Gold in the ick
Oh, hey that's actually kind of a fun title. Dibs on that for my eventual memoir, mmmkay
I’m convinced that some of our biggest creative breakthroughs come from digging into our “shadow” selves and writing about the very ick we don’t even want to think about much less write about and put out into the world.
Today, make a list of things you would really rather not write about, then ask yourself this question: If I had to write about one of these things, how would I do it?
To be clear, I’m not suggesting you air deeply personal and painful things that are nobody’s goddamn business, nor am I suggesting you re-traumatize yourself by writing about something really traumatic that you’re not ready to write about but I am asking you to consider the idea that writing about something you are reluctant to share might be absolute gold. Let’s try.
And, pro-tip? If you catch yourself discounting an idea by telling yourself, “yes, but if I write about that then my readers might think XYZ” or similar, consider this strategy to use the argument to make your writing even more badass.