Category Archives: Authenticity

Y is for: Your Charisma is Powerful!

heatherericksonauthor2019 A to Z Challenge, Authenticity, Reach Your GoalsApril 29, 2019

My daughter Sam has charisma. When I asked her when she first knew she had charisma, she said, “It’s like knowing the color of your skin. You might not know what to call it, but you know you’ve got it.” She has always known how to get what she wants. At the age of 8, she struck up a conversation with a comedian who was selling CDs of his Christian comedy act. She asked him about one of the CDs that had a scratch on the cover. She convinced him (with very little effort) to give her the CD. Then, Read more…

X is for: Use X-Ray Vision to See Beneath the Surface

heatherericksonauthor2019 A to Z Challenge, Authenticity, Get Creative!April 27, 2019

One of the few arguments my husband and I had was about something beneath the surface. At the time, we were dealing with some discipline issues with our kids. They were typical teenaged issues, but one of our daughters, who is autistic, was taking it personally. So, I felt he was being too hard on her. Normally, it would have been fine, but my concern was that she might question his love for her.Yet, I didn’t want to say this.I didn’t want to say, “What about when you die? What if she doesn’t feel loved by you, and it’s too Read more…

M is for: Don’t Be Afraid of Making a Mistake

heatherericksonauthor2019 A to Z Challenge, Authenticity, Get Creative!April 15, 2019

Throughout my childhood, and even in my teenage years, I was brave. I lettered in drama by the end of my sophomore year in high school. I was in every play, on the speech team, the debate team, and even the captain of our mock trial team. Then, I went on to art school where I focused on literary art. I was never afraid of failure or making a mistake.Now, I often play it safe, because I’m afraid of making a mistake. I’m not sure why I get so hung up on it, because I’m not the kind of person Read more…

Social Anxiety Disorder vs. Being an Introvert

heatherericksonauthorAuthenticity, WritingOctober 31, 2018

There are thousands of phobias and fears in the world. Most of us only have one or two, and they are as individual as we are. I once knew a woman who was petrified of cotton balls. I’m not joking. I witnessed one of her employees trap her in her office by simply putting a cotton ball on the office doorknob. All it took to free the woman was to remove the offending fluff ball. What’s the scariest thing of all for me? Social interaction. As I conclude this month’s frightening series on authenticity. I’m going to talk about my Read more…

What’s Appropriate to Include in Your Fiction Writing?

heatherericksonauthorAuthenticity, WritingOctober 24, 2018

Some writers you may have the ability to let ‘er rip and say whatever you darn well please. Or maybe you question your conscience about whether certain things are appropriate to include in your fiction writing, or not. Things that might be sensitive include:Violencecontent of a sexual naturevulgar languagebiographical information which could harm the reputation or sensibilities of another living (or dead) personanything else that the particular writer is afraid to share authenticallyGenreSometimes it all comes down to the genre. There are certain genres where taboo topics and anything graphic is a strict no-no. For example, the first 3 items Read more…

Authenticity & Judgements We Make

heatherericksonauthorAuthenticity, Reach Your GoalsOctober 17, 2018

This month I’ve been looking at authenticity and what makes being authentic so scary for most people. Last week we talked about why the fear of rejection can make authenticity so elusive. This week we will focus on the judgments we make and those that are made about us. Once we have a deeper understanding of the judgments we make, every day, we can take control over that part of our psyche and overcome it, leading to a more authentic life and more authentic writing.We all do itEven though it’s not politically correct to make snap judgments about people based Read more…

Why Fear of Rejection Makes Authenticity so Elusive

heatherericksonauthorAuthenticity, Reach Your GoalsOctober 10, 2018

As Halloween approaches, thoughts turn to the frightening things in life (and death). So this month we’ll be taking a look at one of the scariest things for many new (and some seasoned) writers: Authenticity. One of the reasons it can be difficult to be authentic in your writing is fear of rejection.Fear of Rejection and JudgementThe fear of rejection in person, on social media, and in writing, is something nearly everyone has experienced (to some extent). Cyberbullying is on the rise. “In fact, according to the anti-bullying website NoBullying.com, 52 percent of young people report being cyberbullied and over Read more…