When the fear sets in
You set off on your swashbuckling writing adventure. All is going well, until the cold hand of fear freezes your viscera. You realise that you’re terrified of:
- your creative power
- using your voice
- being vulnerable
- being seen and therefore known
- your changing self-image
But you must not give up! Instead, do this:
Acknowledge your fear
Sit with your fear and accept that is exists. Feel it, then let it go.
Treat yourself with kindness
Be kind, always, always, be kind to yourself (and others).
Accept yourself
You are who you are, and this is completely o.k. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, precisely how you should be doing it.
You will make mistakes. This is fine. You will learn and grow from them.
Keep an open mind
Assume the attitude that your writing experience will be like an amble round the block. Anything could happen on the walk, you could meet a stranger and have a pleasant conversation, or it could be as eventful as a lungful of fresh air and maybe a change in perspective. This is all fine. Exhale hard, drop your shoulders and enjoy it.
Find your writing approach
Experiment with different writing approaches. For some batch writing works, and for others nothing will do short of writing and publishing immediately. Find a system that works for you. At the moment, batch writing works for me because:
- it relieves some of the pressure of having to write and publish every day
- I can be in the zone for a period and then take a break while focussing on other projects
- my work can sit and cool down which allows me to see how it can be improved
But I won’t hesitate to change the system should the circumstances require it.
Conclusion
Embarking on any creative pursuit, can be terrifying, especially if you’re not used to it. Don’t let fear put you off. This is a normal part of the process aimed at keeping you safe. In due course, you will learn to distinguish when that safety is more of a hinderance than an aid. You will become better equipped to handle the pressure and accomplish what you set out to.
In this instance, you should ruthlessly abandon your fear.