Is it just me? When a friend tells me I'm onto something, I tend to push harder and faster on a given writing project. Or if I have a new play read aloud to a small audience of colleagues and the vibe in the room is positive, I leave renewed and chomping at the bit to get right back to it.
The other day I happened to tell my therapist about something i was working on and she encouraged me to go for it, even suggesting that she'd be excited to read what I produced.
And so, I'm on a bit of a tear.
It's great but it has me wondering. Am I too suggestible? If my friends (or in this case, my therapist) were to suddenly change their tune about a given project, would my own motivation dry up?
It's a frightening thought.
In my idealised version of myself, I embark on each new project with a reserve of confidence that springs from within myself. Organically. Effortlessly. And if I get a little encouragement from friends or colleagues, that's merely icing on the cake.
But is that really true?
I'm always a bit suspcious of writers who claim to write only for themselves. I would LIKE to write only for myself, in the sense of holding my work to standards entirely of my own making. But I am not sure I always do. And I sort of feel like those who claim this are lying. I write because I have something I need or want to explore. No question about that. But I also very much crave the pleasure of applause and approval of my peers. To quote Harvey Fierstein "is that so wrong?"
What do you think?
