Today's post was inspired by something I witnessed in the classroom. The students were instructed to draw a picture of themselves and were assured that they would not be graded on artistic ability. I mean, it's kindergarten. We want to teach them fine motor skills. Who cares if they can't draw worth a darn?
Well, one girl cared. Little Alison* was so afraid that her picture wouldn't look good that she asked Megan, the girl next to her, if she could copy her paper. Meaning, there would be two pictures of Megan and no picture of Alison in the class.
There are many levels of sadness going on here. It's sad that Alison is experiencing self-doubt at such a young age, but it's also sad that she's not alone. I'm guilty of wishing I could be more like someone else, and I can't be the only one. On a writing-related note, it's one thing to be inspired by someone's writing, but it's another to put yourself down because you don't believe yourself to be as good as other writers. There are many genres and styles for a reason. Don't ignore your strengths; instead, let them shine.
Sometimes I wish I was a tall, outgoing mystery writer. But I guess it's not so bad being a short, introverted middle grade writer. What strengths do you wish you had, in any area of your life? What strengths do you have?
*Names changed, obviously, because kids these days don't have normal names like Alison and Megan. Oh, I'm kidding. Sort of.
