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I love this. I am so glad you write in these spaces, polished or perfect or not--perfection in writing feels like an ethereal thing. It’s a sliding scale totally dependent on the perception of the reader. I too have entertained an MFA, but it is not for me in this season. I hadn’t thought about the fact that we get to publish our words on the same space as other better-known writers, but I love thinking about the leveling of the field...it reminds me that every voice matters, however practiced (or not) or polished (or not).

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“Perfection has kept me from profligate creation, even in my own private journals and documents. If anything ever gets posted for the public it’s because at some point I disciplined myself to let it go, warts and all.” Well, if ever there was a piece to usher me into the world of sharing, this is it!

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I went back and read your first piece again and realized how they fit together--this post and your first foray into Substack! I’m glad you’re here, being imperfect and vulnerable with the rest of us. ; )

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I liked this and needed to read it. Thank you 😊

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Oh Tresta, you’ve done it again. I’m so glad you wrote this. I’m so glad you write at all. ❤️

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"I’ve rarely held back on something because I was afraid of how vulnerable it was for me or how it would make me appear ... What holds me back is the fear and the knowledge that, in fact, I do not present things perfectly." You iterated this strange feeling I likewise have when people comment on my vulnerability. When I post something more vulnerable, it's usually because its sat with me for a while and I feel as if I have processed it, but what keeps me from publishing it is the fear of it not being perfectly communicated or beautiful enough. I like the idea of freeing myself for things that aren't quite as "perfect" as my inner editor might deem and simply publishing them on my blog or monthly substack.

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