Fear of Legitimacy

This post was inspired by one of my beautiful friends. Several of my friends are creatively blessed. Some take photos, some write, some paint, some make music, & some do all four or a combination of some.

Most of them hesitate to accept themselves as legitimate creators though. They refuse to call themselves Musicians, or Writers, or Artists, or Photographers. Why? I think it's because of three things.

One, they enjoy it & don't take it too seriously & haven't tried to make a career or money out of it.

Two, people fear that a "real" artist, musician, writer, or Photographer will call them out.

Three, society says you have to choose one thing & that's what you are. You can't be an IT tech & a writer. What you call yourself, if you do both, is determined by how much money you make at both. If you get a steady paycheck at the IT gig, and only make $20 off an article, then you are an IT Tech, but you're not a writer.

I call bullshit.

When you are IT'ing, you're an IT Tech, but man, when you are writing...you're a freakin' writer. Period. Even when you are IT'ing, you are STILL a writer. You write. That makes you a writer. Artists art, Painters paint, photographers take pictures, musicians make music, and writers write.

Be proud of those creative things you do. Don't sell yourself short. If I never sold anything in my life & worked my 8 hr. a day job for the rest of my life, would that make me less of an artist? Hell no! I might not ever be considered a Professional artist, but I'd still be an artist. We need more creatives in this world. So please, if you create be proud. Don't hide it. Don't deny it. Come on out into the sunshine.

Sometimes You Have to Choose the Hard Path

This script writing stuff is hard. Especially when you take characters that are already established that you LOVE because you don't want to hurt them. You feel like they are a part of you. That's the "Fan" talking though. The "Fan" can really screw up a good story.



While on this journey with Xena & Gabrielle for the second time as we re-watch all the episodes, we have laughed & we have cried. We've cried more. The characters have hurt so deeply & overcome incredibly difficult situations. There is something beautiful in the pain they share & what they give to each other. I realized last night that part of the problem with our story was that I wanted to save them. I didn't want them to hurt. Sure, they could get physically beat up a little, but no more emotional hurt. I wanted to fix everything & it end happy and everything be okay, just in an exciting way.



How uncharacteristic & boring. And how impossible. As a writer, you have to make the hard choices. You have to up the stakes. You have to hurt your characters or they will never move past things & grow. Xena left Gabrielle alone. After all the promises of forever & eternity & never again, she left her. Not only that, but she left her just as she came into her own as a warrior. Xena always had Gabrielle to lean on, but who does Gabby have?



Now, the anger & frustration I need my character to feel is difficult. I don't want her to be upset & angry. I don't want her to have to become hard. Just like Xena, I don't want that "light" to go out in her soul. However, as a writer, it sure would make an interesting story. It sure would hurt to see that happen. It sure would make you cheer on Xena in attempt to bring Gabrielle back from that. It would be interesting to see what Gabrielle tells Xena about how she feels about being abandoned. Much of it wouldn't be pretty & we all know we can't just go back to who we were in the past. We can only move forward & decide what direction we are going to take now. Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to let go. I love this creative process. I love everything I'm learning. Even if it hard sometimes.

Another Featured Artist: Deanna Molinaro

Sea Monster Morning

Painter, writer, sculptor, Deanna has some really awesome art to share with the world. Sometimes it amazes me what these big publishing houses pick up & what they don't. She is amazing & inspiring. I fell in love after reading the Sea Monster story. Check her out here: Deanna Molinaro