One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from a writer/poet/artist in Australia named Erin Hanson. I’ve seen credit given to other writers, actresses and movie characters, but I believe Erin Hanson is the one who said:

What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used this quote as my own internal pep-talk to hush doubting fears that sneak into my head, usually when I’m feeling resistance about a project.

And a corollary quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Merlin’s Song” reminds me what I can do when I fly:

Live in the sunshine, Swim in the sea, Drink the wild air.

Writing is a passion. It brings me joy. And when I’m having moments of doubt, or having a bit of imposter syndrome, these quotes remind me that the best is yet to happen. And I keep going, keep revising, because that’s really the only way. I’m already flying in the wild air.

To read more about Erin Hanson and her work at ThePoeticUnderground on Instagram, here’s the link. https://www.instagram.com/thepoeticunderground/?hl=en

To read more Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poems, check out The Gutenberg Project’s collection at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12843/12843-h/12843-h.htm#link2H_4_0077