Remember dodge ball?  You may be too young.  The game might be considered the rudimentary form of paint ball.  The object is to hit as many people as you can with a large rubber ball that stings when it hits one's face, or back, or leg.  I used to hate it when it was time for dodge ball as a kid in elementary school.  I tried to get "hit" early so that I didn't have to be pursued.  And when I was forced to be the one in pursuit, I could hardly stand throwing that ugly, rust-colored ball at the other kids.  I always lost.  But there were some kids who got sort of a thrill when they could hit someone really hard.  They loved the zing of that rubber ball when it hit another child's body.  (Surely this game is no longer allowed in schools.)

As I traverse the writing and publishing world, I can sometimes feel as if I'm playing dodge ball.  There are times when I get metaphorically hit.  A person I thought was safe to share my writing with judges my efforts--not in a constructive way--but rather in an overly critical way.  "You should have started social media years ago.  How do you expect to get your work out there now with so much competition?  The book world's changed."  Gee thanks.  Zing.  Bam.  I'm out--sitting on a bench, holding my bag of critical comments--discouraged and sidelined.

As writer artists we must find safety.  We'll never avoid all the hits, but we don't have to be part of a game where the main goal is to get injured.  We can rise from the bench, leave our negative baggage behind and walk toward that open door that is light-filled.  "But where do I find safety, Priscilla?" you may ask.  You discover it by finding people and material that support you, when you write badly and when you write well--who give you kudos for walking through the door.  Several years ago I was part of a writing group and one member constantly put my pieces down.  Double Zing.  The comments were meant to hurt.  I found I stopped writing and constantly second-guessed myself and my creative ideas.  I made a decision to leave the group and sought a more supportive environment.  My creativity rebounded, and I began writing again.  I'm so glad I made that decision, as I think I might have given up writing the novel I eventually published.  And I love that novel.  I love the characters.  See how one hard hit can do so much damage?

If you don't have safe writing support, I highly recommend Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way." Julia Cameron. I do not want to wax overly-dramatic, but her material saved my writing life--and her material continues to make a difference for me when I feel discouraged. I try to move through "The Artist's Way" once a year as a means of validation and creative support.  I need all the help I can find to stay off the bench and walk toward the light.