The most incredible gift I’ve given myself this past year was to take up space by creating and doing whatever I felt compelled to do.
I’ve spent way too much of my fifty plus years making myself small. Some people told me I shouldn’t be a creative writer. Maybe it isn’t wise to get a creative writing degree, Leisa. Do something practical they say. You really should stick to one genre. Or I___________ (pretty much anything) and on and on and on. Today, I want to say to you to give yourself a gift, open it and take up space in anything you desire artistically.
If you know anything about me, you know that this was my year of doing something, anything, to get myself out of the situation I’ve been in for years.
Desperation makes for some serious motivation.
I embraced #DO January 2021.
Doing became my daily mantra.
Multi-genre Writing
This past year, I’ve written anything from social media microblogging, to blog posts, to newsletters, to memoir writing, to trying my hand at freelance, and wrapping the year up with writing fiction. Writing was huge for me in 2021. I’ve also crashed and burned twice where my writing is concerned.
I lost a book deal as the publishing company went bankrupt (for another blog post) to having a freelance piece accepted only to be ghosted by the editor. In a ‘normal’ year this would be enough to make me quit.
But what does quitting actually mean? Maybe, according to you, I did quit.
Once the book deal went south I only pitched my memoir twice. Both times I was rejected. I haven’t queried since.
Pitching freelance articles is off the table for me right now. Yes, it was only one bad experience, but I recognize my heart isn’t in it.
The above things might make you think I quit, threw in the towel.
I disagree.
Researching a fiction novel became my focus the entire year while writing all the other things I mentioned above. In November, I started the novel writing a work of fiction!
“Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art.”
Neil Gaiman
Taking up space in fiction writing after being told by an author/professor that I wasn’t good at it and “should stick to memoir” feels fantastic! What he fed me was a load of crap!
First of all, memoir is one of the most difficult things to write and I applaud anyone out there doing it as I know first hand how difficult it is.
Second, not one craft is better than another. People’s opinions are only that, opinions. You don’t have to log them as more than anything other than their opinion. It doesn’t matter.
Third, who’s to say when you’re new at something that you’re good, or bad at? At 40 I was a novice writer- a baby. I’d only started writing when I entered college as a non-traditional student. My major changed halfway through my four years because one instructor encouraged me toward writing. That’s it. I didn’t catch the writing bug. Only one person saw me as a writer. I didn’t even think I could write!
The fact that I gave one instructor’s positive feedback a green light to change my major and become a writer, while giving another author/professor the power to tell me what I could, and could not write, was misguided by me.
I’m older and wiser.
The world we live in makes us believe that we are breaking rules by making art, not just living the 9-5 norm. Therefore, If you end up creating in more than one discipline you’re over the top. Or at the very least you’re ridiculous for trying. Again, dear artist, gift yourself – take up space!
“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.”
Paulo Coelho
Creativity in more than one medium, or genre, promotes new thoughts and ideas around art. It’s inspiring. Motivating. Invigorating. If you have an idea for something you want to do- dive in! I’m diving into fiction AND loving every second of it. It’s inspiring and motivating me like I’ve never been before. It’s LIFE GIVING!
Let’s remove the dialogue that we can only be a ________ (enter anything). Or I should/shouldn’t __________ (enter anything).
Venture into poetry while also painting and drawing your heart out.
Furthermore, there is room in this world for all the art to be made. Give yourself a marvelous gift this year. Take up space with all your genres, paintings and designs. You are worth it!
Indulge in the arts. Our world will be better for it.
As always, thank you for reading and go create!
