Yes, I’ve run into many people who seem to think they are the only people to ever think a certain way and that nobody can truly ever understand them because they are so profound. I see that one a lot in college towns

I’ve suffered because of what I do (but it’s my choice, and I’m not going to complain about it), but I don’t believe one has to suffer to create. I think a lot of people think they do have to suffer.

Some great art has come about from grief, but great art is also created by people who get out and experience things and practice getting better.

The people I know who have walked away usually come back. Sometimes the break is needed to get excited again, and other times the break was caused by things going on in friends’ lives that made writing (or other art) difficult to create.

I’ve definitely known people who have had an abusive relationship with their writing. I understand the compulsion and pull of that kind of thing; I’ve done it myself at some point.

When I look back at those times I had a bad relationship with my writing, it was usually because I was listening to others and focusing on doing the “right” thing (i.e. dedicating more time to a “real” job, instead of what I want to do). During those times I tried convincing myself that I was happy spending more time focused on learning new software and skills for a day job, so I let writing beat me up because it would be easier to walk away from something that knocked me around.

I tried blaming writing for some the failings in other aspects of my life (“I don’t have a house like everybody else because I’ve spent more time pursuing writing skills than day job skills,” “I should have gone on a real vacation instead of day trip or two and spent the rest of the time writing,” … stuff like that).

I’ve been told by people that my drive scares them. I never understood that one, because I work harder than most people at a day job and take care of all my responsibilities…so why not work hard at what makes me happy?

I think we all have choices in the things we do. I choose to write. There’s definitely a compulsion that makes me focus on it like few other things in my life, but I don’t have to do it.

I think a lot of the “I’m the only real artist” kind of people you mentioned like to think they have no choice and have to suffer in order to write what usually seems like mediocre fiction and even worse poetry.

The people who’ve overcome some kind of hardship and stayed focused on what they loved even while walking through hell (and not complaining about it with every step), tend to produce better work.

Writing is a tedious art that only gets done by being tenacious; it only makes sense that the people who have tenacity to keep going no matter what are the people who come out on the other side real artists–not just some wannabe like you mention who is more talk than action.

Thanks for the reply!

I’m much more likely to run into people who want to play “I’m the only real artist” because of the clothes they wear, way they live, or the nibbles of success they’ve had. You run into anybody like that?