Yesterday, we thought about our first creative endeavors and the role we may have adopted when we started writing. Perhaps you were an entertainer, a comforter, an attention-seeker, or a people-pleaser. All valid.

Today, think about your first creative rejection. If you can, remember the time when your creative play became something that was judged, criticized, or ridiculed. Perhaps someone you cared about said something harsh about your talent. Maybe you were told you shouldn’t or couldn’t write or talk about a certain topic. Maybe your creativity itself was shamed as a waste of time.

Don’t sink into these feelings or judge yourself or the person who may have been involved. Instead, embrace these feelings and accept them. Accept that these things happened and you may find it easier to prevent the same feelings from overwhelming you today. If you project similar emotions onto other people – judging or shaming them – now would be a good time to practice not doing that.