Glory is fleeting but obscurity is forever?

You don't have wear your invisibility cloak to be a real creative/ artist/ writer

Photo by id23 on Unsplash

Hey you,

I saw a post on Substack notes (which I always describe as Twitter/ X for nice people) which stopped and made me think. This is essentially what it said.

If you share your writing, and it reaches “only” one reader — but it truly moves them — is that effort worth it to you?

(BTW I am not going to name any names in this article because I don’t need to, it’s not the point I am making who said what, but rather an interest in and a view on other people opinions. I have no business in putting a spotlight on someone who may well not appreciate that or feel judged. And as ever I am not judging, I am however CURIOUS).

I watched this note as well over a hundred people replied, in one way or another ‘yes’.

Yes it’s ok if only one person is really reached and touched by my writing.

But my heart had shouted a big NO when I first read the post and honestly, when I was reading through the replies, I was so surprised that no one else was echoing my ‘no’ - even though I did get the point that they were making.

I wondered to the point where I thought, am I getting this wrong? Is there something inherently weird about me feeling that one person is simply not enough for me? (Dear reader, am I entitled? BAD?!)

Here’s my truth, tacky as it may seem.

I want people to read my stuff, many, many people. I want what I write to touch them and to provoke them into action of some sort.

Whilst I appreciate there are downside to ‘going viral’, I’d personally love to wake up to hundreds of likes and comments on something I wrote.

I want to be seen, because I want to do things that have impact. I want people to join my paid membership. I want them to turn up to journaling sessions and bookclub get togethers and enjoy what’s on offer.

I want some of them to become my coaching clients and to grow and succeed.

I don’t know why I would be here writing to you otherwise.

The image of the ‘starving artist in their garret’ is an enduring one, the literary figure, creating, writing things that are perhaps not fashionable, that are rejected as being too… something! And that it is somehow noble to ‘starve’ (metaphorically hopefully) for your art, your craft. That being popular is somehow not a good thing.

But why wouldn’t you want to create great stuff AND not starve? Write something amazing AND have people like it, share it, comment on it, go find you elsewhere, buy something, revel in your goodness?

Maybe it’s this. Do you feel safe to be seen?

I have worked with many female creatives on their struggles with visibility. It seems a universally uncomfortable thing, for women especially, to be seen in a creative and professional setting.

In many ways unsurprisingly, because as well as creativity being an inherently vulnerable thing, we regularly witness visible, audible, brilliant women getting the shit kicked out of them by the media, their competition, sometimes even their friends and allies - I see you Diane Abbott, particularly in the last few days, and I salute you.

So I get that it doesn’t feel safe to be visible sometimes.

But remember, there’s nothing safe about being UNSEEN either. Nothing safe or good about only going so far as to not rock the boat, or worse, to not get going at all. Nothing safe about failing to connect, failing to make an impact. Failing to touch and enrich many people’s lives.

You might be avoiding rejection, criticism and judgment with your smaller ambitions, but you are also avoiding the connection, success, joy that is surely out there waiting for you if only you’d go get it. Because I am betting you are brilliant, with great things to say and make and share.

There is no defence against criticism except obscurity - Joseph Addison

OR. Are you rejecting success before it rejects you?

Often people say they don’t want or need things as a way of making them feel better when those things don’t show up for them.

So if you say you are ok with ONE reader, you don’t have to feel bad that the 100 you secretly want didn’t show up.

But secret wishes have a way, unless you employ 24/7 Jedi mind control, of getting out. Secret wants that lay unfulfilled and neglected have a way of eating you up.

There’s nothing noble about playing small, trust me.

Your playing small does not serve the world - Marianne Williamson

I don’t want to play small. And I don’t want you to either. Let’s step into our power and into the light.

With love,

Sarah x