It is a rare writer who starts out convinced of her ability to change the world with her words. It takes time and endurance to finally arrive at that conclusion, and most never will.
Most of us, even those who make a living from their craft, lack confidence at times. Writing is, after all, a daunting and lonely task. We put down our thoughts on a page, in hopes that someone will find them worthy of their time and attention.
A lack of confidence can be crippling. It leads too may writers to give up before they’ve even begun, much like I did for the first fifty years of my life.
Consider the over-the-top confidence of those who now compete in the Olympics. They were once children with Olympic dreams and not much else. Sure their parents believed in them, and then they had constant coaching to help out, but I’m sure their dreams felt plenty far away many times before they arrived in London this summer.
For most of us, confidence is the larger battle, because without it we will not continue to pursue our craft. In the end, it comes down to the belief that we were born to write and share ourselves with the world in this way.
Can you stop writing today? I know I cannot. So I will continue down this lonely but self-illuminating path, building my confidence as I go.
“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” – Gustave Flaubert
You are so right! I really appreciate what you’ve written here. Even now that I write and get paid to do so, I still find myself doubting my ability at times. My confidence falters, and I look out from a lonely perch listening for echoes confirming I’m on the right path. To write, we must believe in ourselves and let that faith carry us as far as possible. And then, when we stumble, we must locate that faith again, rise and take another step. Thanks for these genuine words about the writer’s journey.
And thanks for your lovely words too! Write on! – Laura Lee