I love your work! I get that feeling of insecurity, though. I alternate between liking my writing and feeling it's not good enough to cut it.
The risk I'm thinking of taking is serializing a 4- book series. The platform that invited me to be one of its first writers 2 years ago is still not up and running, so now I'm faced with either continuing to wait or striking out on another platform, where my work will almost certainly be lost among that of a million other users.
I too, like all other creatives, have a daily fear of my work being pointless, foolish, or a waste of time spent where instead I could be earning cash toiling away on other's pointless and foolish projects. But alas, I power through these sisyphean fears and just remember that the act of creativity is sometimes more important than the end result.
Although I would hope at least a few people appreciate my goofy creations.
I’m in the same boat as you, Jason. I share the same fears, the same self-doubt. It’s gotten easier for me over time in terms of telling people that I write. But those thoughts and fears always linger somewhere in the back of my mind. You’re not alone!
Many of my students know I write. (They like to Google their teachers and find out as much as they can about them.) Most think it’s really neat, and some of them keep asking me to bring in my stories for them to read. I promised them I will, so now I have to follow through before June 24. I can’t help but cringe a little bit!
That pervasive self-doubt is so relatable. I’ve lived it for 50-some years, and creativity amplifies it all the more.
Risk: the future launch of a new substack to celebrate my late mom’s art. Fear: finding motivation and readership.
I love your work! I get that feeling of insecurity, though. I alternate between liking my writing and feeling it's not good enough to cut it.
The risk I'm thinking of taking is serializing a 4- book series. The platform that invited me to be one of its first writers 2 years ago is still not up and running, so now I'm faced with either continuing to wait or striking out on another platform, where my work will almost certainly be lost among that of a million other users.
Thanks for your honesty.
I too, like all other creatives, have a daily fear of my work being pointless, foolish, or a waste of time spent where instead I could be earning cash toiling away on other's pointless and foolish projects. But alas, I power through these sisyphean fears and just remember that the act of creativity is sometimes more important than the end result.
Although I would hope at least a few people appreciate my goofy creations.
I’m in the same boat as you, Jason. I share the same fears, the same self-doubt. It’s gotten easier for me over time in terms of telling people that I write. But those thoughts and fears always linger somewhere in the back of my mind. You’re not alone!
Many of my students know I write. (They like to Google their teachers and find out as much as they can about them.) Most think it’s really neat, and some of them keep asking me to bring in my stories for them to read. I promised them I will, so now I have to follow through before June 24. I can’t help but cringe a little bit!
What a gift your daughter is for you!
I don’t remember the exactness of this quote, or who said it:
‘Yes, you suck. Right now. Tomorrow you will suck a little less. And then one day they’ll write about how you are an overnight success.’
If anyone remembers who said this and what they actually said, I would be grateful!