Day 3: The Fear of Criticism
A fear of criticism can sometimes derail me. It can hurt to get negative feedback on our writing, no matter how valid the criticism may be.
A few solutions that have helped:
Seek out a supportive writing community or partner who can provide feedback and encouragement. After getting my Master's Degree and spending my days home with young kids, I couldn't concentrate or write at all so I signed up for a beginning creative writing class at the junior college and it brought life back into my writing. I didn't tell anyone that I had a writing degree which took away all of the pressure to be great. I could relax and enjoy being a beginner (which we all are in certain areas anyway.)
Take a break from workshop style classes and try out some Generative Writing retreats instead. Maybe now isn't the time to get feedback, maybe you're still in the phase where you need to just get the ideas down on the page.
Project hopping is allowed. Maybe the piece you are working on feels stalled, but you don’t have to feel doomed as a writer overall. Hop over to another project for a while, then come back when you are feeling more refreshed.
As always, remember to give yourself time to reflect on your accomplishments and successes.
