“Sometimes things happen to us that are just beyond our control. And when these things happen, there's really nothing you can do about it. You just accept it and prepare for the worst. [...] Sometimes you have to accept it and have faith.”
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi
-Writing dark topics/sad or tragic endings
-Writing fanfiction
-Writing a lot of projects at the same time or just focusing on a single one
-Having difficulty naming things
-Having difficulty writing dialogue or descriptions or action sequences
-Having areas in writing that you find difficult
-Only writing in a single genre
-Only really covering one topic in your writing
-Being scared to branch out of your comfort zone
-Never wanting to publish
-Being rejected by publishers
-Not using clever word play in your writing
-Having literal writing style
-Writing slower than those around you
-Being unable to finish any of your projects you start
-Having to take long breaks even though you didn't write a lot
-Getting exhausted by writing (it's not that you don't love it, it's just exhausting!)
There are so many more things I can add to this list. Literally every single habit of writers, I could add to this list. These are just some really big ones I've seen people get down on themselves about. So just remember: you are no less of a writer than those around you. Be proud, love your writing. You put the time and effort into it. No one has put the time you have into it, so you should love it more than anyone in the whole world.
Love your writing, no matter what kind of writing it is, no matter how diverse the subjects and genres are... it doesn't matter. YOU made it. You alone.
something that i’m struggling with that i feel like others might need a reminder of as well is that school is not everything. school is a great tool to get you to where you want to be, but there is no shame in taking time off school to focus on other things. school and scholarships will always be there if you decide to go back. i know that going to school and getting a higher education is a privilege, but that doesn’t mean you’re selfish for taking things at your own pace (or not going at all).
friendly reminder to do the things you love because no matter if it fails or not, at least you'll know you tried. the muse you always wanted to write but never did because you are afraid of getting their characterization right? do it. that one graphic you always wanted to make despite feeling like your abilities aren't good enough? do it. that one person you always admired from afar but are too scared to interact with? do it. it might not always work out the way you planned, and maybe you'll end up realizing it isn't anything at all like you hoped for but don't let your insecurities get in the way of you doing what you want to do.
ive been watching a lot of mental health vids today and i got to thinking while talking to a friend..... i think a good way to balance self deprecating and self enabling tendencies is to mostly acknowledge that thoughts are...just that. thoughts!! esp w self deprecation, a healthy way to deal w that is to take a step back and examine the negative feelings u have abt urself. and then u just shrug ur shoulders and say, "so what?"
- feeling stupid? so what, ur still smart enough to acknowledge there are things u need to improve!
- feeling ugly? so what, the only people who will actually call u that to ur face are elementary school bullies. (if there are ppl who do that aren't in elementary school, resorting to criticizing you over things you can't control makes them no better than an elementary achool bully.)
- feeling generally undesirable? so what, there are plenty of ppl out there who are willing to deal with what u personally consider mediocrity!
as for self-enabling tendencies, i think a good way to handle them would be......smthn like, "will this actively contribute to my satisfaction in life, or just give me a brief hit of dopamine?"
whether it's food (esp stuff u know will leave u on the toilet later from issues like lactose intolerance or things particularly aggravating for ur ibs), impulse purchases, or saying smthn rude in the moment you will later regret (i know i need to work on this on the rare occasion im irrationally angry LMAO), u need to think stuff like:
- will this food item make me feel better after eating it, or do i know from prior experience that it makes me feel sick?
- will this purchase be smthn i will display in my home or wear or use often and be happy about seeing every day, or will i leave it to rot in the closet or garage or basement?
- is this comment something this person needs to hear for their own wellbeing, or will it just upset them and make us both spiral into a pointless argument?
obviously recovery is a long, arduous road. but it's all worth it in the end to feel better abt urself and others. u deserve to feel that. i don't want any comments or reblogs abt how "oh this applies to everyone but me": actually, it ESPECIALLY applies to you. believing you're not worthy of basic positive experiences in life is, in fact, a very harmful form of self deprecation.
i don't care how "toxic" of a person you think you are. truly toxic people don't care about the negative effect they have on others whatsoever. they don't dwell on whether they're good people or not. meanwhile, good people make an attempt to get better. sometimes, maybe even often, they will falter, and it's natural. it's natural to make mistakes. it's natural to relapse on occasion. again, the road to recovery is tough. but i promise that you deserve good things. 💚💚
screenshot this post, print it out, set it as ur lockscreen, whatever you need to do to remind urself that you're worthy and deserving of love - whether it's from others, or yourself.