When was the last time you wrote something just for yourself? If you had to hit publish on something today, what would it be?

Next week, I share the latest chapter of my solo travel memoir. Join me as I find my way through the mist in Argentina and discover that sometimes your final destination delivers what you need most.