It's a common plight of writers--of all artists, really: We never know with 100% certainty which work will resonate with people.
Which work will draw the "right kind" of reactions? ("Right kind" meaning positive, or anything the opposite of booing and throwing rotten tomatoes.) But more often than not, artistic work is met with the equivalent of chirping crickets: no real reaction at all.
Because the world is a very busy and crowded place, with a crazy glut of creative output. It's hard to make a noticeable ripple in the very large pond, especially with so many Kardashians taking selfies.
It should be enough just to create, right? To meet the elusive Muse, before she slips away on yet another badly timed vacation.
But I think we all (deep down) want to hear that we did a good job, at least now and then. At least on the things that really mean something to us.
It was over a year ago on a grey winter morning when I sat alone at the breakfast table, the words pouring right onto the page without effort. The blog post, called "All of a Sudden: Twelve", turned out to be a birthday gift for my son. I was pleased with how it turned out. My husband teared up while reading it. Most importantly, my son loved it, I think because he could really feel the love that helped create it.
And then, many months later, on a sunny summer morning, an email landed in my inbox. It was titled "Good news!" and it wasn't about a sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I had actually won something! The birthday post for my son had been kindly met with the exact opposite of crickets. Here's the official word: Announcing the BlogHer16 Voices of the Year Honorees.
So, for lack of a better way to say it: I'm honored to be honored! (Thank you so very much, BlogHer and Merck for Mothers.)
I've noticed something: It's the creative work that flows through us easily, like a sudden summer rainstorm, which feels the most rewarding. We feel so grateful after the long dry spell, the days of dry heat and almost ominous silence. With relief, we sit back and appreciate the rain.
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