what do you tell yourself when you think you're shit at what you do?

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but you wish you were better?

e.g - you think youre a bad writer and think you could do better (this might be delusionary though). what do you do to console yourself?

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

http://ilx.wh3rd.net/newquestions.php?board=1

― ENRQ (Enrique), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Here, and also I generally distract myself by rubbing one out.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"I have mouths to feed. Snap out of it! Adopt, Adapt & Improve"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I am very prone to this.

Options are:
Have cigarette and cup of tea and give self stern pep-talk.
Read CV and remind myself that even if I am shit I must have fooled some of the people some of the time.
Sulk in a horrible, crazy manner - then boyfriend/ flatmates (none of whom should have to put up with this) say comforting things and possibly give me wine/ other intoxicating substance.
Give up for the rest of the day, go swimming, buy food, tidy up a bit and hope it will be better in the morning.
Re-read emails where people have said good things.
Just try and keep going and work through it.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

what if you just think youll never be as good as you want to be/other people in your field?

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:36 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks anna, btw.

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Take a break. Go for a walk, I think Anna's perfectly right. Or just work through your troubles, plug away and set more immediate goals than long term ones.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't think about the never good enough thing. Big box of demons. Keep trying. Don't think about it. (If I was saying this rather than typing you would notice the faint edge of hysteria that comes from sitting on top of the big box of demons and trying to keep it shut before they fly out and devour your soul.)

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:41 (twenty-one years ago)

basically snorting large amounts of cocaine in between sentences has improved any self-doubt issues i ever had with my writing.

― ENRQ (Enrique), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

This is where Julie Burchill fandom takes you Enrique?

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think anyone (well, anyone i like) ever thinks they're really good/smart/attractive, even if they really are. it's part of the downside of being intelligent, all that self doubt. i'd take anna's advice. if she's sitting on a box of demons even though she rocks hard, everybody must be...

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"hmm, no motivation right now, I'll just pop onto ILX for a minute"

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I have made a JB-esque u-turn and decided I now hate Julie Burchill!

― ENRQ (Enrique), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"hmmm, still no motivation, ill stay on ILX another 2 hours."

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I must try some of this "cocaine".

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 29 July 2004 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

im gonna give up writing i think and get a real job.

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

FWIW I've found that my writing has improved dramatically as I become involved with other full-time career things. When I was (though I would've been loathe to call it unemployed)collecting unemployment and writing full I'd find myself chronically unhappy with my output. This was, in part, because I had so much goddamn time to sit and stew over my output that I'd obsessively rewrite grim little stories and add chapters to novels that didn't end up anywhere but in the dustbin. As I was forced into greater contact with the working world, and realized that outside of my circle of incredibly gifted, published, ambitious writing friends I was very talented, and not just another face, I became rededicated to my task. My ability's greatly improved if I devote an hour or two a day to writing and not more, and if I'm getting constant feedback from people outside of my immediate circle. Conscientious peer-editing's the natural way to do this, and I'd be happy to take a look at any of your work (and I teach elementary writing in a crummy urban school so I guaranfuckingtee that any submission won't look bad to me), if you felt comfortable and inclined.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Thursday, 29 July 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate hate hate my own procrastination right now. I have absolutely no excuse for it.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 29 July 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, you're pursuing the writing options as well, Jeremy? We must talk, I am currently searching for an agent...

My own measure of whether or not I've 'failed' is less one of job aspects than life ones. Dwelling in the pits there is extremely corrosive.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 July 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Definately agree, Ned. My attitude toward writing career's become one of mutual aggression. I figure if I can write / promote / whatever enough, I'll beat it to death. It, in turn, figures that it'll bow me into submission. In the meantime I've moved forward with my non-writing activities and pursued publication at a hobby level.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Thursday, 29 July 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

If nothing else, we can chat and consider. Hobby is good (essentially what I've been doing this whole while), but now I wish to step up a bit. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 July 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

cheers for the advice jeremy, i might take you up on your offer.

i think if i thought of it as a hobby, i would probably be better.

― thesplooge (thesplooge), Thursday, 29 July 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I blame other people.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 29 July 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I try to enjoy the process instead of worrying about the product. The product invariably benefits when I start having fun.

― Maria D. (Maria D.), Thursday, 29 July 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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