Goal Syndrome
Being a writer can be challenging. No one ever told me that it would be easy. I didn’t expect it to be, and honestly, I can count on one hand how many people in my life have encouraged me to be passionate about my work. There's a sense of calm that comes with the pleasure of creating a world of your own, where the monsters of this world don't stand a chance against an antagonist whose only weapon is courage and love. Simple. The simple solution for solving all of the world's problems. However, as artists, we allow our insecurities to get the best of us, a personal attack in our own safe space in an environment where we allow our creativity to flow freely.
Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to be interested in anything that I've written, and in the days leading up to the launch of my first self-published book, Moonlight Chronicles of the Four Arrows, I was nervous that the book itself wouldn’t get enough traction. It wasn’t until recently I learned the importance of marketing, finding your audience to drive sales, making connections to expand your network, but also asking for help when you aren’t sure what to do, cause at the end of it all I allowed my insecurities to get the best of me knowing that I couldn't do it all. You can’t do it all alone.
“You are your biggest critic” and sometimes your own worst enemy.
Recently, my two closest friends and I, who are writers as well, just embarked on our very first-ever writers retreat. Just the three of us, a crowd within itself. We stayed at the Grand Resort and Hotel in Clear Point, Alabama. Talk about gorgeous, that perfect moment when quaint esthetics meets modern luxury. Besides the memorable location, I bring this up to highlight one of the exercises we did from our itinerary. It stood out the most to me, and hopefully, after I explain why and give a few pointers myself, you, too, will understand why I enjoyed this exercise the most.
The exercise challenged us to plan out our goals for the next three months to a year. Given during the time of this retreat, it was late September. These goals covered marketing, publishing, and writing. Within those sections, we wrote what our main focus is for those goals, and on the back, we wrote what negative impacts would prevent us from completing those goals. It's no surprise that the negative effect that I've chosen for all three dealt with insecurities and my work life.
My Personal Challenges
Does that sound like an exciting exercise to you? Would you be up for the challenge? It is a great way to take a deep dive into your writing career to become a full-time or part-time Author while giving you a wider perspective of the challenges you are facing when it comes to fishing WIP or working out a better marketing strategy.
It's easy to blame your regular 9 to 5 or the lack of motivation due to the environment where you do most of your writing. It's okay; I do it too. Honestly, my day job does get in the way most of the time. I'm a Specialty Sales Manager at an attraction, and part of the job requires me to work with the Entertainment Department as their Box Office Manager, which means most evenings are dedicated to my day job.
Insecurities are something that I constantly bring up in this conversation cause, as an author/artist, it is a consistent struggle with the voices inside of my head reminding me of everything about myself that I don't like. Wrong with me versus what I perform with The Company, a St. Bernard Community Theater. Do I know what I am capable of? Yes! Cause if I weren't capable of putting on an excellent performance on stage, I wouldn't get cast in other roles with the same company, and if I weren’t a good writer, the lovely two women I mentioned before wouldn’t let me release something into this world knowing that it would fall flat. This is an example of why it is good to connect with other writers in your area, locally or online. It doesn’t have to be a large group, and trust me I get it; meeting people in public can be a bit intimidating, so use what social outlets you have to find the people you vibe with.
Another factor that plays into my self-doubt is the amount of time I put into my overhead job. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and where I work. Unfortunately, I Have a habit of bringing it home with me sometimes, and I’m not just talking about it emotionally or physically. If I’m not checking work emails on my phone, I’m checking and replying to them on the work laptop. I’m pretty sure I am not the only one guilty of doing this. So when free time does present itself, it's usually met with exhaustion at the end, especially when I get home from a long day spent in front of a computer; the last thing I want to do is get in front of a computer. However, I tend to enjoy writing the old-fashioned way, pen and paper, yet at times, even that feels like a chore. So, I’ll leave you with these two questions;
How do you become motivated to write without it feeling like a chore?
How do you find passion in your creative space?
Examples to Help Find Passion in Motivation
1. Set achievable goals: Break down your writing tasks into smaller, manageable chunks.
2. Establish a routine: Set aside dedicated time for writing and make it a habit.
3. Find inspiration: Surround yourself with sources that inspire and motivate you, such as books, articles, or creative communities.
4. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions and create a conducive writing environment.
6. Take breaks: Give yourself time to rest and recharge. Stepping away from writing can bring fresh perspectives.
7. Seek feedback: Share your work with others for constructive criticism and encouragement.
Remember, finding passion and motivation is a personal journey, so be patient and enjoy the process.
J. Marcell Russell
