Twizzle, it's all about tough love.
And she does, she lurves me. Enough to call me a pansy. I'm very lucky to have her.
Self Doubts...How do you handle them?
- Thread starter TinaCherilee
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And she does, she lurves me. Enough to call me a pansy. I'm very lucky to have her.
Yes I'm using 'you' in the general sense I don't know anything about you personally.
I still dispute the self doubt thing though because people who go on about it, often feel that its part of the image or its kind of what artists are like. They often want to be told that they're gret whichisn't self doubt so much as narcisissm. people who really don't beleive they have anything interesting to say don't write.
I suspect we are defining self doubt differently. My view is if you (general) are still writing you may not have enough self doubt. : )
I still dispute the self doubt thing though because people who go on about it, often feel that its part of the image or its kind of what artists are like. They often want to be told that they're gret whichisn't self doubt so much as narcisissm. people who really don't beleive they have anything interesting to say don't write.
I suspect we are defining self doubt differently. My view is if you (general) are still writing you may not have enough self doubt. : )
Self doubt doesn't just pertain to writing and artists though. It's a lot of things in life. Like being a parent for the first time. We all have that self doubt that we won't do it right. Is that just part of our image? Is that narcisissm?
JJ
If you're a parent you can't stop being one without radical action (that I don't recommend._ If you really doubt your abilities as a writer or a painter you can stop at any time and if you really think you're wasting your time you will.
In my view, carrying on with voluntary creative activities is usually an act of faith in your own ability - or becomes so if you try to get published or persuade people to buy your work. I don't take a lot of notice of what people say - it's what they do that counts. I believe people suffer from self doubt when they say - 'I gave up because I wasn't any good.' (and they have given up.)
Given the size of the slush piles it would be quite a good thing if more of us suffered from self doubt : )
YMMV
In my view, carrying on with voluntary creative activities is usually an act of faith in your own ability - or becomes so if you try to get published or persuade people to buy your work. I don't take a lot of notice of what people say - it's what they do that counts. I believe people suffer from self doubt when they say - 'I gave up because I wasn't any good.' (and they have given up.)
Given the size of the slush piles it would be quite a good thing if more of us suffered from self doubt : )
YMMV
Exactly. I think that self-doubt, rather than being the result of a rational evaluation of work produced, is a personality characteristic. Some people are prone to self-doubt, just as some are more likely to lose their temper or fall into obsessive behaviour. I doubt there's either a negative or positive correlation between self-doubt and quality of writing produced. Some writers have it, some don't. Telling people they shouldn't have it is pointless, because they do and they may not be able to change it. Implying successful writers do not have it is not only factually incorrect, but wrong, because you're giving the message that not only do they need to improve their writing, but also to change their personality.
As for the artistic souls wearing their suffering as a badge of honour, well, you'll see one or two around these forums, but not many, and not for long. This is a practical kind of place.
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I completely indulge my self-doubt. I take it out, I spread it all around, and I roll around in it. I let it become strong and powerful and overwhelming.
And then I work on my writing long enough and hard enough until the writing kills it. It takes a long, long time and a lot of work.
And then I work on my writing long enough and hard enough until the writing kills it. It takes a long, long time and a lot of work.
Don't worry. I probably should add smilies to a great many more of my posts.
I think we were talking at cross purposes.What some people seem to call 'self doubt' I would regard as absolutely essential self criticism. What I call 'self doubt' is a loss of belief in one's capacity to write. People who suffer it tend not to write or submit or publish and its pretty hard to run a career like that.
Generally I just give in to them until the one tiny spark of self-esteem that wasn't crushed by all those rejections of my trunk novel comes out of hiding again. Sometimes it takes awhile.
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