By, Maya Amaele Liebermann

Some women always feel fully confident that they are meant to be published authors.

Some women don't question their abilities or their reasons for wanting to write and publish.

I am not one of those women.

I question and second guess myself almost every step along the way.

Who am I to think I can write, no less publish?

Who am I to think I can say something that other people will want to hear?

Hasn't everything worth reading already been published?

Me:

Well hello, to my Inner Critic!

You certainly have a loud and pessimistic voice. 

You really know how to demoralize me.

Inner Critic: It's not my intention to demoralize you, I am protecting you.

Me: Protecting me?

Inner Critic:

Protecting you from failure, criticism.

Protecting you from wasting your time and energy

Protecting you from the certain shame that is bound to come when you and your published work trip you up.

Protecting you from falling and flopping on your published face.

Me: Oooh, that hurts me, Inner Critic.

Yes, it hurts to live inside your/my critical voice with your/my critical thoughts and your/my self-protective put-downs. 

Your/My demeaning thoughts keep me from starting to write.

Your/My demeaning thoughts keep me from continuing to write, should I be lucky enough to make a start.

Your/My demeaning thoughts definitely stop me from daring myself to go public with any of my writing.

Enter Encouraging optimistic messages from the women in our weekly writer’s circle.

Writing insight is given by our Red Thread Publishing founder, Sierra Melcher:

If the writing you are working on isn't lighting you up, it's not the work you should be doing. Find the writing that lights you up.

Inspiration grows with our writing circle facilitator, Dr. Adrienne:

You can do it.

You have everything you need inside of you.

You can write and you can publish.

Your voice matters.

You are your own author-ity.

Encouraging messages are shared from all of the women in our writer's circle:

I can relate to your fear... and this is what is helping me... You are not alone... I have been there... I am moving through it and so are you... we are doing this together.

Me

Well, that was just what I needed to hear. Indeed. All of you have inspired me to write a poem.

We Are

echos resounding

inside and outside

you are not alone

you are all one

you are here

we are here

in our hearts together

we women writers

we are here

we are

writing out

from within

our hearts and souls

we are writing

what we need

we give

we receive

I, you, we, are here together

I, you, we, are making a difference to each other

I, you, we, are giving something to each other

I, you, we, are teaching something to each other

just being here

together to gather

ourselves

within and with

each other

we are

each other

we are one

we are all 

writing in

writing out

our lives

our loves

our sweat

our tears

our beings

be in our body

our place

where we are

now

we are

here we are attuned

what we need is

here now

I am

you are

we are

writing together.