Encouragement that bad writing is fine
I oftentimes stop writing after a few sentences because the sentences I've written down aren't good. I want to share some things I think of when I feel like my writing is bad.
An exercise I would guide my younger creative self through:
— Visa’s Verbose Vaudeville (@visakanv) February 23, 2022
1. Make a list of your favorite works
2. List out everything bad, janky, poorly done etc about them
3. Notice how this does not diminish your love for the works
4. realize that this will be true of your work too
Visa talks about how our favorite works are not perfect, yet we still love them.
I've noticed this with Ava's Bookbear Express. In "two years," she says all she does is write about "uncategorized thoughts" and her feelings, and she consistently posts every week. I don't think the stuff she writes is spectacularly good, but I still enjoy reading them. I'm surprised that a lot of people read her posts and she makes a living off of substack subscriptions. And that's from writing about what's on her mind and not the absolute crazy best!
I also enjoy Valerie Zhang's posts even though they're short and written haphazardly with ALL CAPS and stream of consciousness style. In "you can start a blog today," she says you can write even if you are naked in your room! The bar is so low and I love imagining being someone who's not prepared and surrounded by a mess in his room still typing away.
I also think is Aaron Swartz. The posts I like most are about what happened in the day and personal life when he was at Stanford. And his blog is ranked #24 on blogsurf.io! I love posts about what's like to be another person and it's reassuring that quick posts about someone's life is still amazing.
I am also encouraged by reading things written by children.
4th grader wrote this during distance learning two years ago. pic.twitter.com/GMKrzo6Vb2
— Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic 🐀 (@grubreport) October 25, 2022
I like this thread of poems written by a second grader. I can feel the soul there!
This is for my fellow creatives out there: these poems came from his 2nd grade soul when he was at his most frustrated by writing and poetry and the pandemic.
— Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic 🐀 (@grubreport) October 26, 2022
It also makes me feel like it is ok to be frustrated by writing and my circumstances.
Another thing that encourages me is this diary entry.
Wtf was wrong with me😂 pic.twitter.com/Xllr461oPa
— Steezzz💤 (@steezykane) January 24, 2022
Visa's caption of it in Introspect says, "Journaling is an excellent way for you to discover precisely how you are deceiving yourself."
It reminds me that simple journaling and keeping on writing is very powerful.
I remember every day in second grade, we had to fill out a page in our journal before writing time ended. I didn't know what to write, so I wrote how a scene in Diary of a Wimpy kid would play out in my life many many times. I know the things I wrote were not good, but when I look back at them, I am still proud.
