Friday, July 31, 2009

Warm Fuzzy Preserves - Anybody Know Where I Can Buy Some?

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to store some confidence and good feelings for all the crappy days? When you're feeling down, just pop open a jar of warm fuzzy preserves and you're good to go? It's amazing how fleeting those feelings can be.

Several rejections on my query, combined with a whole slew of other things that have been weighing down on me lately, got me thinking about how quickly we can lose the confidence that’s so necessary in this business. It amazes me how one day I can read something I’ve written and think it’s total crap, but go back to it a week later and think it’s brilliant. And, of course, that works in the reverse as well, probably more frequently. Unfortunately.

It’s difficult to maintain confidence in your own work, especially with the abundance of exceptional work already out there. I often find myself comparing my work to others, even though there should be no comparison. Other than the technical aspect, my writing should be my own and whatever so-n-so does over there, should have no bearing on whether my work is good enough. Yet, even knowing that, I tend to hold myself to unreasonable standards, which only contribute to those ‘am I good enough’ feelings.

Negativity is effortless for me. I wish I could be the kind of person that always looks on the bright side of things. I try, I really do, but some days, the dark, self-destructive thoughts just overpower everything else. Fortunately, I’m blessed to have a loving and supportive family and an undeniable faith in something greater than myself that give me a safe place to fall when I’m feeling the worst. And being able to express myself creatively has provided me with an outlet for those dark thoughts that would otherwise stay locked inside.

Whether it’s through drawing, painting, or writing, the act of creating something has a way of pulling me out of those dark places. Maybe it’s the pride of knowing I made something beautiful, in my mind at least. Maybe it’s that little feeling of power that I’m capable of creation. Whatever it is, creativity is my most effective tool for bringing me back to reality, even if it means I’m totally immersed in some imaginary world.

And of course, I couldn’t do it without all the amazing friends I’ve made through blogging. You guys are all so supportive and totally awesome!

So, do you ever have those days where you feel like nothing you ever do will be good enough? And what do you do to combat it? Is losing yourself in your work enough or do you find you have to step away and come back when you feel like you can have a more objective perspective?

8 comments:

  1. Ummmm. Everyday? :)

    Thanks for sharing! Send me what you have so far!

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  2. I feel that way all the time! Every rejection, every time an angent turns down a partial, every time a crit comes back a little nit-picky! BUT--I don't give up, I fix the problems brush off the rejections and I keep writing. Before you know it I've shaken off those depressing feelings. They come back... but I get better at brushing it off every day

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  3. I have to step away and come back. The thing that gets me through the rejections and all the other bad stuff is the good stuff, like the awsome feeling I get when I've written something good, the positive feedback, the requests for partials, and most definitely my bloggy friends.

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  4. It would be wonderful if that jar could exist!

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  5. Aww Abby, Put on your happy pants! Let me tell you girlie, YOU HAVE A GIFT! a WONDERFUL GIFT! I know what you mean there are those daze..I mean days when you just feel blah.

    Never compare yourself to other people. We're unique! Like snow flakes. Go look at yourself in the mirror and repeat after me,

    I AM A BRILLIANT WOMAN, I AM A WONDERFUL WRITER, I AM A CREATOR OF ART, I AM ABBY, I CAN AND I WILL.
    I WILL SELL MY BOOK, I WILL DO WHAT I DREAM OF. I WILL. AND DANG YOU WHO TRY TO STOP ME.

    Just know I'm your number one fan.. I LOVE YOUR WORK!

    Now I gotta go back to work, I just told my boss, I'm workin here! he glanced at my screen and said YOU MEAN YOUR FLIPPEN BLOGGING! (he's a fan of mine) he just doesn't know it yet! I've caught him reading my blog several times. ha, he's such a faker.

    Don't let this bring you down.. CONTINUE ON!

    HuGZ Girlie!
    Smile at yourself int he mirror.. and repeat it.

    I do.. daily. Even when I dont' want too.

    I'll tell that part of my story one day.. but for now. I got boss man on my back.. sheeesh!

    *poof.. gone.. heh heh

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  6. I'm really good at that yo-yo thing. I swing easily from giddy euphoria to throw-myself-on-the-fainting-couch despair. I know it's silly but I feel kidnapped by emotions and lack of objectivity about my writing sometimes. Some good remedies are a long walk or listening to music and maybe dancing alone--something physical and endorphin rousing.

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  7. I'm sorry to hear you've been having one of those weeks, Abby! If it helps, I do have a few warm fuzzies that I keep in a jar for those rainy days:

    1) randomkittengenerator.com. Seriously. All you do is push a button and different kitten pictures show up. The cuteness always makes me feel better.

    2) Give yourself a small treat whenever you get a rejection and force yourself to utter the words "Just one step close to 'Yes!'" out loud, even if you feel lame and grouchy. Eventually you start to believe it. For rejections on fulls or partials, I have a rule: do a shot. For obvious reasons.

    3) Hugs from loved ones. Grab someone and hug them saying you're having "writer problems." Family gets used to it.

    4) Bloggy/critique friends :D. We've all been there, and we're here for ya! There is strength in numbers.

    Plus, it's Friday :D. It's hard to be bummed on Friday.

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  8. Thanks, all! Helps to know others get like this too.

    Suzanne--Sent you an email.

    Tami--There are no words. I'm tearing up here. Thank you!

    Becca--Random kittens=awesome! :D

    I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

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