I don't think I'm AFRAID to use my imagination, I just LOST it somewhere along the line. My left-brain logical mind has become so dominant that I can scarcely reach my right-brain imaginative faculties. This is why I don't write fiction and poetry. I disconnected with my inner child; I hated her because of bullying.

I still love to read. I learned how when I was four and haven't had my nose out of a book since. I'd go so deep into the story I'd feel disconnected from this one if someone interrupted me. Even when I read non-fiction, I'm intensely focused that I jump out of my skin if I'm interrupted.

The way people talk "at" each other is the major reason I'd rather write than talk.

When creativity and money mix, something gets lost. If I want to earn income, I'll do it with some left-brain skill. If I earn money from Medium, it's not because I'm striving for that. I want to write well enough that major publications accept my work. It's about knowing I'm improving as a writer. In this area of my life, that's success.

I remember the moment I decided that no one's opinion of me mattered. I was 10. Nobody liked me anyway, so I had nothing to lose by doing what was important to me. It freed me to refuse to do something I didn't want to do. There are two people whose opinion matters: Jesus and my husband, in that order.

I'm learning more about myself through writing than in any other way. I've taken personality tests. It was fascinating to see how all of them pointed to the same patterns and traits. These confirmed what I already sensed was true about me.

The only place where I agree that beliefs are "relative" is with advice you find online. In every sphere, opinions are contradictory and therefore both sides can't both be true. Maybe neither side is true.

I believe there IS such a thing as right and wrong. Habits and behaviours can be helpful or self-sabotaging. I also believe in the fall of mankind, which explains our tendency to do what is NOT in our ultimate best interests. We make mistakes that become lessons. If you're not willing to make mistakes, you'll learn absolutely NOTHING.