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My problem with writing is the inevitable cringe I get after rereading what I wrote (especially on stuff that I wrote longer than a year ago), since by the time
by vincentmarle 6y ago
My problem with writing is the inevitable cringe I get after rereading what I wrote (especially on stuff that I wrote longer than a year ago), since by the time I reread it, I have already learned so much more and have gotten totally different insights, or the environment has changed so much that my writing is no longer relevant. And then I feel embarrassed, because if I cringe, then I start to think how many other people would cringe if they would read it.
Trying to hedge against all these outcomes results in an unhealthy high level of expectation that my writings be timeless pieces of novel and truth that it cripples my writing to the point that I stopped writing a long time ago. Any tips to overcome this?
- nicbou 6y agoI wrote a personal journal during my motorcycle travels. Not a blog, just a personal journal. I wrote down what happened and how I felt, with no regards for any audience. That was after I gave up on writing a blog about it. I read some of it a bit later. I couldn't make it through a single blog article, but poured through the journal with a wide grin. It was enjoyable precisely because it was so raw. It perfectly captured everything: the fear, the excitement, the anger, the embarrassment, the lust, the boredom. That was the story, not the diluted version I felt comfortable sharing. It felt much more real with the bad parts left in. Write for yourself, as a record. Be angry, be lewd, be irrational, but be honest.