Losing Confidence in Writing As We Grow Up

Ever since I could remember, writing has been my passion. Not a single day passed without me pouring out my creativity into the blank pages of notebooks. Even though I liked reading all kinds of stories, fantasies were my favourite.

My obsession with writing fantasies, my interests in mythology and worldbuilding, were all thanks to my sister. 

When I was little, it was impossible for me to sleep without listening to the enchanted tales that my sister would conjure up. It was like a customary routine which she had to do every night. Her stories were all identical. They all revolved around this little four-year-old girl who would go on magical adventures to faraway lands.

Those stories were my inspiration. Her bizarre stories got me dreaming. They got me penning my own stories. 

At the age of seven, I finished my first ever story. It was a moment of great pride and joy for me. I'd showed it to my sister, my family, my classmates and my teachers, and my face lit up like a Christmas tree each moment someone praised my work. 

But now, when I look back, I realize how ridiculously terrible it was. And to think how proud of it I was at that moment.

I was never scared to show my creations to others, no matter how horrible it was. If I loved the story, I had the confidence to show it to the world.

Now, after five years, I've become more mature and wiser, and I began crafting better stories.  But in the midst of all this, my faith in my abilities was decreasing gradually. For every page I write, I felt less and less confident. 

'What if it's not good enough?' This question randomly pops up in my mind. It gnaws my insides and robs me of my sleep and makes me doubt myself and my abilities. 

Sometimes I just sit back and marvel how brave my seven-year-old self was, who only wrote to make her happy, who crafted stories without caring for perfection or without the fear of judgement. 

There are countless blooming writers out there, who doubt their potentials. Who think that their stories aren't enough. That they are not perfect. But still, remember that your stories are a part of yourselves. They are a part of who you are, who you were and who you will be. So, just go back in time and be that confident writer you once were....