I didn’t think the break from blogging would go on this long. I also didn’t think that the renovations and move into my new place would take over my life. It did. It has. And I’m just starting to work my way back to writing. I haven’t been idle. Packing, unpacking, and managing the renovations (aka yelling at contractors) takes up a great deal of time & brain capacity. I also got a few freelance assignments and working/writing felt good.
Am I back? Sort of… almost…
I’m writing stories in my head, but they are shy when it comes to introducing them to the keyboard. I think one or two will burst forth in the next couple of days. The urge to write, to shape the stories, is starting to push the other tasks aside. And, of course, there’s DOUBT.
People often praise self-confidence and the certainty of belief. He’s sure he’s right. She knows this to be true. They never show a hint of doubt… But I think there’s value in doubt. Doubt leaves room for exploration; doubt is self-critical; and doubt opens new lines of thinking.
Yes, I’m a professional writer and I managed to write the press release for a new client. It was a challenging assignment that required nuance while appearing to be straight forward. That little hint of doubt, that tiny whisper of um… how do I get from here to the end…drove me to work hard and do a good job. The feeling that I could get stumped; that it is possible to fall short, is all about honest doubt. I always get the job done, but…
There is value in doubt.
Post-Pandemic New York (or almost post-pandemic New York) is experiencing a Renaissance of street messages. People chalk off circles in the cement of Union Square with titles like, “Kissing Circle” or “Bad Luck Zone” and other people write Delphic sayings that I spot at random intervals as I walk. “Doubt all thoughts” popped up this week. I don’t buy it as a philosophy, but I do see the value of doubt in a world of exuberant, if often faulty, certainty.
lol – welcome back…almost. 😀
I hope that one of the things you’ll do first is post pics of the new place. And…are you happy there? Are the cats happy there?
As for writing and doubt…gah, I don’t know a single Indie writer, myself included, who doesn’t experience self doubt. Yes, doubt can spur you on to become /better/, but it can also paralyze you with feelings of futility…
-cough- been there, struggling to never go there again.
I’m glad that New York is [almost] over the pandemic. In large part that’s due to Biden’s vaccination campaign. I wish our own Idiot-in-chief had been smarter when he/they had the chance. Instead, Australia is such a long way behind, I doubt we’ll all be vaccinated before some time in 2022. 🙁
Anyway, it’s good to hear from you again. – hugs-
The cats and I are adjusting, but it won’t be HOME until the workman are gone and it’s all ours.
Yes, doubt can paralyze, but I’m looking at its good side. The side that makes us want to strive and try… and fight the paralysis, too.
As for NYC, people are smiling and going out! It’s still a tenuous recovery, but it’s so much better than before! I hope Australia picks up the pace of vaccination. It really does make a world of difference. Of course there are parts of the U.S. that are so resistant to being vaccinated. On the right AND on the left. It’s always funny when the two extremes agree for different reasons. I will have to write something about that resistance. It’s a brand of self-assurance that makes a choice in the absence of evidence.It’s not about doubting the evidence that the vaccine works; it’s about deciding that your individual instincts are more credible than science and that’s always a bad way to live and yet it’s often a good way to start a story.