I was just fretting this morning about how self-focused my poetry is ("bad poetry is about the self, good poetry isn’t"). But then, like you, poetry is how I process my life. It has to please me first (and maybe only me) to serve its main purpose. Every time I try to write for someone else, it's just bad.
It's all good! Follow your bliss is my mantra. I always wanted more out of life. Writing is one of the things I love to do, and it only matters that I am happy doing it (if it wasn't a happy thing, I wouldn't do it.) If anything I create makes someone's day, then I've done my job. I know the literary gatekeepers have their purpose...it's a special club for those who have a pedigree and know the right people. I don't begrudge them their privilege; they worked for it, I say, good for them! I know the self-published industry is overwhelmingly flooded with inexperienced writers following their bliss, but some gems do exist in the mix because the gatekeepers denied them membership in the traditional club. Once I gave up on the traditional route, I held my nose and jumped into that pool of dreams in 2009-2010 when I began publishing my first two novels (I know they're not perfect, and I certainly could improve on them now that I'm more experienced. My third novel is very close to being published after 20 years of fussing around making it right.) I'll never say I'm great, talented, or clever in any special way. I won't pat myself on the head for my hard work. I certainly don't need someone with cred to come to me with their magic wand to bop me on the head and declare, "You're a writer!" (Duh, I am a writer.) I do what I do because I love it. It is about "dreams and realities." Sometimes, living the dream is a nightmare, especially for someone who is compromised with health issues and quirky with a neurodiverse brain. I've given up on the gatekeepers, agents, and the traditional route mostly because I prefer my independence and freedom to choose how to spend my time, create my work, and how I want my book cover to look. The last thing I want is to have someone suddenly telling me what to do and where to go, put me on "their" schedule, and suddenly, my time is no longer mine, and I have to jump through flaming hoops because of money. Money is nice, but I would have to pay the price to make it on their terms, not just for me but for the larger entity demanding my time...that price is too much. I feel free to move through my life, not concerned with pleasing someone with power over what I do. I spent nearly 40 years of my life working a day job and having to bite my tongue and keep my head down for a paycheck and benefits. I'm so done with that. Write and love what you create; enjoy stringing words together to make something beautiful, simple, or complex; make it yours! Follow your bliss!
Hear hear!! I agree!! 👍🏼
I was just fretting this morning about how self-focused my poetry is ("bad poetry is about the self, good poetry isn’t"). But then, like you, poetry is how I process my life. It has to please me first (and maybe only me) to serve its main purpose. Every time I try to write for someone else, it's just bad.
Pleased you agree. ☺️
I love you for this!
☺️❤️☺️❤️☺️
It's all good! Follow your bliss is my mantra. I always wanted more out of life. Writing is one of the things I love to do, and it only matters that I am happy doing it (if it wasn't a happy thing, I wouldn't do it.) If anything I create makes someone's day, then I've done my job. I know the literary gatekeepers have their purpose...it's a special club for those who have a pedigree and know the right people. I don't begrudge them their privilege; they worked for it, I say, good for them! I know the self-published industry is overwhelmingly flooded with inexperienced writers following their bliss, but some gems do exist in the mix because the gatekeepers denied them membership in the traditional club. Once I gave up on the traditional route, I held my nose and jumped into that pool of dreams in 2009-2010 when I began publishing my first two novels (I know they're not perfect, and I certainly could improve on them now that I'm more experienced. My third novel is very close to being published after 20 years of fussing around making it right.) I'll never say I'm great, talented, or clever in any special way. I won't pat myself on the head for my hard work. I certainly don't need someone with cred to come to me with their magic wand to bop me on the head and declare, "You're a writer!" (Duh, I am a writer.) I do what I do because I love it. It is about "dreams and realities." Sometimes, living the dream is a nightmare, especially for someone who is compromised with health issues and quirky with a neurodiverse brain. I've given up on the gatekeepers, agents, and the traditional route mostly because I prefer my independence and freedom to choose how to spend my time, create my work, and how I want my book cover to look. The last thing I want is to have someone suddenly telling me what to do and where to go, put me on "their" schedule, and suddenly, my time is no longer mine, and I have to jump through flaming hoops because of money. Money is nice, but I would have to pay the price to make it on their terms, not just for me but for the larger entity demanding my time...that price is too much. I feel free to move through my life, not concerned with pleasing someone with power over what I do. I spent nearly 40 years of my life working a day job and having to bite my tongue and keep my head down for a paycheck and benefits. I'm so done with that. Write and love what you create; enjoy stringing words together to make something beautiful, simple, or complex; make it yours! Follow your bliss!