Insecurity: The Bane of All Writers

Recently one of my writing buddies shot me an email. If I named the person, you'd know who it is, the name is that well-known. It's a multi-published author who's won many awards and is a well-received speaker. Here's the gist of the note:

"I don't believe in myself anymore. 

I don't believe in my writing."

If you're like me, you're like, "What? Dude! Are you freaking kidding me? Newbie writers would pull teeth to write like you. You are a rock star of an author!"

Surprised? Shouldn't be. Doubt is the monkey on every artist's back, whether you're a writer, an actor, a red clay pottery whizz, whatever. Every artist stops dead in their tracks at the self-doubt crossroads. (click to tweet)

The choice is to go left and quit. Hang up your writerly hat. Kiss it all goodbye and do something else. Or you can plod along on the right path, writing down stupid words that look stupid, sound stupid, maybe even are stupid, but you keep trying because it's who you are, what you were made to be. 

Believe it or not, doubt is the mark of a true artist. Only wannabes and posers are puffed up with confidence and pride. Real artists anguish over and struggle with creating the best work possible, and sometimes that gets messy.

The bottom line is that it's not about you. It's not about writing. It's all about God and the gift He's given you. Whether you believe that you're gifted or not is quite another issue.