::imperfect::
Day 2: reverb10
Prompt: Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
I distract myself from my fear of imperfection. Writing has always been a treasure, since the time my teachers took notice and I learned a new way to get approval. I’m no longer a student but those figments trail behind like unexposed rolls of 35 mm stashed in my dresser drawer. Memories linger even as I haven’t held them to the light for evidence of details, background and context. Writing can be my strength and lead me straight to my achille’s heal: the desire to be great.
To contribute to my writing a commitment to producing work needs to be made. My best shot at this is letting go of my need to get it right every time and cutting the lines of fear that hold me back. Control rears its ugly head again. Do I need to apply the same effort and faith to my voice as I do to other parts of my life? Hmmm. The idea of hitting the publish button on this is making me nervous because I feel vulnerable. I don’t have a lot of time tonight to think and edit and I know my thoughts are sloppy. If I weren’t part of this reverb10 project I’d just let this sit in my drafts folder and be a journal entry. However, as practice in letting my average hang-out, commiting to the creative process and trusting the flow I’ll slip this one through. Maybe no one will even notice. :)
How to keep my distractions and fear from impeding my writing? I just have to be fearless. I’ve got some practice in that but I can up the ante by baring my truth publicly and often, even if it’s not fully formed. To not do so sometimes seems like living with a white bedroom (even though you could paint it today’s choice of green) because in a few years you’ll probably want blue and don’t want to paint twice. I guess this is as good a step as any, knowing that true value is measured with a larger data set than a handful.
If I want to write, I just need to do it, bad days and all.
