The Fear

Climbing the mountain

If you're somebody who has ever created anything original, or thought about doing so, you're probably familiar with it…

Maybe you don't recognise it as a part of your story or maybe you are fully aware of its toxic impact on the work you came here to share. Maybe you are one of those unicorn-type people who won't relate to this post at all, but I have a sneaking suspicion that many, if not most, of you will understand what I'm talking about all too well.

The Fear.

The Fear shows up at every stage of the creative process. It is the voice in your ear that tells you that you have nothing new to contribute and asks why you would ever think the world would be interested in what you have to say. It's the imposter syndrome that doesn't allow you to call yourself an artist and instead has you self-deprecatingly shrugging off your work as 'just a hobby'. It's the procrastination that stops you from finishing your work, from publishing your work, from promoting your work. And, perhaps most destructive of all, it's the underlying, insidious strangling of your truth as you push down your voice in favour of palatability, popularity or commercialism.

Over the next few posts I will explore some of these ways that fear shows up in the creative process. I'll discuss the ways that The Fear has impacted me along the way and share insights into how I have overcome and continue to overcome this as I prepare to self-publish my debut novel, All The Things I Wasn't.

My hope is that you will find that you're not alone in the struggle with The Fear. Maybe you'll discover ways in which it has been holding you back that you hadn't even realised were happening. And you'll come to see that you can co-exist with The Fear and still create and put your work out into the world.

Till next time.

Amy

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