Djuna Shellam The Write OWL—Episode 4—Writing Every Day

Hiya, Fanios! Here we are with Episode 4 in the video series. It’s looking like there will be an episode every Wednesday and Sunday. It’s a goal, anyway. Here’s this episode’s topic:

Is writing every day a determining factor in whether or not you’re a writer?

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Speaking for myself, as an artist, I spent a great deal of my youth looking for some type of reassurance, validation, something, anything, that would tell me, yes, I am a fill-in-the-blank artist. I think it’s the nature of the beast for some. It certainly was for me. And then, my entire outlook changed. I don’t know when it happened, what the thing was that brought me to my realization, but whenever and whatever it was, it liberated me from self doubt.

Now, I still have doubts about my work—my art—no matter what it is, but I no longer doubt my status as an artist. I no longer seek validation from other artists, or critics or anyone, really, as far as who I am. What I make is an entirely different story. I create stuff—novels, photographs, songs—because it’s a compulsion for me. I can’t keep myself from doing it. But when I’m done, I do find myself hoping someone will like it as much as I do. Though it matters less and less to me, as long as I like it, that’s what counts.

The reason I decided to delve into this subject matter (not just once—there’s another episode on the same subject coming soon) in Episode 4, is the myriad postings I see on social media about what real writers do every day, or should do every day, or they’re not writers. I see these lists, and I remember how I used to feel when I was younger, trying to find myself as an artist, and how demoralized I felt if I didn’t meet all of the criteria on “the list.”

There’s an incredible freedom in not needing to worry about what other people think, or needing their approval, or sanction. My desire in discussing this subject is to hopefully enlighten others who may be struggling with their own doubts as to whether they’re writers, or visual artists, or musicians or whatever they happen to be. To encourage them to not look to some arbitrary list written by some stranger for validation, or worse yet, your own self worth.

More to come on this subject.

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