The romantic version of the writer is a lonely person. Alone, the writer faces his or her foes of creative expression: doubt, criticism, and copycatting, etc. This list can go on, but there’s one foe that is difficult to handle as it is a monster of the writer’s own creation: burnout.
I recall this feeling, having talked about burnout in my Musings for Myself. In that LinkedIn article, I found my way by going back to basics. I’ll be honest. I thought I was the first one to find sanctuary by going back to the basics of pen and paper.
However, I discovered I was not the first.
Morian Richard wrote about the virtues of writing on paper on Writer’s Digest’s “Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Drafting Solely on a Computer.”
Well, the article deflated my ego a bit. But the head gears started turning with thoughts.
It’s human nature to desire our best side to everyone. Not to show the flaws. Patching the cracks.
Yet it’s the stories and anecdotes where the writers and authors bleed onto the page. They write from a vulnerable place. Admit to being stuck. It resonates. Comforts us that we are not alone.
While the act of writing can be lonely experience, it’s the words on the page (or the screen) that cross the boundaries of not only physical space but the walls that guard both the positive and negative emotions locked in a person’s heart.
A true writer can touch lives with words. Rekindle inspiration with the raw reality of our lives.
While I’m not the first to pioneer the back to basics, I can let my voice join in the song that reaches out to writers who are at different stages of their journey: you’re not alone in your journey. Others face the struggles you do. Suffer doubt, criticism, and copycatting, etc.
You can endure. You can thrive. You can find your own voice to tell a tale that only you can tell.
Let this knowledge wrap around you like a cozy blanket on a cold morning with the sun not yet shining as you quietly scribble on the paper. Or type on your laptop.
Until my next reflection appears, have a wonderful life. <3
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