Tangled Tuesday-A Pep Talk for #Writers and #Artists

I'm going to offer a little pep talk to anyone who needs it today. This past month three of my very talented friends have questioned whether or not they've made the right career choice. Two were quite depressed over receiving bad reviews on their books. Another sold a painting online--only to have the buyer "change their mind" once they received it.

Let's face it, you can't please everyone. What concerns me is knowing that things like this can literally destroy an author or artist's self-confidence. I get it--artists feel things deeper than most. But why would you want to give ONE person that much power? Or two...or even three?

Remember when you were a kid in school? Did you get bullied? I think a lot of people were--myself included. There was always that one bully that felt the need to point out that I had freckles. Well, duh. Like I didn't see them in the mirror every day of my life. Regardless, I let it get to me and went home (more than once) in tears. I hated school. I hated the kids that bullied me. Even more--I hated my freckles.

Now, I'm not saying that a person giving a bad review or returning an art purchase is a bully. Everyone is allowed an opinion. But how much power do you want to give these people? None.

Keep writing. Keep making art. Move on. There are many readers and art lovers out there. Do what you're driven to do. Without you--the world wouldn't be a very interesting place.