The Lonely Writer

My Work

As a writer you miss out on the privilege of holding your creations by hand. Our words live in hearts and minds. I watch visionary artists with so much envy.

Whether it’s a painting or an embroidery.. there’s something about touching your own work.

I might be biased but writing must be one of the loneliest art forms out there. I’m not just talking about the fact that usually we are alone when we write but also the loneliness of not being surrounded by your products.

I know what you’re thinking ..

Books.

It’s not the same. And you know it.

Writing is also not an art form that can be performed. I don’t get booked by crowds to watch me write nor do they book me to read my work to them.

It’s as if the audience also wants to enter the same loneliness I was in when I wrote. They want to read privately, at their own pace and voice. They want to be left alone.

My last qualm, I promise ..

Writing is not popular. Crowds aren’t stepping on each other to get their hands on the latest book. They do that with celebrity make up products. Writers aren’t being stopped everywhere they go by paparazzi. People aren’t fainting at a reading concert because it’s that effective. Basically, writer is the black sheep of the art family.

It might be what writes like, who knows?

Now don’t get me started on the money subject. I’m yet to meet a billionaire writer that made their money on selling books. I’m certainly not one of them. I’ve made a total of 30$ on my writing.

So why we keep at it?

I wonder,

Thembeka