I've never actually been able to finish Brené Brown's book "Daring Greatly." The minute it starts delving into the real stuff (which is...every page) I exit stage left (pursued by bear). But what I've read so far is definitely conducive to becoming more at home with myself as a writer.

Shame is the antithesis of creative thought. It stifles ideas from being born, and once they are, they prevent us from putting them to page, from exploring different angles and considerations in how to execute them.

Experiencing shame is so isolating. It escalates if not watched out for - disconnection from the self leading to lack of self-worth, leading to more disconnection.

On a practical level it feeds into the You Don't Belong Here thorn that jabs into our side as creatives. The Imposter Syndrome can be strong. The fact that it sticks around even when people get really, really successful suggests it doesn't have to do with how high you climb your ladder of ambition. It stems from somewhere else.

The solution to this is the same as what is talked about as a cure for shame itself. Shame is isolation. The opposite of it is connection. Nothing is truly voiceless, and everything has a story to tell. What goes unheard transforms into resentment, and enough resentment takes one scuttling away from opportunities for further pain. And those are the same opportunities for growth and being at peace with your journey as a creative.  It's hard work at times, digging into the less examined parts of the being, but that's where the good stories lie.