The Solitary art of Self-Creation (by Erik Rittenberry from Poetic Outlaws).
A deep reaching writing about daring to begin... and to finish.
What's the word? is a section dedicated to sharing content from other sources (mostly Substack) that I find interesting, curious, deep, inspiring, of wisdom, or delicious. I don’t tend to do translations for this section but sometimes there are exceptions. In this post will will be sharing just my comments and the link to the original post, and there will be a link to its translation (by me) - with permission from the author. Enjoy!
This post was intended to be a podcast episode. When I read what I will be sharing here today, I had the brilliant idea to translate it and read it in both Spanish and English, with my sexy voice. But given my warm Caribbean animal blood, once temperatures lower here in Orlando, FL my nose gets stuffy, and my voice gets issues.
I did record in both languages, but my nose won’t let me speak well, and it all came out sounding bad, so I decided to publish it only in writing. I will be sharing some comments inspired by this magnificent read.
Erik Rittenberry from
wrote and shared The Solitary Art of Self-Creation - a an essay… nay, a calling, to get us moving towards the journey that is being able to reach our dreams, or die trying.To live a life true to ourselves, and not to how others define us. To self-create alone, to reach deep and know ourselves more than what others think they know about us. To use our energy for removing ourselves from stagnation, and moving it onto our dreams. To take the the step of beginning a journey and seeing it thru!
Do not just check out the essay, but fully read it. Take your time with it and let it speak to you, to your courage, to your self-creation. It will ask you ‘what is it that you dream of?’, and the it will tell you to ‘go and create it!’
The Solitary Art of Self-Creation has made me think about many things I have done in my life. My book, for example, is not necessarily the first “long” written work I have ever started.
However, deciding to give the last draft to other people, in exchange for their opinion, required a step that I never did with the other ones: finish. I dared to do something about it. I dared daring to face my doubts, my fears, my mental bullshit, my silence, and my disabling anxiety.
But this book has a deeper meaning to me, which makes an enormous difference. It has been a lonely road, and yet I wanna keep driving it, because this book is part of my self-creation.
This book I’ve been working on goes beyond a mere horny impulse. It is a self-chosen vocation, something beyond the mask, something I felt in my soul that had to be said.
It is still a work in progress but rest assured, it’s coming!
I hope you enjoyed this post and that Erik’s essay gets you thinking about what' is true to you, and about moving towards that. If you navigate this world in Spanish as well CLICK HERE for the translation. Make sure you subscribe to
for deep inspiration and expanding your literary reach!