Stop Aspiring and Start Becoming Undeniable

For the last few weeks, I’ve been doing the rounds as a guest on podcasts and being interviewed by some traditional media outlets. Many of them have asked me to offer advice to up-and-coming writers—as if I, too, am not up and coming, forever.

The first thing that always pops into my mind is the notion of being an “aspiring writer.” I’ve been pretty blunt with my response in most cases. Aspiration means next to nothing unless you back it with action. I tell them to stop aspiring and start doing.

Putting aspiring poet, painter, artist, or whatever in your social media bio may make some folks feel like they’re on the path, but my friend, you’re in the weeds; come back to the trail. Your aspirations, lofty as they may be, won’t further you on your journey until you actually start putting in the hard work.

Many people assume that you’re not a writer—for the sake of this article, let’s stick with writing, but it can be any endeavor—unless you’re published by X or Y publication and making a living with your work.

The good news is that if you’ve deliberately written anything, you’re a writer. So stop aspiring—you’re already doing it. Now get better at it by doing the disciplined work it takes to grow. The only way to get better at your given craft is to get in the reps. You have to stare at the mocking white page and bend it to your will. You force the void to submit and allow your brilliance—or garbage, honestly; mostly it’s trash at first—to pour forth.

When we attach monetary achievement to the merit of our work, it often cheapens it. Yes, making money for the creative work you love would be nice, but that shouldn’t necessarily be the end goal. Ideally, if you’re working hard and honing your craft, the money will come. But the lack of financial security provided by your venture shouldn’t discourage you from getting after it. You must work hard, rise above the noise, and become undeniable. Once you’ve done that, the money will come—maybe.

Again, if you’re writing, you’re a writer. That’s all there is to it. So stop beating yourself up about not being where someone else is who’s been working diligently for decades. Attack the keys, read things that inspire you, see what makes those people great at their given professions, and imitate that until you begin to flourish in your own unique style.

Perhaps this article should have been addressed to me. I’m guilty of many of those sins, but I stopped aspiring a long time ago and just got busy working. I know I’m an okay writer now, but it’s taken me years to just become okay at this thing. I’ve got years to go to become great. If I don’t quit, I’ll get there.

The funny thing is, this may be the best I’ve ever been at writing, and in six months, I will cringe at every misplaced comma and run-on sentence I’m writing now. That’s okay—that’s growth. Again, the goal is to work hard and be undeniable; there are a lot of rough edges to be sanded down along the way.

Even as hard as I worked on my recent book, A Toad in a Glass Jar, my ever-critical eye catches things I wish I’d have done differently, but you probably would never notice. I think that’s always the curse of the artist: the work is never done, but you have to make it at least “done enough” so it can exist in the world. You learn what works and doesn’t work and adjust accordingly on the next project. That’s been my experience anyway.

So, dear reader, stop aspiring and start doing. You’ve got it in you, whatever your “it” may be. Find that thing that keeps you up at night, lock in, do the work, and become undeniable.

It won’t be easy, although if you’re like me, you’ll learn to love the work if it’s something you’re passionate about. If you’re struggling, reach out and let’s commiserate. I firmly believe in an all-ships-rise mentality, so if you need help getting started—with whatever—drop me a line. If I can help, I’ll do my best to offer whatever insight I’ve gleaned from doing things upside-down and backward for years.

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Stan Lake is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker currently living in Bethania, North Carolina with his wife Jess and their house full of animals. He split his time growing up between chasing wildlife and screaming on stages in hardcore bands you’ve never heard of. He has been published by Dead Reckoning Collective, The Havok Journal, Reptiles Magazine, Lethal Minds Journal, and many others. He filmed and directed a documentary called “Hammer Down” about his 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in with Alpha Battery 5-113^th of the NC Army National Guard. You can find his books, collected works, and social media accounts at www.stanlakecreates.com

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.