As a reformed perfectionist, the only way I can do anything, be it playing piano, making pottery, et cetera, is to repeatedly tell myself it’s okay to make crappy things. If I don’t give myself permission to make a less-than-perfect thing it will never happen. So I make bad pottery, and play piano and sing poorly. However, as I develop and refine my skills, the art I make become less craptastic.
So here I am, trying to be a less-crappy writer. I’ve had stories and scenes in my head all my life, but hardly dared write them down. Even now, writing this passage, I’m struggling with my inner critic. To quiet that critic and help me move on, I remember what Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts said, “Sentence first; verdict afterwards.” My hope is that as I practice the writing craft it will become easier to get the thoughts on the page and then edit and refine. It’s difficult if not impossible for me to do both at the same time.
I’m using this website to help me share my inner world, mainly with myself as I continue my healing and mental health journey; but if anything I write resonates with you as well, so much the better. With this website I no longer have excuses to not write, so the blog is also an accountability tool, which means I’ll have to update it regularly…which means I get to create a writing routine for myself.
So right now, I’m going to commit to write a blog post at least once a week. It won’t be perfect. Nothing I do ever will be, but it will be posted, and hopefully be one of many craptastic things I make that show I was here. 🙂
