- Write a letter to the editor in your defense.
To whom it may concern:
M is a writer no matter what she tells you. It doesn't matter if she doesn't write at all for months and months at a time, that does not change who she essentially is. In her heart of hearts, she is always wishing there were a way she could spend more time writing or possibly even make her living with her words.
Do not allow her to convince you she isn't really that great because she has become intimidated by the things she thinks she should be doing. That doesn't matter. Some day she may write a book, or maybe not. Someday she may create a collection of poetry, or maybe not. Her title as writer does not hinge on if she does or does not do any of these things. It is fine if she decides to keep her writing secret for the rest of her life, as long as writing occurs.
M has permission to create a whole lot of bad writing. Through allowing herself to write badly, she will one day write well. Nothing worth doing is easy. If M feels safe enough to share her writing with you, do her the service she deserves and be honest in your critiques. If you do not tell her where her short-comings lie, there is no way to improve upon them.
Sincerely,
M's Writer Self
List
three old champions of your creative self-worth. This is your hall of
champions, those who wish you and your creativity well. Be specific.
This is much easier... I've always had a lot of support in my writing. My parents have always believed in me as a writer. My dad and I spend a lot of time encouraging each other to write. We buy each other writing books and try to check in with each other to see if the other has been writing at all. He used to do some freelance writing for car magazines and other family members and I have encouraged him to start a car blog but I think he feels shy about it.
Mr. Devoe my high school literary magazine teacher was another big supporter. Three of the four years of high school I spent totally entrenched in both choir and the literary magazine. That was my life. Through Devoe's classes, I learned a lot of great writing skills and creating a massive amount of work. I mostly wrote poetry in high school with one or two short stories I was proud of. He helped me decide that a journalism degree was the way for me to go. Devoe was one of those teachers who really wanted to see his students succeed and had a lot of passion for his job. I will always be thankful for the confidence he gave me.
Thirdly, I have to thank Angela for instilling me with a little bit of her madness. Angela is a true working artist. She left her office job that was sapping her creative energy and now supports herself and her family on her creative work. Angela is not the type to pamper a person's ego. If she knows you are a creative person who is not creating, she'll smack you upside the head until you get off your lazy butt and put the work in. She wants her friends to do good work and find practical ways to make their dreams come true and I really appreciate her influence.
- Select and write out one happy piece of encouragement. Write a thank you letter. Mail it to yourself or a long-lost mentor.
The feeling of publication is such an amazing feeling. Working on the literary magazine and for two school newspapers gave that to me. There is no better feeling than holding your writing in your hand and knowing that people you don't know are going to read it. It doesn't matter how many other people read it or what they think of your writing, what matters is they are seeing your work.
- If you had five other lives to lead, what would you do in each of them?
In another life I am a librarian in a large, university library. I help students and community members find the exact right book they are looking for and create programs for the students and community members to have many positive interactions with their local library.
In another life I am a yoga instructor. I am flexible and well-balanced and I can easily touch my nose to my knees. I help people heal their bodies and their minds through our shared practice. (My lack of forward bend totally wouldn't make me cry!)
In another life I own a book/tea shop. My shop would be filled with comfortable chairs with little tables beside them. It would be a place that people feel comfortable spending a good deal of time. Maybe they'd have study groups. Maybe it would be the place that introverts would feel comfortable existing even though there are people around. We'd have various book clubs and kids events.
In another life I would own a bar with my friends in a former funeral home. It would be called Finnegan's Wake. We would host music events of all sorts and a weekly Drunk History night in which people with an enthusiasm for history could come and give casual lectures about a subject of their choosing that anyone can come listen to. I believe that people have a great deal of interest about history, they just don't want to have to take a test about it. An informal setting with beer would be perfect.
In another life I live in a cabin in the woods. I have a little herd of chickens and I am content to work from home. I write consistently and feel satisfaction in my work. Maybe I could sustain myself selling eggs and meat at my local farmer's market. My husband and I could travel whenever we see fit and we would see the world together, hand in hand.
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