How I Write: Bad Vibes Dull My Sparkle
I am an empath.
Until rather recently, I was not sure exactly what that meant beyond a cursory google search, but I’ve done some deeper reading, and it’s true. I soak up the emotions of other people, good, bad, or truly heinous. In my attempt to console or celebrate or show compassion to people, their emotions get tied up into my own.
As such, too much negative energy is a bad thing for me. It feels like overload, like all my engines are firing at once and it wears me out to the point that my brain starts to shut down.
I belong to a Discord server that I very much like. One day, after several people talked about the terrible things happening in their lives, my creativity just shut down. I didn’t write the rest of the day. Part of the reason I like that Discord is because there are writers there that I find inspiring. But not that day.
And not the next.
I had to take a break from the server, which made me sad.
I am currently trying to write every day. I want my rewrite of book 1 to be done by the end of August and off to the editors, so I can go back to either outlining book 2 or writing the list of back story scenes I’ve noted in the last several weeks.
Spending too much time reading about other people’s drama is not conducive to writing my best book. So, I have adjusted my time, and if I start to see those types of posts, either on the Discord server, Facebook, Instagram or elsewhere, I skip them, or I simply close out the page.
Self-care is important. Stepping back is my self-care. It does not mean I do not feel compassion for what others are going through, it simply means I cannot take on their burdens right now. I have learned to step aside, to walk way, to close off the part of my mind that wants to feel every feeling as a way to connect to people. I simply cannot do that.
There are some upsides, though. My intuition is finely tuned. My gut instinct, when I listen to it, is almost always right (with some unfortunate exceptions). I am comfortable being alone for long periods of time, and I hate being the center of attention, so it allows my friends to truly shine.
To read more about what being an empath is, follow this link to a Psychology Today article.
And if you are a fellow empath, don’t forget to take some time for yourself today!
