While on vacation, I bought a little leather-bound notebook. The leather was soft, the colour was rich, but it was the inscription on the cover that made the sale. It made me smile.
Seriously? Incredible thoughts, brilliant mind? What can you possibly write in a journal with a title like that? Do people really go around thinking themselves brilliant? Not in my house, not if you want anyone to talk to you.
At first, I thought I’d leave the pages blank. You know, you open the book expecting brilliant and — nothing. Get it? No? Ah, well, seemed funny to me.
Then I thought I’d pop in a bunch of snarky quotes by Oscar Wilde, but these rough cut pages deserve calligraphy. My handwriting is not an art form.
Eventually as days, then weeks, went by and the journal sat there empty, it occurred to me that I was letting myself be intimidated by a bit of leather and a few embossed words. Ridiculous.
And yet … is that the reason why so few of us write. Do we intimidate ourselves out of even trying? Do we think that if we can’t write something brilliant that we shouldn’t write at all?
What’s wrong with just spilling out the thought in our head, getting it down on paper, seeing where it goes? Does it have to be brilliant?
Whatever we write, however well we write it, it’s ours. Shouldn’t that be good enough?
Agreed.I think a lot of my stuff is brilliant, but I know that many will not agree. I always get a gut feeling as to when to publish something. If I don’t have it, then it gets trashed.
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I started a chapter yesterday. Perfectly happy with. Got up this morning and trashed it. Gut feelings, ugh!
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Sometimes, sleeping on something is a gift. I’ve learned my lesson from that. 😀
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Yes, it should be enough…. but that’s easier said than done. It’s the same feeling I’ve been getting at the gym, where I notice that most of the guys are 30 to 40 years younger than me, with physiques that are out of my league. My workout should be enough, but….
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No, it’s not easy.
I was running outside a few years ago, sun was out, my music was on, and I was feeling pretty good until I noticed everyone else whizzing by me… and there went my ego 😦
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around good enough 🙂
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You (and I mean YOU!) don’t need a journal, your writing is brilliant enough.
JP
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LOL! Smiling here 🙂
Thank you.
from ME!
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I don’t usually go for novelty notepads, they stick the price up when all I want is a thick 200+ leaf A5’er. But my missus got me a pad once that had “my ideas are so awesome they will blind you if you open this book” on the front cover. On the inside cover it said “actually they are stolen please dont tell anyone.” Yep. Tickled me. 🙂
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LOL! Yep, I would gave bought that one too 🙂
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