"If you're not willing to be a fool, you can't become a master"
I found this quote while watching a Jordan Peterson lecture.
Here's my understanding of it: Everybody wants to be great. But nobody wants to pay the price of looking like an idiot to get there.
I know exactly what it feels like. I've always wanted to be a great writer, and I've written for many years, but it's always been in private. If you look at this website, you'll realise that there's not a whole lot on here. And the reason why was because I was scared. I was scared of people thinking that my writing was bad.
The biggest fear I had when telling someone I wrote stuff was them reading it, then seeing their face slowly turn from positive anticipation to a look I can only describe as confusion and disgust as they realise I wasn't as good a writer as they thought. Still gives me chills to this day.
But here's the thing... looking like an idiot is not optional. At all. It's part of the journey to greatness.
I can't expect myself to write for 30 days, and then suddenly expect to sound like Stephen King or Shakespeare. That's just not bloody possible.
But I think there's peace in knowing that this IS the journey.
Facing this reality means that I'm potentially going to write like an amateur for years before I get any better. And knowing that takes a LOT of pressure off my writing today.