A Dose of Truth for the Weary Writer

I know. But don’t let the blog title fool you. It’s good truth. I promise!

Today’s thoughts are all about the love. And who can’t use more of that?

Great! Let’s go! {{{HUG}}}

As a little girl, I created masterpieces.

I rocked my world with art and zany inventions.

I made stuff from unusual materials. Egg cartons, fabric swatches, wallpaper samples—you name it. I used all of it.

I adored anything I could put my creative stamp on and call my own.

I liked to color, paint, and make things with my hands as kids so often do except I was the one who used glitter instead of plain, old crayons. I chose the neon palette over the run-of-the-mill “normals.” I shunned same in favor of bling.

In Vacation Bible School, my macaroni necklaces rivaled Sally Show-Off’s because I used gold spray paint and not the standard watercolors—watercolors being the safer choice that washed easily from little hands and clothing.

I wasn’t a rule breaker, and yet, my creative spirit yearned for something more.

At that age I didn’t strive to be different. I just knew I was. I didn’t know any other six-year-old who could sit for hours, magazines and catalogs in hand, and write ten page stories about fashionably dressed people, pretty lipsticks, and garden hoses…or other weird things. (And I spelled most of my words correctly, too.)

To me, writing made sense. It colored a black and white world in delightful shades of possible.

Ever feel that way?

And BTW, now would be a great time for a refresher if you’re nodding yes: Be a Different Egg. Don’t Get Scrambled! (This post will give you the confidence boost you need if you’re a writer still in stealth mode.)

Let’s fast forward.

Adult creatives are no different from their six-year-old selves. Not really.

It takes a confident, think-beyond-the-lines mentality to succeed in the arts. Writing, especially, demands a vivid imagination, yes, but more than that—it takes a winning mindset to sustain it.

Let me repeat that.

Writing is more than creating. It’s the can do (no, make that WILL do) attitude writers must have as we blaze old trails with new ideas.

It’s the spirit of resilience, the steadfast approach, that separates the wills and the won’ts.

Mature writers (the wills) will strike a healthy balance between humility and cockiness. They’ll own their confidence, but not use it distastefully. They’ll realize their potential and accept help from those who’ve traveled the road longer. In other words— A gracious heart + a willing spirit + an undeterred work ethic = unlimited potential. And to put it yet another way, I like author Ruth Logan Herne’s perspective: Talent + Desire + Perseverance + Hard Work = The Possibility of Success. (Read more here.)

In contrast, the won’ts will plow full steam ahead and disregard proprieties and common sense. They’ll feel entitled and use their “friends” (connections) to their gain. When a roadblock hits, they’ll scratch their heads and wonder what the heck happened. Potential flies out the window when ego flies in.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s revisit self-confidence.

It’s a happy day.

Hallelujah, you’re a writer!

And so are a million other people. *sigh*

See?

That high.

Then…the low.

I could almost sense your shoulders sag.

Pop a chocolate and pour a cuppa and please continue reading.

Here’s the truth. Tactfully. Truthfully. Lovingly.

If you’re a (real) writer, a mature writer will accept the reality—this is business and the writing business is hard. It doesn’t advance our cause when we stick our heads in the sand.

There will always be mountains.

And valleys.

And meadows.

And sparkling brooks.

And blinding sunshine.

And oppressive darkness.

And neon rainbows.

And God-ordained, glorious moments.

And… an ever-present cycle of joys and heartaches, successes and losses.

Situations may shape us, but our self-confidence grounds us.

We don’t have to have it all together.

We don’t have to put on airs or pretend we’re something we’re not.

We don’t have to keep up with the Dynamic Dans and Polished Pollys.

Mature writers, confident writers, acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and continue evolving. Growing. Learning. Facing the hard and mastering the difficult.

Yes, this is the dose of truth for the weary writer.

And here’s another dose—

We may write in similar genres. We may use similar words. We may even share a similar story.

Still—your story is not my story. And my story is not yours.

There’s the rub. The beauty.

The gift.

And when you, as a writer, own that, that will rock your writing world.

Your gift will cause you to take (healthy) risks you might not otherwise.

Your gift will invite you to explore new avenues.

Your gift will send doubt packing.