Class Outline
Jan. 13th, 2008 02:18 pmWhen I cancelled my get-together with
_storyteller_, I committed to finally getting my initial outline for my Pantheacon class written out and sent to him. After battling both the ongoing illness and my own avoidance fears, I finally did finish the outline and send it.
The insecure part of me looked at the outline and said, "But there's nothing there!"
The grown-up part of me replied, "It needs some fleshing out and development - yes, but there's more there than most people could come up with!"
Insecure Self is, of course, sure that there are actually a lot of people who could cover the same material effectively. Grown-up Self replies, "Perhaps, but I am the one with the invitation to teach in this venue, so it doesn't really matter what anyone else could or would do. It's my class, and I'll cover the topics I want to in the way I see fit." Since then, Insecure Self has been lying low.
Now I get to do the same thing for my book proposal -- which is an even bigger task. But I remind myself that I've written two well-received theses, and this is exactly the same process, with the same need to take it one step at a time and keep moving forward, even if each step is small. Trying to do it all at once will only result in paralysis.
The insecure part of me looked at the outline and said, "But there's nothing there!"
The grown-up part of me replied, "It needs some fleshing out and development - yes, but there's more there than most people could come up with!"
Insecure Self is, of course, sure that there are actually a lot of people who could cover the same material effectively. Grown-up Self replies, "Perhaps, but I am the one with the invitation to teach in this venue, so it doesn't really matter what anyone else could or would do. It's my class, and I'll cover the topics I want to in the way I see fit." Since then, Insecure Self has been lying low.
Now I get to do the same thing for my book proposal -- which is an even bigger task. But I remind myself that I've written two well-received theses, and this is exactly the same process, with the same need to take it one step at a time and keep moving forward, even if each step is small. Trying to do it all at once will only result in paralysis.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-13 10:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-13 10:44 pm (UTC)Thank you.
I was just trying to be equally affirming in a comment in your journal, but the meds are getting in the way of coherence.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-14 12:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-16 04:24 am (UTC)BTW: Any chance of a get-together sometime before springtime?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-14 02:47 am (UTC)If you need any help on the book proposal, you know you've got it.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-14 07:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-04 07:42 am (UTC)Thanks for this quote.
I've been needing to hear this very thing, and to internalize and really grok it.