100 Day Creative Challenge 75: Sing or Thud?
Even when you love something, or someone, there are days when you feel less than enthusiastic, disappointed or inadequate. I’ve been writing for over ten years now and I’ve loved it, but I haven’t loved every minute!
When you face rejection from publishers, take harsh, even valid criticism, when you lose traction and find it hard to get back on track, when your insecurities overwhelm you, when doubt compounds into worry then into fear and paralysis that’s when you want to give up.
The ups are when the words are flowing, you hold a copy of your book for the first time, when people ask you to sign a copy of your book, when you get a good review.
I read this piece by Max Lucado today:
When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.
The character of a person is also checked by thumping.
Been thumped lately?
Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump. Thump.
How do I respond? Do I sing, or do I thud?
Do I sing or thud? That’s a great question. I think it depends on the day!
