One of the most difficult parts about writing blogs is overcoming the fear of putting myself out there. There's nothing quite as vulnerable as a person who has taken a part of themselves--a thought, a piece of music, a work of art--and put it on public display.
It's a dangerous practice. When you make a part of yourself public it's possible that some people will actively attack that part of you, and that can be devastating. Some people go to great lengths to protect themselves from that kind of attack.
Not that we need other people to confirm our fears to feel embarrassed. Even just knowing that a piece of ourselves is up for display is enough for us to get self-conscious, no matter how well it's received. Some people are blessed with overflowing confidence, but many others will simply never be confident.
It's a real shame, then, that we so often feel embarrassed before we even put ourselves out there, convincing ourselves that it will go poorly and deciding not to do it at all.
It's funny: I know that negative feedback is a useful thing, and if I write something that doesn't go over well that's the worst thing I'm likely to receive. However, I have a list of blog topics that I'm hesitant to write because I lack confidence.
Still, I'm doing alright. The fact that I've published so many blog posts this year so far has helped me become more confident in my writing, so perhaps I'll work my way up to those topics some day.
It's okay to be embarrassed when putting yourself out there. The important thing is that you keep doing it. It might get easier or it might not, but I think every important development starts with a bit of embarrassment.
No comments:
Post a Comment