Quote of the Day:Â Words of wisdom from the late Johnny Carson:
I was raised to be humble, but that doesn’t really work in show business. You have to have a certain amount of ego to make it. I don’t mean, being all cocky, but you have to go out there with a confidence that you are the best. When you go out there, you have to believe that you are great at what you do.
I’m sitting here in my living room, with my cat on my lap, wondering what I have to say to other insecure writers (and artists and anyone who might need a confidence builder), and I’m watching a PBS special on Johnny Carson. He had to believe that he was the best of the best and go out night after night with that confidence. He didn’t have room for self-doubt. If he had it, he hid it well.
I heard a professional basketball player say something similar. He said that when he’s out on the court, he has to believe that he’s the best player out there, then he plays like it.
Do you do your art with that same kind of confidence? Do you say, “This is what I do best. People want to read my words (or see my art, eat my food, hear my ideas, etc.)” You need to. If you can’t say it out loud, think it. Write it in your journal or your bathroom mirror. Yours is the first positive voice you hear in the morning. Another way to build your confidence is to truly listen to compliments. Hear what others are saying about your work that builds you up. Keep writing, or making your art, because you don’t want to let your followers down.
I’ve been hearing from fans that they’d like to see another play this spring. I wrote, produced, directed, and acted in my first full-length play last year. I feel pressure to produce something new that is as entertaining, and excitement to do it, as well as the fear of not pulling it off. And, where’s the time, for goodness sake?!?!
Go. Create. Inspire!
And, dare to be the best at what you love to do.
(To connect with more bloggers on the list of Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, click on the badge on the right or his blog. We post our IWSG on the first Wed. of each month.)
Journaling Prompt:Â Of all your gifts and talents, what do you do the best?
Great point! Writers should try to channel their inner Johnny Carson, I think–to bring that confidence up.
Hope you’ll be able to work on another play soon!
That picture is so cute. You look a little “sneaky,” like there is a mystery-writer lurking in there.
Mary, this is so true: “Yours is the first positive voice you hear in the morning.” What a great reminder! This is a wonderfully encouraging post. I think the pressure to repeat is tremendous. I felt that with my children’s books. I finally relented and began seeking new directions to free my soul a bit. Maybe we need to think less about repeating, and more about a fresh start to produce whatever is meant to come, rather than a Part II. Whatever you end up sharing with the world next, I’m here to encourage!
“dare to be the best at what you love to do”
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This goes along with what I posted today. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility of this writing life. It paralyzes and I end up not writing at all.
We really do need to be confident in our gift and put it out there, getting better and better as we continue to write, practice and create.
Happy Wednesday, Mary!
~Jen
Great post. I used to work in IT. People were really good about presenting themselves as being better at their jobs than they really were. :/ And it somehow worked.
I think the key is being a great writer is to work really hard at the details obsessively. 🙂
I love your post. I will follow.
I bet you come up with another great play!
If we can’t believe in ourselves, no one else will either.
I’m such a big fan, and for a minute there when I read “the late…” I thought, “he’s not dead” Clearly, I’m losing my mind or living in the past.
I’m here from IWSG. Happy last first Wednesday of 2012
I have confidence in you excelling but sadly, none in myself.
i know you are right—and how great a life you have there—to write direct and act—i miss it–not the acting part—-happy Christmas to you!
Yes! All creatives need to have a certain amount of confidence in what they do. It can be a slow journey that needs frequent reminders.