~ The Evening Muse #8 ~
Like most writers I constantly battle with confidence and the lack of constant validation (especially since I’m not publishing regularly anymore), but I’ve come to realize that one way to battle that is to simply adopt a certain amount of delusion — an elevated sense of self and ability as a writer — a delusion of grandeur, if you will. Essentially just have a belief in self that may not even be true, but so long as YOU believe it, that’s all that matters, right? It goes along with the old adage that “If YOU don’t believe in yourself, who’s going to?”
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5 replies on “A Certain Amount of Delusion”
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Love this so much I’m stealing!!
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Ha! It could use some editing. I just reread and I’m like “ugh!”
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Thing is, you don’t need external validation. The world seems full of critics, but if you’re having fun with your writing, that’s what matters.
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True for those who write only for themselves, as the cliche goes. Being a musician/performer, I’m hardwired as an entertainer. So just like it’s no fun making music in a vacuum, it’s no fun writing stories in a vacuum either. Musicians are inherently collaborative, whether with fellow musicians or through the energy exchange with the audience. Ultimately I write to be read, so an interested or ‘validating’ audience is expected for a similar kind of exchange. If I only wanted to write for/entertain myself I’d never bother with publishing my work. It’d be art for art’s sake.
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