The Critic Inside

Oh, that evil voice inside my head. The critic that abuses me while I write. The entity that tells me it isn't good enough and I am wasting my time.

The know-it-all, so sure of his knowledge, messes with my head. He is the one that edits my work while I'm not looking. Bringing doubt into everything I write, with evil glee. Making himself, I'm sure it's a "he," stronger as he beats my confidence down.

He is the one responsible for my distrust of others opinions of my writing. He is the one telling me they are only being nice, they aren't saying what they really think. This is the one that hurts me the most. The fear that he is right makes me crave the approval of my peers. I want to believe they are being sincere and that "he" is the one being insincere.

I am getting better at ignoring him, or at least resisting the urge to throw everything away. It is still hard for me to believe in myself and whatever ability I may or may not have.

This rambles a bit, due no doubt, to the voice in my head struggling to put his two-cents in. He wants to be sure he receives his fair share of the good or bad reviews we get.

P.S. "The Artist's Way" has been a big help to me. As well as this forum, I had not written a thing since last fall. It feels good. Thank you and Write On!!!