Avoiding the trap...

      And what prey tell is this devious trap you speak of? I hear you ask (yep still getting the voices within the space betwixt my ears). Tis actually a trap many folk have fallen into and it is truly quite a dark side of writing, especially on social media where being 'liked' can become an addiction to the thumbs up. 

     I have only scribed two posts here upon these hallowed pages since the 'great snap' and already I find myself checking for comments, counting page views and looking at how I can encourage people to follow this blog. This is a dangerous road to travel down as it may lead the many feelings that may affect one's mental health. Feelings of worthlessness, not being accepted within society, self doubt etc. and these feelings can build up and affect a person in so many negative ways that may allow the Black dog once more creep into your head and drag you back to the abyss. 

     I am fortunate that I have recognised my 'symptoms'  before I awoke the Bitch Noir, for many do not. I find that writing is a way to relax my mind and bring some order and peace to it, and to lose this by becoming paranoid about the popularity of this blog would be a sad day for me. After all, in the grand scheme of things what does it matter that people may not like my written words, after all I upset enough folk in the 'real world' with my spoken words! Of course it pleases me when people respond favourable to my scribing (in a lovely warm fuzzy internal sort of way), but it should not affect my life or mindset if they do not. And why should I try to change my writing to encourage greater readership and hence a feeling of more acceptance? I think that it far better to have a much smaller appeal writing honestly and by being true to myself than to write a lie, don't you? 

     In the dim and distant path I wrote a blog called 'Musings of Murpyfish' and it was indeed rather successful, but not because I wrote with grand aplomb nor because I chased the 'follower'. No, it was successful because I just wrote about my life, thoughts and dreams, nothing more. Would I like to be a successful blogger once again? hell yes, I love that fuzzy internal glow of acceptance. Would it be the end of the world if I still only had two followers (one of them is G. bless her) in twelve months time? no, it would not because why would I chase a written relationship with people who do not like what I enjoy writing about?

     So take some writing advice from this old fart:- if people do not like what you write about it truly does not matter, honestly there will be some idiots out there who will, it just takes time for them to find your words. Do not change your writing to be popular, you are just being false to yourself and will attract only false readers. Write about what you enjoy writing about, whether it be a hobby, food, wildlife, walking, nuclear physics, car parks of the United Kingdom, how to train your snail or anything else that you are passionate about, I promise you that there will be somebody out there who will love your words. Remember, writing is most definitely not a way to get rich for the vast majority of us, not with money at least but it can be a great way of getting thoughts out into the ether and help clear troubled minds and that's why I write (I just have to remind myself of this from time to time). I hope these scant words help you avoid the trap of chasing popularity, it really does not matter as long as you are happy and true to yourself...trust me for I am a writer.

Footnote....if you like my writing please follow, comment, send me warm fuzzy feelings and tell your friends, oh and a huge bundle of cash...just saying ;-)