jayarrarr:

If you have ever felt marginalized, misunderstood, neglected, ignored, alone. If you’ve ever poured your heart into a piece of creative work. If you’ve ever considered your creative pursuit a craft, and studied to perfect it. If you’ve ever considered your creative pursuit a trade, and worked to be successful. If you’ve ever considered your creative pursuit a hobby, and escaped into and through it. If you’ve ever been encouraged by a comment from a random stranger. If you’ve ever been discouraged by a comment from a random stranger. If you’ve ever been encouraged by a friend. If you’ve ever been discouraged by someone you thought was your friend —

This is for you.

If you’ve ever compared writing to bleeding or breathing, this is for you. If you’ve commented that such overwrought metaphors are ridiculous, this is for you. If you’ve ever written about writing, about process. If you’ve ever refused to write about writing because you find it dull and trite. If you’ve ever critiqued another person’s creative work. If you’ve ever criticized another person’s creative work. If you understand the difference between the two. If you don’t. If you’ve ever been angry, and jealous, that someone else’s work gets more attention than yours. If you’ve ever been shocked at the attention a piece you’ve created has received, despite the little time and effort you put into it. If you’ve ever wished you (or your work) were more popular. If you’ve ever said popularity is inconsequential —

This is for you.

If you spend a week carefully crafting a 1500-word short story. If you spend five minutes typing a poem into a tumblr text box. If anyone has ever said your work is inspiring. If anyone has ever said your work sucks and you should just quit — don’t. Read this first, because this is for you:

None of this matters. Just write. If you want to write, write. If you don’t want to write, don’t. If you want to read, read. If you don’t want to read, don’t. The same goes for any creative pursuit. We do not — none of us — live in some strange post-apocalyptic arts dictatorship where anyone is forced at gunpoint to consume art not to their liking. We’re not engineers; we’re writers. We’re painters. We’re musicians. If we don’t do things according to some particular set of standards — nobody dies. If we don’t learn the “rules” — nobody dies. As creators, we do not — none of us — have the power to change the world, except when we do. And when we do, it’s for the better.

(via loumauve)