Friday, October 31, 2014

Storyteller's Journey

Public Domain Photo
Reflections on Fear
Fear can take hold in the heart of an otherwise courageous soul. Whether it creeps in as a dark creature, the threat of danger, or just a feeling that causes tremors to trickle up and down your spine, fear can find you.

For me, it's usually something much more mundane. The fear of failure or the fear of rejection can buckle me at the knees and cause my bones to quake quicker than any horror movie I've ever seen. (Not that I like horror movies, they freak me out too!) You might be thinking to yourself: Failure and rejection are just part of the territory for an author. What is she doing being a writer? Believe me, I've asked myself that very question many times. Prior to pursuing a life as a full-time writer I had created a life for myself that I thought contained the least amount of risk for failure and rejection. But guess what...I experienced both dilemmas anyway. So when I set out on my storyteller's journey I was already aware that I was embarking on a path that would probably present the deadly duo of failure and rejection again. The thing is, somewhere along my journey as a writer I realized that I was developing an emotional muscle I'd never ever had. I also learned that I was not alone in my phobias; if not most, at least many writers share the same fears. I've tasted failure and rejection as a writer many times (duh!), but becoming a master weaver of whimsical tales for children is how I want to spend the rest of my life. However, the biggest reason I continue my storyteller's journey amidst fear-laden challenges is best conveyed by this quote:

      "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."  
                                                                      Joseph Campbell

Public Domain Photo 
The fact that fear is the gatekeeper to anything worth having, is made spooky when we realize that almost without exception, the "scary monster" standing at the door to our dreams seems to always be the one that frightens us the most. That is one of the real mysteries of life.

   May you vanquish all the ghouls and goblins in your own life.
                                       Happy Halloween!