All great advice and reminders! One of my goals this year was to reframe how I feel on Twitter and to train my brain to be celebratory for others, rather than envious. I know the envy comes from a mindset that thinks there's not enough to go around, so I have to remind myself that they are paving the way, and there's growth in all these areas. The market can expand! More people will read. There's no finite amount. I have improved I think... And I the feelings go away if I am plugging away at my own work consistently too. It only gets bad when I don't prioritise my own work and so I get frustrated... I am NEVER where I want to be. But that's mainly because I am unrealistic with my goals :D
Jun 17, 2022·edited Jun 17, 2022Liked by Cali Bird
Good solid advice in all these points. It's very easy to get caught up in other people's whirlwinds.
I deleted all my sm accounts a year ago and haven't looked back. It instantly gave me back time in my life. I didn't need thousands of intrusive voices giving me their opinions/updates when those things meant nothing to me. I'm not missing out on anything.
This week I've turned my writing off and decided to work on illustrations. it's been a while since I painted and I just finished a sketch for an idea I had. I'm not too happy with it, but I usually don't warm up to my own art until several weeks down the track when I haven't looked at it for a while. Same goes for my writing. I need to lose it in a drawer for some time before I can appreciate what I've done.
Thanks for the shout-out, Cali! As always, you have such wonderful, do-able suggestions. I think your point about feeling proud of what you've accomplished so far rather than feeling ashamed of what you haven't accomplished yet is so important. Why are we writers so hard on ourselves?!!
You are so right about SM and its potential for making us feel diminished by comparison. I have to keep a tight rein on who I follow and what kinds of reading I consume. Comparison is the thief of contentment!
How To Cope When You’re Not Where You Want To Be With Your Writing
All great advice and reminders! One of my goals this year was to reframe how I feel on Twitter and to train my brain to be celebratory for others, rather than envious. I know the envy comes from a mindset that thinks there's not enough to go around, so I have to remind myself that they are paving the way, and there's growth in all these areas. The market can expand! More people will read. There's no finite amount. I have improved I think... And I the feelings go away if I am plugging away at my own work consistently too. It only gets bad when I don't prioritise my own work and so I get frustrated... I am NEVER where I want to be. But that's mainly because I am unrealistic with my goals :D
Thanks again!
Timely words for this writer. Thank you!
Good solid advice in all these points. It's very easy to get caught up in other people's whirlwinds.
I deleted all my sm accounts a year ago and haven't looked back. It instantly gave me back time in my life. I didn't need thousands of intrusive voices giving me their opinions/updates when those things meant nothing to me. I'm not missing out on anything.
This week I've turned my writing off and decided to work on illustrations. it's been a while since I painted and I just finished a sketch for an idea I had. I'm not too happy with it, but I usually don't warm up to my own art until several weeks down the track when I haven't looked at it for a while. Same goes for my writing. I need to lose it in a drawer for some time before I can appreciate what I've done.
Great read, and an instant boost in morality for me. Thanks so much for this!
Thanks for the shout-out, Cali! As always, you have such wonderful, do-able suggestions. I think your point about feeling proud of what you've accomplished so far rather than feeling ashamed of what you haven't accomplished yet is so important. Why are we writers so hard on ourselves?!!
You are so right about SM and its potential for making us feel diminished by comparison. I have to keep a tight rein on who I follow and what kinds of reading I consume. Comparison is the thief of contentment!
thank you so much for these words of reassurance. Your newsletters are always helpful!