I’m NOT An Aspiring Writer.

My name is Juli Hoffman and I am a writer.

There!  I said it.

Does this mean I’ve been able to pay my bills with my words?  Not yet.  Does this mean I have publishing houses beating a path to my door?  Nobody’s stopping them.  Does this mean I’m writing nearly every day?  YES.  Yes, it does.

Writers write.  There’s nothing magical about the title of writer.  There isn’t a special feather that will make it all real.  There’s no unicorn in a pink tutu, tossing rabbit pellets at you, saying, “If you get hit with one of these beauties, then you can call yourself a writer.  A real writer.  Not a fake, imaginary writer.  A real writer.”

If you’re waiting to feel like you’re worthy to be labeled as a writer, it may never happen. That’s perfectionism talking.  Perfectionism and I have been battling it out for YEARS, so I recognize the voice.  Perfectionism tells you, “When this, this, and this happens…THEN you can start your life.”  Perfectionism criticizes everything you do.  It labels you as not good enough.  Perfectionism skips hand-in-hand with Procrastination.  When everything’s perfect, then you can live out your dreams, but you should probably work on that…later.  Yeah…later is better, right?

The problem is, there will never be a time in your life when things are perfect.  It’s never going to happen.  Never, never, never!!!  Embrace the imperfection.  Give it a hug.  Don’t wait around for some alternate future where you can be the person you know you were meant to be.  Seriously?  What are you waiting for?  You’re not a carton of milk.  You don’t have a specific expiration date.  If you’re waiting around for the right motivation, you may have to buy yourself a comfier chair, because you could be waiting around for a long, LONG time.  Or not!  You could be worm food tomorrow.  Cheery thoughts, but what can I say?  I’m a realist who’s wasted far too many years.  I get it.  I’ve made a ton of excuses with nothing to show for it.  Wah! Wah! Waaaah!!!  Nobody cares about my excuses.  They’re meaningless.

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”

—C.G. Jung

If you want to be a writer, then do it!  Write!!!  Don’t make excuses.  Don’t wait around for the right feeling to come along.  A published writer is a writer who’s been published, but you don’t NEED to be published to be a real writer. Don’t allow perfectionism to trash-talk your dreams.  You’re welcome!   😉

*This completes the 7th assignment for Writing 101.