About the Coral Turtle

This painting was created in one of my art courses. The turtle came from Cuba years ago and is one of my favourite pieces. It was a gift from an aunt. My art teacher was skeptical when I showed her what I wanted to paint but I did it anyway. (I'm just a little bit headstrong some days!) It's one of my favourite pieces.

People tell you not to get attached to your work. I guess that makes it easier to sell it and do things that you wouldn't normally do without getting frustrated in trying to be "perfect." That's why I paint and write. The Universe will lead you to create. The work you create can be edited or tinkered with until you've had enough of it. I read a quote somewhere that a writer sent a book to be published to "kill it" - to get it out of their grasp and resist the urge to tinker and play with it anymore. I've reached that point several times and submitted two of my novels repeatedly.

Does that mean my novels are bad? No. I have people read them who love them.
Does that mean I need to give up? No. I need to keep putting them out there and hope to reach the right person.
Does that mean I can't be frustrated? Hell no! I get as frustrated as anyone. But life goes on.
You get a rejection, you keep submitting.
I imagine once I my file box with rejections I might think differently and self-publish.
That seems to be how a lot of writers lately "get published". Not all of them should be. I read a prime example of that the other day.

Let me be clear: Self-publishing is not an evil thing but for heaven's sake people, if you are going to do it yourself EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!!! Get ten other people who know about good writing to read it and tell you if it's a good novel - not just a good story. Any one can tell a good story. Not everyone can make it readable.
That's why God created Editors!

Keep Creating!