Such a sigh of relief. The Hope Writers Manifesto sitting right in front of me on my writing desk reminds me, “We are still real writers even if we never write a book”, and according to Jeff Goins, “Real writers don’t write to get published. They write just to write.”
I am continually surprised at the way my writing, or lack of writing, affects my emotions and my days. I get completely spun up in thinking about the ways in which I am not doing the “things”. I still tend to compare myself to other people and forget that they too are usually struggling with the same doubts, fears, and insecurities that I am. Being part of writing groups and hearing from them and other writers who have stacks of books published that they still experience these unexpected and hard mental places gives me pause and hope at the same time. Why go on I ask myself? Am I really even a writer? Yeah, I am.
I have a lot of things posted on the walls around me as encouragement and reminders that I’m not the first person to wrestle with this stuff. I won’t be the last. But in the meantime, I am choosing to keep showing up and doing the work. I call it work, but most of the time it really feels like play to me. I’ve kept it simple and I don’t have commitments or deadlines. When all the fog clears on my moods, I’m actually thankful I still consider myself a hobby writer. I don’t think I want the pressure of all those expectations…
Wait, haven’t I written this exact thing before? LOL I arrived at the same place! Well, that pretty much seals the deal, right? I am a writer. I am glad to be a hobby writer :-)