Where is the Love?
Posted on 23 Apr 2008 under Journal/Life Updates
A day or two ago, someone left a comment on a post I made in 2006. In order to reply to the comment, I had to read the post. As I read it, I saw that there was a certain passion, a certain energy in those words. I’ve always felt that the best way to make your reader feel what you’re writing, you should write what you’re feeling. Most of my posts of late have been written after I come back from college, tired and jaded.
I’ve been reading these posts and literally going “meh” at myself. I’ve also been thinking that I need to spend a little more time and energy on my blog. I used to love it at one point of time, and now I feel like I’m only writing because I have to, because some people actually read this blog. Well, they say that acceptance is the first step to recovery. Now that I’ve accepted that I need to start loving this blog again, I think I might start again.
Another reason I’ve not been writing so much is because of a vicious cycle. I joined a site where a bunch of writers (ok well, it’s significantly more than a bunch) get together and showcase their writing. There’s so much of excellent writing there that it seems to reinforce my lack of self-confidence in my vocabulary. Instead of focussing on my strengths as a writer, my pessimistic, cynical self seems to focus more on my weaknesses. Because of this, I tend to put away writing until I’m in a better state of mind to write, hoping that what I write will come out better. When it doesn’t, I get even more frustrated and set my bar higher. At the same time, I think the solution lies in writing more frequently. The more I write, the more comfortable I’ll get with it, and the better I’ll start writing. Step one towards recovery is complete. I hope you enjoyed this post…
I think it’s time I started obliging the invisible audience again. Thank you for being there for me.
Yes, just as someone had said that to write is to write is to write is to write.
To write can be a lot of things indeed
You know my thoughts about this post. I want to kick your ass. Seriously. You’re a terrific writer yourself and it’s high time you stopped comparing yourself to everyone else. On the site there are people with different writing styles. Good or bad is merely subjective. What really matters is how much effort you’re putting in your own writing and how passionate you are towards it. Others’ opinions matter when they are giving you constructive feedback with the sole aim of trying to improve your writing. Your feedback is important as well, and I have seen some wonderfully helpful comments from you. You’re good, an awesome writer and please accept that. Put your heart into your work and in no time you’ll be writing excellently.
Yes yes I know I’m a good writer. I also know exactly where my strengths are and where my weaknesses are.
write to make yourself happy. stop worrying about what people think, idiot. you already write “excellently”, so quit fussing about it.
Yep, that’s what I’ve been doing lately
I think that anyone who writes anything always has to remember the invisible audience. Even though we may not say anything, we are here, and we are reading.
It can be difficult to know if your words make a difference when nobody comments or there is no feedback.
But I often find that just when I’m about to give up, thinking that nobody is listening, something happens to show me they are.
I also know that if I compare myself to everyone else, I always come up short.
We can’t ever win when we compare our insides to someone else’s outsides, that’s what my Grandmother always used to say.
So I hope this shows you: here’s the love!