I’ve been away for a minute now. For those of you that hung around, I am grateful. For those of you who have moved on, I do not blame you since blogs are about continuity and engagement…both of which I’ve allowed to slide between my fingers temporarily.
This is for my creative family; folks that love to write, create art, music and act. We are a demographic that must persevere even when life hands us criticism from those who we hold dear. While we continue to push even when we get the wind knocked out of us, our desire to obtain the recognition (which includes monetary reward) will always burn inside of us fueling our innate longing to keep grinding until we reach our goal.
And then there are the missteps that causes us to lose our footing, forcing us to take a few steps back and plot our next move forward.
I’ve given myself the pep talk which often includes the words, “Failure is not an option.” I am still giving myself that pep talk. It is continuous because while I am grateful for the people that came into my professional life, I have received more people that wish to pick my pockets clean in offering me services that I can only assume are the magic bullet to propel me into the next phase of my writing career.
I do not give myself enough credit for what I have achieved to date. I entered the writing industry with nothing and continue to navigate these waters…sometimes with ease, other times with hesitancy and trepidation. It comes with the territory.
Admittedly, sometimes I cannot see the forest through the trees. I am extremely proud of all what I’ve accomplished in the thirteen years that I made my mark and decided that this is the industry that I want to be a part of.
My hope is to continue climbing the literary mountain until I have reached the peak where I can lay camp and just enjoy the view. I encourage all of you to do the same as I know you will because, “Failure is not an option.”
~ J.L. Whitehead
