By Jordan Thames
If you’re feeling creative…embrace it. It sounds easy, I know, but it can be difficult if you’re anything like me.
I hold tightly, too tightly, onto the reins of control. As a writer, I love a good play on words, but when it comes time for me to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard, I suppose?) I over critique and nothing seems to quite…fit. I remember vividly many instances of ripping pages out of notebooks, scratching through the seemingly stale words I have written, frustrated. Nothing ever seemed right, nothing was good enough. Nothing was perfect.
What I wouldn’t give to have those words back.
Embrace the messiness of creativity, because some of the most brilliant stories appear during the toughest times. Today, your words seem stagnant and unoriginal, but tomorrow you may see a glimmer in them that wasn’t there before. Remember that your story matters, and that the words you have on that page will mean something to someone, somewhere in the world.
The mind can be a tricky little fiend, and reading your own work in the early stages of the process can be tough. Self-editing, at this point, is your worst enemy. You may feel defeated, tired, uninspired, but that’s okay. Take the time to do something that brings you joy. Read your favorite book, rediscover your inspiration. Remember why you write.
Never throw your work away, even if it feels hopeless.
At Indigo River, we are all about words worth reading. And, trust me, your words are worth reading.
