What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses As A Creative?

As writers, we are often quite harsh on ourselves. Many of us who create have the unfortunate tendency to fixate on what we're 'bad' at and be overly critical of our work. Rarely do we stop to consider what we do well, and even when we do, it doesn't feel like enough to make up for what we don't.

However unlikely it may seem, at the heart of all this doom and gloom lies the opportunity to elevate your work far above such negative self-talk.

Curious? Good!

Thank you to Tyrone Couch for contributing this blog.

Man holding up rock - What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses As A Creative?

Check Your Attitude

First, it's important you understand that feelings of inadequacy are completely normal. The journey to proficiency, or even competency, in writing is long and arduous. Even talented authors are perfectly capable of writing absolute drivel!

The truth is that very few of us are skilled in every area of writing. Some people have exceptional creative vision and detail, but are woefully inept at deploying it. Others shine brightly when narrating, only to have their work fall flat during dialogue.

You may not realise it, but by complaining about how much you suck at character development, you've taken the first step towards getting better at it: knowing that you suck. Until you recognise that you have some work to do in a particular area, you can't even begin to improve. It might not feel like much of an accomplishment, but it's a crucial part of the learning process.

The second step is where many writers go wrong. They continuously repeat to themselves (and others) how much they suck at character development, and in a way, they accept it. They unconsciously define themselves as a writer who sucks at character development, and fail to address the problem.

As the legend of two wolves locked in combat goes, whichever one you feed is the one that wins. In this case, one wolf is complacency, while the other is the drive to do better.

Which one will you feed?

Identify (And Transform) Your Weaknesses

Locating the weaknesses in your writing is as simple as paying attention to yourself. If there's an element of your manuscript that you consistently find yourself dreading, avoiding, or patently disliking, there's a good chance that it's something you could do with a little brushing up on.

For the most part, we enjoy the things we're good at. We know when we've done something well because it feels good and floods us with all those happy reward chemicals. When things aren't going so well, the absence of these things can be felt pretty acutely. Thus, monkeys that we are, we tend to want to avoid pressing the pain button.

The funny thing about the pain button is that it holds the greatest potential for pleasure (and not even in the masochistic sense!). You can always go and slap the cheap, nasty, comfortable pleasure button some more ... but it'll never feel as good as the one you had to work through and successfully overcome.

Another way of identifying your weaknesses is to find yourself an honest, unbiased third party. Share your work with as many people as you can, asking them to be as brutally transparent about its faults as their consciences will allow. However confident or self-deprecating about your work you may be, everyone has blind spots, and another set of eyes is invaluable.

Acknowledge Your Strengths

Would it kill you to be nice to yourself for once? Bringing a conscious awareness to your better qualities is not only good for your confidence and self-esteem, but it lets you know what you don't need to focus on.

Interestingly, strengths and weaknesses are often related. Maybe you write with exceptional clarity, but the narrative drags like a dog with no hind legs. Your style might be unique and well-defined, but the flow of your writing too chaotic to follow. You could have an encyclopaedic vocabulary, and yet no concept of when or where to use it.

Hang up your hang-ups and take some time to consider what you do well. A manuscript is the sum of its parts; perfecting one or two areas and neglecting the rest will ultimately result in dissatisfaction. Be proud of what you've accomplished, but don't get complacent! Allow yourself to feel encouraged by what comes easily, and use it to motivate yourself to improve the rest.

Making Positives Out Of Negatives

In every criticism you have about your work, there is an opportunity to improve. Don't let yourself fall into the trap of self-imposing limitations and stunting your progress. Feed the right wolf, and start sucking less at character development today!

Need some help breaking the cycle? Check out our book coaching and writing programs for some tips on how to approach your situation, tailored to you as an individual. Alternatively, visit our book editing page for help with an existing manuscript. If neither of these suits your needs, submit an enquiry below and let us know how we can support you.

Acknowledgements

Photo Credit Vicky Sim, Unsplash