They say, “We are our own worst critics,” and though I do not know who this “They” is, I can say that adage has never sat right with me. As writers, isn’t it sort of a given that we critique our own work? Who else but us has unfettered access to our material 24/7? I know that by the time I’ve reached the “ask-an-equally-exhausted-creative-type-friend-to-look-over-your-work” part of the editing process, everything can seem predictable or unimportant. But that’s only because I’ve lived with it for so long and so intimately that I’ve lost perspective on it.
How are you doing? No, really, how are you doing? Have you been kind and patient with yourself the last while? Have you been keeping perspective on your own writing? On everything you’ve accomplished this last year?
It’s easy to sound insincere when trying to reassure or encourage someone. But if you’ll indulge me, I’d love to take this time to remind you just how amazing you are.
1. You made it through Zoom University! Whether you’re in the midst of your degree or preparing to graduate, you’ve done it! This was a huge shift, and it wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but you did it!
2. You were a TA! You graded dozens, if not hundreds, of assignments on top of your own coursework, and you were there for your students, ready to help at a moment’s notice. You got to aid young creatives in finding and refining their voices; that’s so, indescribably cool!
3. You took care of yourself! This is the most amazing thing of all (in my opinion). You kept yourself fed, you took time for yourself, you laughed…You’ve survived. You’re here. Thank you.
I won’t pretend to know how much else you took on this year, what other roles you had to fill—socially, professionally, personally—but you’ve done it all so, so well. Keeping these plates spinning can be hard at the best of times, and as we all know, these are not the best of times. I hope that if you’ve critiqued yourself, you’ve also been able to keep perspective on all that you’ve accomplished this year. The work you’ve put in is incredible and worthy of celebration. You are worthy of celebration.