As I enter the promotional stage of my career and face numerous anxieties about putting myself out here, these blog posts are one of the things I find the most intimidating. I know that most of my opinions and ideas are controvertial and likely to cause objection to many, especially when not couched in the shelter of fictional context. My anxiety instinct when I dwell on this is to censor my true thoughts and opinions to make them less overtly controvertial. I feel, however, that this would be both counter-productive and largely innefectual.
Just about everyone has opinions that some others will disagree with. There have been many throughout history who think my community’s very existence is a source of controversy. That our very right to exist is a subject for debate. In that environment, how can anything we say ever not be controversial. Censoring or softening our words and opinions only puts off a tough conversation. And it does get tougher the farther off it’s pushed. In the end, I am forced to come to the conclusion that controversy, like conflict, cannot be avoided, only delayed. So why put off til tomorrow what you can confront today. A motto I sometimes struggle with, but always aspire to live by.
I’m a firm believer that the way to maintain originality is to be true to one’s self. Because each individual has their own way of vviewing [or not viewing] the world. If that worldview is deemed controversial by others, so be it. Better to have an authentic voice with no audience, than an audience with no authentic voice. Capitalism would have us believe otherwise, but the adage does, in fact, hold true.