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The fear of finding your voice

Over the past week or so I’ve appreciated reading several great posts by some of my fellow bloggers, all centred around or touching on the theme of finding, accepting, not second-guessing, and developing our own individual voice as expressed through our writing.

Some examples of these fine posts:

I agree with the points raised by these writers, who expressed and explored several of the feelings and struggles I’ve been processing as I work towards finding and developing my own voice, particularly this year as I’ve been making a practice of writing daily.

But always there are fears that lurk at the back of my mind (and, I confess, sometimes right out front), distracting me from digging deeper, exploring further, and taking risks.

What if I find my voice, but discover that it’s really nothing special?

What if I find my voice, but discover that it’s actually hurtful or offensive to someone?

What if I find my voice, but discover that no one actually wants to hear it?

Do you ever deal with these fears? How do you come to terms with them? What strategies do you employ to keep them firmly at the back of your mind rather than at the forefront, or, preferably, get rid of them altogether?

Please share your thoughts.

Laurel Storey, CZT – Certified Zentangle Teacher. Writer, reader, tangler, iPhoneographer, cat herder, learner of French and Italian, crocheter, needle felter, on-and-off politics junkie, 80s music trivia freak, ongoing work in progress.