Thank you for being so vulnerable! Envy is something I struggle with on a daily basis too. It's the worst when I feel it because my writer friends are experiencing success and I feel inferior by comparison.
Something that's helped me recently is starting a "brag file" for myself. It's a Google Doc that I fill with everything that reminds me why I'm doing this: publication acceptances, writing milestones, kind rejection letters from publishers, excited texts from beta reader friends, emails from mentors that remind me my work has value to offer. It's helpful to look at when I'm filled with emotions I'd rather not experience. :)
Auzin! It’s so kind of you to share that, thank you. It’s so hard to battle envy when those around you appear to be (or really are) thriving.
I love the idea of the brag file. I tend to screenshot compliments about my writing, but organizing them into one folder would probably be a lot more useful for sad future me :)
This was so good and so REAL. I used to struggle with envy to a debilitating degree. I’ve learned to just spend less time centering myself and to center the art instead. That way, when other writers are where I want to be, I view it as a team effort. In the end, (at least, I’d like to believe) we’re all after and in love with the same thing.
Thank you so much, Marble! I’m glad I’m not alone in those debilitating envious moments AND that there’s a way out. It’s so much more effective to focus on what you can control, which in our case is our art, as you said.
Much to my surprise, I've recently become quite interested in birds. I'm happy to say that my library has What It's Like to Be a Bird - thanks for sharing it!
That's a lovely invitation, thank you! I'm curious, do you have mourning doves in your neck of the woods? We've got at least one that imitates a crow when it's flying onto a perch and I haven't seen anything about them doing that!
HA! I do have them (and love them—I know some people find their coos annoying but I find them so relaxing and nostalgic) but I’ve certainly never heard one imitate another species. That’s so cool. Doves are more clever than we give them credit for! :)
Turns out their still have volunteers going around the hospital offering magazines and they had one called Birds and Blooms! It's full of lovely info and pictures I'm looking forward to collating in my journal with later on.
Oh my lord. The only thing I can’t determine is if I am more envious of people being more successful than me by doing WORSE work than mine, or those being more successful by doing BETTER work, to add insult to injury 😂
Thank you for being so vulnerable! Envy is something I struggle with on a daily basis too. It's the worst when I feel it because my writer friends are experiencing success and I feel inferior by comparison.
Something that's helped me recently is starting a "brag file" for myself. It's a Google Doc that I fill with everything that reminds me why I'm doing this: publication acceptances, writing milestones, kind rejection letters from publishers, excited texts from beta reader friends, emails from mentors that remind me my work has value to offer. It's helpful to look at when I'm filled with emotions I'd rather not experience. :)
Auzin! It’s so kind of you to share that, thank you. It’s so hard to battle envy when those around you appear to be (or really are) thriving.
I love the idea of the brag file. I tend to screenshot compliments about my writing, but organizing them into one folder would probably be a lot more useful for sad future me :)
Yesss just toss 'em into one place! 💕
This was so good and so REAL. I used to struggle with envy to a debilitating degree. I’ve learned to just spend less time centering myself and to center the art instead. That way, when other writers are where I want to be, I view it as a team effort. In the end, (at least, I’d like to believe) we’re all after and in love with the same thing.
Thank you so much, Marble! I’m glad I’m not alone in those debilitating envious moments AND that there’s a way out. It’s so much more effective to focus on what you can control, which in our case is our art, as you said.
Much to my surprise, I've recently become quite interested in birds. I'm happy to say that my library has What It's Like to Be a Bird - thanks for sharing it!
Oh, what a joy for me! Lemme know if you ever want to talk feathered friends ☺️
That's a lovely invitation, thank you! I'm curious, do you have mourning doves in your neck of the woods? We've got at least one that imitates a crow when it's flying onto a perch and I haven't seen anything about them doing that!
HA! I do have them (and love them—I know some people find their coos annoying but I find them so relaxing and nostalgic) but I’ve certainly never heard one imitate another species. That’s so cool. Doves are more clever than we give them credit for! :)
Turns out their still have volunteers going around the hospital offering magazines and they had one called Birds and Blooms! It's full of lovely info and pictures I'm looking forward to collating in my journal with later on.
My mom just got me a subscription to Birds and Blooms! I’ve gotten two issues so far and it’s such lovely light reading/browsing.
I love their cooing too. So enchanting 💖
Oh my lord. The only thing I can’t determine is if I am more envious of people being more successful than me by doing WORSE work than mine, or those being more successful by doing BETTER work, to add insult to injury 😂
HAHA oh god, I feel you 😂