"I don't like to write. I like to have written."
– Gloria Steinem
That feeling of wanting to express myself, of having something to say, of a deep desire to connect with people with my words and thoughts and ideas. . .
. . .but not knowing how to do it. Or, more accurately, afraid that I'm not going to do it as well, or as creatively, or inspirationally, or as concisely, as I'd like.
That human thing that we all have where we want to be seen and heard and validated for being good and kind and interesting and intelligent and. . .
How do I put that into words? How do I capture my thoughts, my ideas, my immenseness?
How do I write what I want to write in a 1300 character post? Or a 750 word blog? Or a short story, or an entire book?
I don't know. I don't have the answer. I haven't figured it out.
Well, that's not true.
Every single time I stare at a blank "Create a post" box, a blank notebook page, a blank document, a little bit of fear creeps in.
The fear of uncertainty, of imperfection, of having to edit, of negative feedback, of my ideas being stale or irrelevant or dismissed or countered.
It's all there. Every time.
And yet I keep writing. Keep sharing. Keep contributing. Keep connecting. Keep inspiring.
Because that's what I do. I push through the fear. And write.