I find that I often have an idea for a new blog post or some other interesting creative idea and I tend to forget them! Of course, the rational idea is to write it down before I go off to do whatever it is I do during the day. Just be thankful that I am actually taking the time to write this post!
Laziness, not very attractive, but so very nice. Though, it’s probably not a good idea to admit to being lazy. Being relaxed is quite a different thing, however. Obtaining a relaxed state is something I am really good at! I hope that I’m not lazy, though sometimes I think I might be just a little bit. Laziness tends imply a lack of motivation or a desire to be inert. I sometimes wonder if I suffer from the occasional bout of laziness, but I feel better when I’m working on school assignments or continuing my writing. While I may be lazy at times, at least I don’t spend all day on the internet.
Oops, I shouldn’t insult the internet.
School is going well. I’m having fun reading the comments my classmates make about my creative essays in my creative writing class. I also really try to leave good feedback for their writings. It’s interesting the different opinions people can have. The downside is that I tend to get a bit caught up in what people say about my work. I think I will always be my worst critic. Perhaps the best advice from a professional writer was, to the effect, “Don’t take advice from anyone about writing.” It’s obviously intended to get a laugh, but I think the point is that often advice is generally opinion. It’s difficult to tell what to listen to when people give criticism. Do you listen to the negative reviews more then the positive or other way around? I am reminded about a statement I once heard from a writer, of whom I can’t remember, saying to effect that one can never be sure of one’s skill in art. In fact, there are always going to be people who don’t like your work, no matter how good it might be. Of course, some would claim the opposite is true as well. Haha, I apologize for not citing my sources, I was paraphrasing anyway.
Another thing I think about is about following your dreams. At what point do you give up? Or should you ever? After I completed my first novel, I began to focus on working on my literary career. I spent a lot of time on this until I set it aside to focus on my career at Block Buster. You probably know how well that worked out! Sometimes I think of writing like a girlfriend I break up with, but seem to run back to. I focus on it for a while and then I take a break. It’s not something I’d advice a young couple to do, but I do tend to gain some prospective when I come back to it. For me, I know it’s something I can do for fun or as a hobby while I focus on school. Even so, I have a renewed inspiration to at least attempt to get into a MFA program in creative writing while I hedge my best on a Masters in psych too. That’s something that I really love about writing, I can do both.
I love to dream. Dreams are important to us, because they give us a vision of what we want to be or achieve in the future. Just how important dreams are will differ from person to person. It makes me think about that person who tries so hard to achieve their dream despite the fact that they are not talented whatsoever. The obvious example is that of the American Idol contestant who has so much confidence in themselves, but are just simply not talented. You might wonder, “do they know how terrible they are?” Most people would probably think it quite embarrassing for someone to take such a risk when they should know if they have talent or not.
It is sad when an individual does not realize that they are not talented or skilled enough to accomplish their dream. Some people might not care if they are good or not. With regards to singing, my dad used to say that anyone can sing, they just need to learn how. Now, maybe they won’t become the greatest singer in the world or be critically acclaimed, but they can still manage to be decent. I say, if you have a dream, then follow it. Do the best you can, but be realistic. I may not become a critically acclaimed author, but that doesn’t matter to me. For me, following my dream is enough, even if it doesn’t become my career. I’ve been able to write a book, which not everyone can say. You may not think it’s very good and I may not try to convince you otherwise, but for me it was a first step. It showed me that I could do it and I chose to share it. Obviously, that means I have to be able to accept the criticism of my work, good or bad. It has taken me quite some time to get past my first ever real negative review, but I think it did help me grow a bit.
So, if you want my advice, I say follow your dreams. Even if it seems impossible. Dreams help us strive for something better and you never know if you can achieve them until you try. Sometimes the only way to learn is the hard way. The good news is that you can be an artist without being any good, you may not making any money out of it, but freedom of expression is something that anyone can do. Just be ready for the criticism!
