I CAN'T DO IT.....

With a huge sigh of relief, the school holidays are done and dusted. As usual the library was smoking....kids, parents, toddlers, elderly, middle-agers, seniors, teens...you name them, we had them in.

And as usual Youth staff rocked with lots of programs. I am used to the toddlers and small fry....this is my usual area of experience but I jumped at the chance of running a teen craft program. The idea was to create pictures using string and glue. Inspired, I had printed out examples of portraits created using wire...as well as ones using string and ribbon as we were set to use.

Now with littlies, they just get in there and create. They think everything they do is fantastic and are eager to colour and paint and glue and cut (especially the cut) anything and everything.

I wasn't ready for the 'I can't do this'.

After much cajoling, urging, showing, inspiring, motivating and generally telling them yes you can....work began.

One parent stayed, a father, and he summed it up beautifully. He told them 'stop thinking like teens, think like a four year old and do whatever you want. It doesn't have to be perfect just give it a go.'

Soon they were creating artwork. Several became so excited they made two, then three creations. All it took was some self confidence and the knowledge that there was no right or wrong way...they merely had to begin.

Unfortunately this happens to so many of us. It's a fear of failing - not knowing where to start or even how to start. It's thinking 'it's too big a job' or 'no one's going to like it.'

It's a difficult thing to learn that it doesn't matter what others think. It's what you think, what you believe. If you like it, then that's all that matters.

Different if is a piece of writing you are trying to get published.  It then has to have something in it that others can react to, respond to, want to read more and more. But once again so many of us are fearful of beginning.

I have a story to tell but....

Don't know how to begin....

I've never written a novel before....

My poetry doesn't sound anything like theirs...

I have no time....

It's the old cliche---there is only one way to write. That is putting your backside down and putting pen to paper - or in this age- finger to keyboard. And keep going.

If you have a go, what's the worst thing that can happen? You don't get published. Guess what...if you don't write anything that will happen anyway.

So give it a go. Start somewhere, some how....doesn't matter where....just start.

Vicki