Well…I accessed the internet here at the Convers low-res MFA residency in the mountains of North Carolina, but sloooow, so I’ll be brief. We started our first full day in fine style, with a craft lecture by my fiction colleague, Marlin Barton, about rejection and criticism. Ahhh…the writing life!
Yet amidst the despair, there was hope, as Bart reminded us that the reason rejection and criticism hurt so much on a bad day is that we believe our worst and most secret fears are confirmed: we’re not talented enough, we’re frauds, everyone can see it.
BUT—those feelings—as difficult as they may be—are also good because they force us to keep pushing against the limits of our talents, and that’s what being an artist is all about.
With that in mind, it’s off to workshop!
(Eggs Benedict for breakfast—yum! And amazingly creamy grits! My clothes still fit, but if this keeps up, I’ll be heading home in a gunnysack, albeit a stylish, black one.)