Joseph Gergen Works

The other day I had a fleeting and horrible idea of offering feedback services to aspiring writers. The idea fled because it knew I wouldn’t work that hard. The horridity of the idea was not that I couldn’t give feedback (I actually have a decent grasp on what good feedback is and isn’t), but that I’m a terrible role model of a writer so why would I corrupt anyone with my notions of good writing. And I have no idea whether I am a good writer (though there are many a good coach and instructor who can teach a thing they cannot do).

And not that anyone is asking for my advice. It was just an idea. Even if clearly a silly idea. In fact it was so silly I shouldn’t even be writing this, but alas here I am.

Perhaps I find it silly because I don’t even think of myself as a writer, though I do think of myself as a creator, a creator who creates for himself, whatever and however that creation occurs.

I suppose many people think of themselves this way, which is good otherwise I would be setting myself up as some anomaly, which I certainly am not.

Where is this going, you ask? I’m not sure. I’m just letting it flow. We’ll figure out a point eventually, maybe.

For me and many others creation is therapy. Creation is not a career or a vocation, though sometime it can look like a passion. Unfortunately, viewing creation as therapy can create some dissonance with the writing world, and especially the publishing world.

Because here’s a hard truth about my feelings about my writing (about my creative therapy): I don’t’ want constructive feedback. My therapeutic output is not up for debate.  I mean, I do like it if people like my writing. We all do. But I have no control over that, regardless of how I go about writing so I will write how I want.

I think about when I create an abstract painting. I don’t ask people how I should repaint it. Even if they gave me feedback, I’m not going to repaint it.

Now that’s not to say I don’t need someone to fix my grammar and my spelling and punctuation and continuity and such. I certainly need help with those technicalities. And I only bow to that because the Western world is SO fixated on technical perfection that any technical error undermines all artistic merit. But that’s another subject.

So back to the point. I guess the point is that I do have one piece of advice for certain writers. If you write to soothe your soul, write whatever and however the hell you want. Your soul will thank you if not the publishing world.