writing

Encouragement Pages – 4/29/2024

The only person who has the power to take away your pen is you.

It is easy to slide into that level of disbelief— and it starts with these 4 words:

“I can’t do this.”

And with that the door is cracked. The draft has come in. Then you have a choice: will you open the door to doubt or will you shut it in faith— and try again?

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages – 4/24/2024

This may be a longer essay. Watch this space. -JBH

There are 5 things I think which make writers stop (aka give up their pen):

1.) Writing what people think you should rather than what you want.

2.) The erasure of your identity: there is a need to writers who do not look like those of the Master Narrative. If you are not cis, het, white and male— your story is needed.

3.) The lack of time. You’d be surprised how many people quit because they don’t have time.

4.) Believing other people when they tell you that you can’t — or tell you that you are better suited to another genre.

5.) Not believing you can. This is more detrimental than you think.

Sometimes continuing is resistance.

RESIST.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages – 4/19/2024

“Do not leave the arena to the fools.” -Toni Cade Bambara

There is a responsibility we have as writers to the world around us. We are in this constant state of recording and witness.

It is needed.

It is necessary.

It is medicine.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

April 2024: Growing Up

Dealing with criticism is different for every writer— but an occupational hazard of sorts for every writer.

What is crucial to understand boils down to three things:

1.) The invisible people on the internet are not the end all be all of criticism.

2.) If you focus on the negative aspects of creating — you will never create.

3.) The first person you write for is yourself.

With creating, you must understand that people are going to have something to say about it— but you cannot be defined or paralyzed because of it.

If this occurs, you are beholden to other people— and not yourself. When this happens, if this happens, the world is deprived of you.

What you must reckon with is this is something you want?

April 2024: GROWING UP

In my other life as a writing coach and mentor, the resounding thing I hear most often is the fear of starting, and the fear of criticism.

While these things are valid, only one of them is within your control— the starting.

Why is this?

If you have created nothing, there is nothing to criticize. For some people, that is a power! They get to keep creativity, and their feelings in tact. And yet, they have never created the thing by which they desire to.

They have left the fear of the might over power the need for what is.

Let’s consider this.

You want to prevent criticism by not creating. Yet, by not creating you give away your power to create — for the fear of people and what they might say.

The bravest thing you can do is create despite that: recognize that criticism is something to recognize, but not big enough to keep you from creating.

Creation is louder than criticism.