Make your writing visible: The fear of being seen
How can I make my writing visible and show up authentically (without the awkwardness)? Many struggle with the fear of being seen, criticised, and humiliated. Perhaps each of us holds onto painful memories of not feeling good enough or struggles with the need for perfection. Today, I’m exploring creative solutions to make my writing visible and share my words with confidence. [16.2.25.]
Key insights:
Fear of mistakes: Understanding why I fear being visible online and sharing my work brings me peace. It helps to pinpoint where a false belief is coming from (society, family, bosses, religion, school etc).
People are too busy to care: Sharing my work won’t stop the world. Most people are too busy, tired, or self-involved to care about my words—and that thought brings me relief.
Break from social media: Tuning into how my body feels on social media helps me avoid unnecessary comparison and anxiety. Taking breaks reminds me I don’t have to be constantly “on” to show up fully when I choose to share my writing.
Why do I fear sharing my writing and being visible?
High grades were driven by anxiety and black-or-white thinking. On a partial scholarship in secondary school, I had to maintain high grades, and this perfectionistic tendency carried on into work. Now, as my own boss, I enjoy working for myself but struggle to show up and share my voice authentically.
Talking to other self-employed creatives has shown me that I’m not the only one who fears sharing my writing online. A friend mentioned “It’s easy for me to create social content for businesses, but my own? It’s weird because I can do posts for others but feel embarrassed when I share what I’m doing.” I relate to this because you’re not taught to share your soul as a corporate worker. You armour up and produce to deadlines (machine-like). Sharing my writing feels like sharing a piece of my soul.
There’s also a sense of “Will they like my work?” Seeing one negative comment can send me into a downward spiral. However, I do think I’m becoming more resilient and most of my work goes uncommented on anyway. So why do I care what others think so much when each person is busy surviving (not caring or thinking of me)? I’m not sure but my insecurities lie in not being expert enough, not being a good enough writer, and simply not being good enough.
I’m beginning to see that no one is ready to share their writing as it’s a vulnerable act to show to the world “This is who I am, please be gentle.” Sharing your light might make others insecure that they are hiding, leading to envy and jealousy (and a million other reactions). I cannot control this but I can take soft action.
In a world of quick wins and overnight “transformations” I need to realise that my fears won’t just disappear with a magic wand. It’s a process and I need to be kind to myself. Similarly, it’s taken a while to realise it can be inspiring to follow visibility formulas and strategies but there is no “one way.”
I’m learning to listen to myself, show up in a way that is authentic to me, and be ok with messiness. Of course, consistency, reviewing what works, and adapting is the golden standard. And yet, I’m not beating myself up if I don’t post every day and share every aspect of myself. After all, there are other real-life ways to share our message. Comparison is the thief of joy after all.
5 creative ways to be more visible and share your writing
I’m experimenting with showing up authentically by spotting self-sabotage, using kind self-talk, and letting go of others’ opinions. By taking small steps I’m leaning towards 1% more visibility each day, which feels more realistic.
(1) Challenging my fears
I’ve been asking where my fear comes from. I fear speaking from the heart and being vulnerable. This comes from: critical editors, past teachers, and academic standards. Asking, “Where does that idea come from- school, society, past bosses, religion, family etc?” —helps me to realise a lot of outside messages aren’t my own.
(2) Sharing my writing in creative communities
I’m a member of a few creative communities. I’m learning to say, “Hey everyone, here’s a recent blog I’ve written.” Finding safe creative spaces online allows me to share my work easily. This month I’d like to use the resources I already have.
(3) Grounding actions
I’ve started to do three grounding actions for writing daily: write a blog, share it on LinkedIn, and edit one thing on my website. Because there are a million things I need to do each day, I’ve started to think “What is doable for my business and visibility that is easily doable?” By having three grounding actions this allows me to build confidence, while also changing the actions depending on what’s going on in my life.
(4) Tiny experiments
Being visible is an experiment. Rather than creating a perfect strategy, I’m allowing myself to be random, to brainstorm, to do something different each day (rather than waiting to have all my ducks lined up in a row). Expanding is sometimes messy, raw, imperfect and that’s ok. Dive into the mess and discover what’s there.
(5) Breaking up with social media
I’m noticing how my body responds to social media—sometimes with sadness or anxiety, especially after using Instagram. When I sense these emotions I realise it’s healthier to take breaks or digital detoxes now and again. While there’s pressure to maintain an active platform when working for yourself, I love feeling grounded, and not comparing to what so-and-so is doing (FOMO).
Want to learn more?
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