When your mental narrative gets in the way of your writing, it’s often your ego, not your talent, that’s to blame. So says, Camille DeAngelis, author of Life Without Envy: Ego Management for Creative People, a practical guide to dealing with feelings of jealousy, frustration and inadequacy to create a happy life regardless of how your writing career is (or isn’t going).
Camille’s own negative self-talk began when her second novel went out-of-print. She became pessimistic, trapped by disparaging emotions. Her creativity and writing were stymied. A successful writer with a catalog of work published by the “Big Five” houses, Camille knew she needed to change her mindset. What followed was a period of self-examination and a series of epiphanies. She was inspired to craft her experience into a guide book, of sorts, for like-minded, like-stymied, creative people.
At the June virtual meeting of the South Jersey Writers’ Group, Camille led members through a series of exercises designed to identify and weed out negativity in their writing practice. Her intent was to get members to shift their view of creativity. She reminded members, “Finding the place where your work brings you joy” is often the best place to start.
Camille offered her short-list of ways to address this ego-based trap.
- Build high-quality work over time to find fulfillment in the writing process.
- See your art as an offering instead of an achievement of worthiness
- Train yourself to re-frame your disappointments
- Prioritize wellness
- Undertake private writing to clarify your purpose and document progress.
Whether experiencing negativity in the form of writer’s block, circular revisions, or the dreaded rejection letter, it’s important to see the opportunity each offers. In order to keep the creative process moving forward, re-framing these experiences as course corrections, not failures. The result will free the mind and provide an open channel for creativity.
Article text by Sharyn Konyak
Find Camille and her books at the following links:
Bookshop links:
https://bookshop.org/a/5155/9781250099341
(affiliate link)
Website/course links:
http://www.cometparty.com/nonfiction/life-without-envy/
https://cometparty.teachable.com/p/provisional-confidence/
http://www.cometparty.com/learn-with-me/
