Writing engages your ego in a death-match.
You write a sentence. You think a sentence. “Is that any good?”
You write a sentence. You think: “What are people going to think?”
You write a third sentence, and your paragraph is shaping up. But your ego is screaming – “who do you think you are? You’re no good.”
Now, this very mean hypothesis – that you’re not good enough – feels humble and right. At least you’re not the opposite, that ass we’ve all met, who thinks every word he writes is golden, God’s gift to the universe.
“At least I’m not egotistical,” you think, as you push back and quit writing. “I’m good.”
But you’re not good. You are doing something very bad. You are robbing the world of your voice.
Someone is waiting for what you have to write.
I have a favorite bad photo of a cat on a pizza flying through space. Someone photoshopped those three things together, and I love it. I didn’t even know I needed that.
And to share how much one person’s voice matters, I’ll randomly share other cat pics from my media library. Each has such a distinct point of view, and reflects a very different auteur.
I’m not even such a big fan of cats – but they rule the internet. And they move these creative people to share their worldview through cats.
So you might feel it is humble to quiet your voice, and demur. But I see it as practically egotistical. You are unilaterally deciding whether or not your voice is worthwhile. And how can you possibly know? Do you know the needs of every potential reader? Your scared little ego might ask, “What gives you the right to call yourself an author, an authority?” But if you quit, silence yourself, you might have to ask, “Who are you to keep your voice and all that you have to share away from the people who need you?”
Your voice matters and you’re depriving someone of something that will enlighten, educate, amuse or instruct them. Share your voice as authentically as you can manage and you become the humble servant of your talent, your genius.
I share this perspective in my Master Class – where I ask participants to “Claim it” – declare dominion over their strengths and gifts. We can all point to our weaknesses – you can hardly shut us up when it comes to talking about our faults. But most of us can’t see – and if we can – don’t admit our strengths. So write your stuff and put it into the world, humbly. Let your voice be heard and shared, because somebody needs you.
If you need help seeing and claiming your particular creative strengths, join the Write Without the Fight Master Class.