One of the hardest things about being a writer is re-finding the passion. Maybe success hasn’t come fast enough, maybe some hurdles, or maybe it’s a society that makes a person feel like it’s all a waste of time. I hope by the time you are done reading this, you will feel rejuvenated as a writer.

As time went by, there were a ton of delays with my film and it became discouraging. It got to a point where I questioned everything. The film industry is merciless and if there is a hiccup in the system, it can tear the soul apart.

This includes rejections, expenses adding up, and a slow pace in the process. The pace took a toll on my mental health and it got to the point that I questioned myself every single day. The same way I question why I attend my day job, that was the same feeling I would feel.

The writing craft is truly a thankless job because even with milestones and personal achievements, a writer can still feel empty because they haven’t hit that next level. Waking up every morning writing then becomes a chore rather than a joy.

As a result, it’s a chain reaction where the writing becomes stiff for scripts and the writing suffers as a result of what’s going on with us internally. They say to write every day, but that can be argued that it’s a dangerous mindset that causes mistakes to happen.

It’s like looking at those CNAs that runs on practically three hours of sleep after working a 16-hour shift or a warehouse worker getting into an accident while working a forklift. It’s not ideal and that’s how mistakes get made.

With all of that in mind, don’t they deserve a break? Yes! Will they get it? No! That’s the difference between being a writer and everything else, we can avoid that disaster by giving ourselves grace.

Since our careers are such unique situations, we need to be at our absolute best or there will be mistakes. Since most of us are looking to turn it into movies, published books, or segments for a website, it’s imperative that we give ourselves that time and breathing room.

Especially since most of us take that route or even self-publishing where it’s constantly subject to scrutiny. Some of us already work day jobs that make us question whether it’s truly what life is all about and that’s enough to mess with us mentally.

The definition of insanity is doing something a thousand times and expecting a different result. All of us know our limits and what makes us feel a certain way. It’s all about that balance, self-care, and even meditation to bring the creativity back.

There was a lot of meditation and at times my mind was completely cleared. This technique has especially been used since being terminated at my day job. Those sudden hurdles of life really take a toll on a person’s mental health and my writing suffered from those trials.

The day job took a mental toll since I was trying to give my all and for what? I figured out fast how expendable I was to this job. After pouring time and trying to satisfy the system by putting in hours that would eventually lead to burnout, it still wasn’t enough for them.

They eventually got rid of me and I figured out that it didn’t matter. I was beating myself up about the situation and as a result, it took a lot out of me. Tried to push to the limit and satisfy a quota to make it all work for this place and it still wasn’t enough.

With all of that in mind, don’t push yourself into a wall by trying to fill a certain milestone to the point that your value is based on time and accomplishments. Society has placed an emphasis on it and honestly, it’s the worst thing to happen to any writer.

Those thoughts came in ranging from “I haven’t sold a script” to “just give up already”. Truthfully, those voices don’t go away and it will only get worse depending on the circumstances. It only builds up from there and it seems to never stop.

That’s when I realized that I was doing to myself exactly what the day job and society have always done to me. An emphasis on speed, success, and hours. That’s when I replaced it with support, meditation, and understanding.

An understanding that I love being a writer and it should never get to that point of being a torture chamber internally. It should not feel like a race for success, but instead a place for passion. It’s never easy because if it was, everyone would be doing it. May not have much money, but the joy makes us the richest of them all.

Be kind to yourself and be sure to use #WritersLife and share your story and follow on Twitter and Instagram for more updates.