I noticed this year that I take criticism of my writing very well. That’s quite a relief.
And just between you and me, unlike my art career, at this stage I don’t really suffer from imposter syndrome. Maybe it will kick in when I have some kind of actual success? It could have something to do with the fact that I am writing exactly what I want to write, not what others are directing me to do. I am not confident about my work, but I do keep plowing on, hoping that the time put in will reap benefits. I know some of my writing is terrible but still, I put it out there! Go figure. After all, I think it was Martha Beck who said confidence is not the writer’s friend. Courage is the writer’s friends. Confidence can really fuck you up.
It’s not really surprising; I’ve had years of practice! My family often showed their love with back-handed compliments, sarcasm and mild to medium intensity putdowns. In fact, I have historically had trouble coping when people aren’t criticising my work.
As I’ve mentioned previously, my years of making artwork for interior designers have stood me in good stead for hearing opinions on my work. To be honest, until I received a negative review, I was convinced that either people weren’t being honest in their reviews or they hadn’t actually read the book!
I am a little addicted to approval and writing this blog daily and writing in general has been an exercise in writing no matter what.
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