It’s No Big Deal

I have so many ideas that come to me on writing. They appear when I’m reading, driving, taking a bath or a walk—or sometimes in a lively conversation with my friends. I feel so excited I can scarcely wait to start.

Then I sit down to write and it becomes

A Big Deal.

If I’m not careful, it becomes SUCH A BIG DEAL that I can’t even get the first line written.

Big deal thoughts like:

• This isn’t original
• There is already so much written stuff out there no point in adding more to it
• I’m probably the only one thinking/feeling/doing this

Bigdealitis is something creatives seem to be particularly plagued by. Like Covid, it keeps reinventing itself and serving up the latest variant of why our stuff is so unworthy of being done/shared/enjoyed.

So, despite Bigdealitis trying to squash my latest attempts at writing, here I am. Too stubborn to give up or in. And intent on reminding you that Bigdealitis is real, but there’s hope.

If you find it trying to thwart your latest attempts at getting started, put your head down, get busy, and say to yourself (the one who needs to hear it most), ’Don’t make this a big deal.’
And then get busy.

That’s honestly how the real work gets done. By not taking ourselves/our work too seriously.

Further reading along this line:  A long ago post of  my own personal perils of taking myself too seriously — you can read it by clicking here!

The Color of Joy
8 x 10in oil on museum quality panel
Available in print here

P.S. Now, something that actually is a big deal is this: Flow, my monthly painting membership, is opening again this month. We are one big family that LOVES welcoming more amazing artists to our circle! The painting in this letter is just one of 30 oil painting videos that are included, not to mention a new one each month (along with a slew of other goodies!) You can get on the waitlist by clicking here.