Wednesdaily with Pep Talk

[ellenmillion]

Today?

I need a pep talk.

And, failing to have one miraculously appear from other sources, here I am to give it to myself.

Listen up, self!

You've got a lot on your plate, and some scary stuff coming up. It's okay to be scared. It's not okay to let being scared keep you from doing all the things you know you need to.

Taxes, for example, have a big concrete deadline, which is TOMORROW.* Snap to.

The EMG-Zine anthology does not suck, and you are stupid for putting it off so long because you are afraid that it does. Indeed, it is even better than previous years. Just finish it already, and you will feel much better. Likewise with the steampunk coloring book, for which you already have many people clambering!

You do not suck for having only written 3 1/2 stories yesterday. 3 1/2 stories (nearly 3000 words) is a fine showing, and nothing to be ashamed of. They do not suck, you are not a hack, and you should not burn all of your writing and retire from the Internet to sulk in peace.

You are not going to end up in a poorhouse because no one will hire you freelance. You are nearly ready to unleash Potentially Profitable Project #723, and while you should not invest a million dollars and your entire feeling of self-worth into it, neither should you just expect it to bomb on you and leave you destitute. There is happy middle ground! Find it. Like many of your other projects, it may not bring you riches and glory, but it definitely has a place. Like many of your other projects, the final implementation is likely to change a great deal.

The radioactive scan tomorrow will not change you into a super mutant, no matter how much you secretly fear and/or wish that it will.

And, perhaps most importantly, everything is going to be okay. However it turns out, have faith that it will be for the best.

Do your best. Work hard. Have faith. Love what you do.

Love,

Yourself.




*They are done, I just need to re-write them in pen, write the check, and mail the damn things.

PS: I have a new story up at Torn World: Dress Code, and a new piece of artwork, Karavai (naked man warning, though nothing naughty is showing...)

Comments

[valdary.livejournal.com]

*HUGS*
You are brilliant. I haven't made much money from my art, but if it wasn't for following your example I would have made none at all. I make enough now to pay for my materials and stuff which lets me keep doing what I love.
Love you!

[polarbee.livejournal.com]

I'm not terribly good at pep talks, but I really admire your work and hope you keep at it. I read a short article recently about procrastination and how it's actually deeply rooted in primal impulses. Something makes us feel bad (whatever it may be) so our primal instinct is to shove it away so it stops, even if our conscious mind knows that getting over the initial "badness" will feel better in the end.

Good luck and push on through. As my Mother In Law is fond of saying, "This too shall pass."

[fatfred.livejournal.com]

After 6 months of Chemo and Radiation I STILL, don't have any superpowers.
Frankly, I'm dissapointed.

[tonithegreat.livejournal.com]

I think you are an awesome ninja of writing and art.

Your stuff on torn world is so good that sometimes I look at it (along with the work of many other contributors on there) and think to myself, "Uh, you might not belong on here, Toni." But I am going to keep submitting! And I would be very very sad if you quit writing!

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

Hey, great self pep-talk! I wish the ones I gave myself were half as good.

So, to reiterate with the Short Version (since repetition helps, too):

Ellen, you Do Not Suck. Your projects Do Not Suck. Have faith, you can finish them!

Now get back to work!

:D

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

I believe in you and you are amazing and many of the people I respect, respect and admire you. Says lots and lots about you.

[kelkyag]

<cheers and waves pom-poms> Gooooooo, Ellen!

3.5 stories and 3000 words is so far from "suck" I don't even have words for it. Have I mentioned how astonishing I find it that anyone writes a *whole story* in less than a day, let alone several?

Also, I love Dress Code.

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

**HUGS**

[hailerro.livejournal.com]

You write an amazing pep talk!

We all need to be reminded that we 'do not suck' and that we all judge our own efforts unfairly on a sliding scale that is non-beneficial.

I hope your scan goes well (and that the taxes got mailed in!)

Much Love and wishes for happiness to you (and the ever elusive 'self contentment with one's art and writing')

[selinafenech.livejournal.com]

Hope you're doing ok! Haven't been around online much, so I haven't caught up with the full story, but have seen enough to know there's some scary medical things happening for you! Sending best wishes your way.

*hugs*

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I really appreciate all the hard work you are putting into Torn World. It couldn't happen without you. And Karavai is yummy!