I'm having a fun moment of 'is this project worth it/do I have the capacity to do it justice' right now, so this was a nice way to reframe some of those thoughts. Thank you!
This post came at just the right moment for me (although, when am I not wrestling with the demons of imposter syndrome)? As I consider making a huge pivot toward a deeper focus on my own writing, I often ask whether I have business doing it, whether I can make a business by doing it (meaning do others think I have enough business doing it to pay for it), and what other activities are just that, and not a side hustle. I love Jessica Abel, and that books sounds perfect for me. Love and cheers from California!
"But I can laugh a lot and enjoy being terrible at it." This is such a wonderful place to get to with so many of our pursuits. We need to have more fun!
Appreciate the “continuum over category”- I find this a very focusing idea. It’s good (for me) to remember to be strategic with time, pick my most important things, and not to try to categorize life too much… Continuum is a process or just doing the thing how it suits best in the moment.
Appreciate your lively circling of issues far too complex for Abel's nifty diagram to do justice to. Initially I misread your subject line since I teach Business Writing to English as a Second Language adult students. That is one example among many of how commonly our writing is read in unimagined ways. That ambiguity is implicit in Gertrude Stein's comment "I write for myself and strangers." I never have the slightest idea who I'm communicating with - and learn to trust there is at least one reader potentially. That is all it takes. How that one reader will actually read what I write? How could I begin to know? I'm grateful to be read. The question of "How important is the act of creation?" - regardless of who you are and whatever you create, you help make the sun rise by doing so.
Is there any escape from being a different "first reader" of your writing every time you read it? I struggle with how ungenerous a reader of myself I often am. Not wanting to admit this usually, I easily project that mean-spirited reader to random strangers who are often editors. Nevertheless, the utility of thinking of "readers" in any sense is thinking that the writing is in motion - from the monitor or page into incognita. Even T.S. Eliot's line about "writing for his desk drawer" -- did he really trust that no one even after his death would read it? I told students that I never wanted them to write for or to me -- but to write as if they were communicating to someone they deeply cared about who wouldn't be a teacher.
That's a great matrix and appreciate you giving your own thoughts and insights into where you sit within it and across those two key questions.
Thank you for this post. It was incredibly insightful, and I appreciate it a ton!
I'm having a fun moment of 'is this project worth it/do I have the capacity to do it justice' right now, so this was a nice way to reframe some of those thoughts. Thank you!
This post came at just the right moment for me (although, when am I not wrestling with the demons of imposter syndrome)? As I consider making a huge pivot toward a deeper focus on my own writing, I often ask whether I have business doing it, whether I can make a business by doing it (meaning do others think I have enough business doing it to pay for it), and what other activities are just that, and not a side hustle. I love Jessica Abel, and that books sounds perfect for me. Love and cheers from California!
Thank you for this piece! I'm also in the mist of this question.
Love, love this piece. Found myself having this question for several weeks now and so glad I can let it go and just write. Thank you!
"But I can laugh a lot and enjoy being terrible at it." This is such a wonderful place to get to with so many of our pursuits. We need to have more fun!
So much to take away from this post. But one that hits me straight in the eye is to ‘salt’ my avocados! I’ve never done this and must try it!
Appreciate the “continuum over category”- I find this a very focusing idea. It’s good (for me) to remember to be strategic with time, pick my most important things, and not to try to categorize life too much… Continuum is a process or just doing the thing how it suits best in the moment.
Appreciate your lively circling of issues far too complex for Abel's nifty diagram to do justice to. Initially I misread your subject line since I teach Business Writing to English as a Second Language adult students. That is one example among many of how commonly our writing is read in unimagined ways. That ambiguity is implicit in Gertrude Stein's comment "I write for myself and strangers." I never have the slightest idea who I'm communicating with - and learn to trust there is at least one reader potentially. That is all it takes. How that one reader will actually read what I write? How could I begin to know? I'm grateful to be read. The question of "How important is the act of creation?" - regardless of who you are and whatever you create, you help make the sun rise by doing so.
Is there any escape from being a different "first reader" of your writing every time you read it? I struggle with how ungenerous a reader of myself I often am. Not wanting to admit this usually, I easily project that mean-spirited reader to random strangers who are often editors. Nevertheless, the utility of thinking of "readers" in any sense is thinking that the writing is in motion - from the monitor or page into incognita. Even T.S. Eliot's line about "writing for his desk drawer" -- did he really trust that no one even after his death would read it? I told students that I never wanted them to write for or to me -- but to write as if they were communicating to someone they deeply cared about who wouldn't be a teacher.