Am I Writing?

I have been reading about other writers and there seems to be one major draw-back every newbie writer makes.  In more cases than enough, a writer doesn't want to call him or herself a writer!

I have seen the same thing in the art world.  And I have to question why it is so many are afraid to call themselves this or that; to give themselves a professional title and by the same token, why there are so many who do!

In the end I think of one friend I have and her budding writing career...probably the most hungry and ambitious writer I have ever met however at the same time, I have to give her credit where credit is due!

When she first started out (now a professor teaching literature) submitted her work to the Canadian Arts Council for a grant and didn't get it, did she give up?  No way, not her, she called and asked for feedback.  And I dear say, most likely more than once.  I was never sure when she did get a grant, it was because she deserved it, or because her shear persistence proved to the council she had staying power!  Either way, she proved to me one thing: if you want to do something, then you have to take yourself seriously even if it feels wrong, your not entitled or whatever!  In the end, who decides who has the right to call himself or herself a writer or not!?!? (check out these punctuation marks...they come from texting and messaging a lot but editors HATE them!!!! lol!).

I look at myself and my writing background.  I have little published but I have been writing religiously for over 30 years!  How?...I am a letter writer!  I wrote letters to someone weekly as well as poetry and short stories for her entertainment for YEARS!  It gave me something to do to communicate and also gave her pleasure.  She was an older woman who was a published author and children's writer in her own right (award winning) and later we would talk things over on the phone.  Was I REALLY writing?  Who is to say?  I never put it out there, but it didn't mean I didn't do it!  And more importantly, I LOVED TO DO IT!  It is only recently I decided to try my hand at novel writing and put it out there.  So am I writer or not?  Well, I write, so I am a writer.  LOL sort of like my views on religion and Buddhism.  I AM a Buddhist.  Am I a GOOD Buddhist?  Well, truthfully, NOT SO MUCH! lol!  Is there a possibility one day I will be a better Buddhist?  Sure, there is always that possibility!

I guess my point is this.  If you want to be a writer, then be a writer.  Call yourself a writer.  Do whatever it is you do and don't let peer pressure or some unwritten, unspoken and implied ideas about who or what you are or can be, throw you off your path.  It is your path, live it any way you see fit.  And remember, people can INFLUENCE you if you let them, but they CANNOT create in your creative workshop/your mind.  That is private and all yours!

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