The One Hundred Day Creative Challenge: Day 17
Oh the cringe factor of reading my first book! It’s not TERRIBLE, it’s just that I see the errors, the poor writing, the ways in which I have changed as a person since I write those words ten years ago.
It’s like that 80’s hairstyle that my kids ROFL about when they flick through the family albums except I don’t ROFL. I want to hide under the covers and never come out.
Brené Brown would call that shame. Shame at making mistakes, shame of not feeling good enough, shame of faking-it-til-you-make-it.
Judging our work and comparing to where we are now can be uplifting if we look at it as confirmation that we are on the right track. That we’re growing our skills and knowledge.
But, obsessing over past mistakes and not moving on from that can be crippling.
I’ve learned a lot since that first book came out. I’ve written a few times about my learning journey and how important it is to grow in your craft. If we can learn to be critical and learn from our mistakes without obsessing or giving up, we’re sure to make progress and become better creators.
I’m still on a learning journey and will continue to invest in learning. Sometimes the more I learn, the more depressed I become. However, once I get over myself, I find that the more I learn, the more inspired I become.
The more I write, the better I write.
The more I strive, the more my writing is fired by excellence.
While I still may cringe or feel embarrassment or feel shame at my early efforts I continue to write, to create. If I see the critical analysis of my early work as a learning opportunity rather than a sign I should give up, my writing will improve.
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent van Gogh
