3 Helpful Realizations

Like many of you, I too was a little worried about this assignment but I found it to be very enjoyable. I think most of the time I try to avoid thinking about what it is that makes me scared about my writing, but to say them out loud and then have the extremely insightful voice of Jennifer to help me rationalize my fears was very helpful. Plus, how great was it to check your E-mail and have an amazingly positive and cheer inducing letter waiting for you? Three of the issues and resolutions we found were:

1. The most important realization that I am extremely hard on myself. I always feel nothing is good enough, and am constantly reaching for whatever I believe will satisfy my appetite for success. I don't even think I mentioned this as a fear, but Jennifer very astutely picked up on it and realized it was something worth addressing. She recognized that I frequently discuss how unsure I am whether to go straight into a PHD or to try to get a teaching job after I graduate. She said that though have the aspiration of getting a PHD is great, think about what I have accomplished thus far at such a young age to even be in a grad program. I often look forward with nervous anticipation, and her advice to pause and look back with a smile on occasion was very important.

2. Next, I mentioned to Jennifer that though I loved writing and sharing my work, I was always too nervous to submit anything. I either felt I wasn't good enough or that my work was too personal. Her advice was to embrace my role as a writer and to just put it out there. Those who I write about will most likely be excited I am succeeding and not be preoccupied with the fact that I may have included some unsavory things about them in a piece or two.

3. As for the fact that I haven't been writing as much as I did when I was working on an emphasis in poetry, her thoughts were not to allow that to get me down. She brought up that that even the masters of craft have their bad days and doubts, thus to allow the fears to win out could possibly eliminate both my joy of writing and the possible joy of future readers.