The Other Side of Fear: The Practice of Writing Requisite Writing

Today I finished a 28 day challenge to write everyday beginning on 7/20/23. It feels so good to get in the habit of writing requisite writing, not just writing around the writing (which is something I tend to do often afraid to dive into the actual deep writing).

I got the PDF to print out and track from Austin Kleon.

I love what he says on his website:

“Lower your standards for what counts as progress,” writes Adam Grant, “and you will be less paralyzed by perfectionism.” To get good, you first have to be willing to be bad. Don’t practice to get good, practice to suck less.

He’s right. I feel like I’m starting to “suck less” with fiction writing. Just taking it day by day and letting myself stumble and fall on the page. Like playing during recess, doing the Cherry Drop on the bars, daring to spin, release, jump, fall down. Kids naturally play hard, not afraid to fail. So why are we adults so scared?

I heard Bari Baumgardner speak recently about how she got started in entrepreneurship, and how she pivoted her events company during the pandemic from IRL to virtual. She said something along the lines of this:

Do it messy.
Do it scared.

Do it imperfectly.

But do it anyway.

On the other side of fear is the real joy.

I’m paraphrasing the above out of memory, but hot damn, I’m ready to get to The Other Side of Fear!