"All I had to do was to write a really shitty first draft... And no one was going to see it." by KIMBERLY KAYE LIM https://padlet.com/kayelim/fbuo46yltqbc29fw en-us 2023-09-02 07:53:34 UTC 2023-09-02 08:30:40 UTC hello@padlet.com "I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts." kayelim https://padlet.com/kayelim/fbuo46yltqbc29fw/wish/2681767188 In society, we are taught to publish and show pieces we have created at its final "refined" stage. It is almost like an unwritten rule not to show the work that goes behind creating, the nitty gritty details, the obstacles that one faces before we reach an outcome that we "sort of" like. We're taught that showing vulnerability isn't what sells, it's what we produce after going through the emotional turmoil of creating. We're made to believe that creators just know how to create polished works on their first try. 

Lamott's article has given me comfort in knowing that everyone's first draft isn't as beautiful and well done as what I thought it would be. That even world renowned authors go through their "shitty" first draft before producing works that made them famous. She has made me aware that self doubt is inevitable when trying to create and write, that it's simply a process. We shouldn't shoulder such high expectations on the first go, it comes after the second or third try. ]]> 2023-09-02 08:19:49 UTC https://padlet.com/kayelim/fbuo46yltqbc29fw/wish/2681767188 "No one was going to see it." kayelim https://padlet.com/kayelim/fbuo46yltqbc29fw/wish/2681769983 When writing anything, whether that be an essay or simply a journal entry, I've held high expectations to be able to create a wonderfully written work on my first try. I'd like to think it's because if someone we're to read my first draft, I should receive comments about how "gifted" of a writer I am, and not comments about how messy and disorganized I am. 

Lammott made an excellent point that 99% of the time, the first draft won't see the time of day. It'll stay as a draft, hidden in a secret folder in my computer. It is a draft for only me to see, for me to decipher and understand, for me to pick out my best thoughts to produce a second draft. 

I shouldn't be afraid of messy first drafts because those are necessary to produce the work I expect I can do. ]]> 2023-09-02 08:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kayelim/fbuo46yltqbc29fw/wish/2681769983