Every writer experiences doubt—in our abilities, in the worthiness of our creativity, and more. But it doesn't have to stop us in our tracks, according to Amy L. Bernstein, a novelist, award-winning journalist, blogger, and certified book coach. Her forthcoming book Wrangling the Doubt Monster is set to publish in January 2025, and she explores the topic of creative self-doubt in her Substack Doubt Monster.
This deep, inspiring conversation delves into the causes of creative doubt and how Amy says we can prevent it from derailing our writing practice.
We talked about so much great stuff:
• making a late-in-life career pivot into writing
• finding the freedom to work with many forms of writing
• the emotional sources of self-doubt
• the role that culture plays in keeping us creatively stuck
• why the hard work of revising can be a rewarding investment in yourself
• finding motivation to go the distance with your writing
Listen in for a confidence injection!
For more, check out:
https://amywrites.live
https://wonderwell.press/
https://maggielangrick.com/
And follow:
instagram.com/amylbernstein
instagram.com/maggielangrick
instagram.com/wonderwellpress
instagram.com/selfishgiftpodcast
Timestamps:
00:00: Introduction to Amy Bernstein and the Topic of Doubt
02:47: The Prevalence of Doubt in Writing and Creativity
08:48: The Role of an Accountability Partner in Overcoming Doubt
11:54: Challenges Faced by Professionals Transitioning into Writing
24:30: Creating the Right Conditions for Creativity
29:25: Embracing the Joy of the Creative Process
33:31: Giving Yourself Permission to Create
34:52: Understanding Your Creative Appetite
37:02: Exploring Openly Without Limits
38:39: Alleviating Doubt
41:28: The Importance of Rewriting and Revision
46:31: How to Persevere with a difficult piece of work
49:15: Authenticity in Building Your Platform
01:02:21: Choosing Joy and Purpose in Your Creative Journey
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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