HI Raven, a few random thoughts. I was so into poetry I went back to school in my late 60s and finished a master's in creative writing, with an emphasis in poetry, just so I could finally express myself in this way. But before that, I used Medium to practice, to be heard, to see how others do it. I also read at least 30 minutes a day of the poets I admire and whose work inspires me. I also think my writing improves the more I read. Billy Collins said you need to read 10,000 hours of poetry before you find your own voice. I think one of the biggest mistakes all new writes make is writing without reading. I tell all new poets to read for 30 minutes, then write for 30 minutes minimum, every day until you die. I also found Gotham Writers out of New York, took some of their online classes, and hired a writing coach I have been with for most of this year. He reads my stuff and pushed me. Not cheap, but I learned more from an hour with him than I did in several of my graduate classes.

Just write. Learn the rules of Medium, such as headlines, subtitles and proper picture usage, and how to single space, then post. I started by reading then ones on Medium I liked, commented, and many of them followed me back and allowed me to get read more. Post and write and read everyday. If you love it chase it. Hope this helps. Thom