What’s the best compliment you’ve received recently?

Actually, some of the best compliments I’ve received recently have been right here on my blog or on Plinky.

Completely backwards of every other type of compliment, I’ve never been very confident as far as my creative endeavors go. You can compliment me on my appearance, my sense of humor, my intelligence or my new shoes, and I take those kinds of compliments in stride. I’ll say thank you and maybe even agree. However, as far as things I’ve actually produced with my own hand, I get shy and become embarrassed when I receive a compliment.

My inability to handle compliments on my creative output is the reason that I write anonymously. Some of my own friends don’t even know I have a blog or that I write on Plinky every day. I don’t promote it. I don’t even tell them about it.

I used to be a fine artist. I was pretty good at it, too, but I loathed to have anyone look at my work. It’s not because I think I’m no good; it’s because my creative endeavors are very personal. You can’t help but show who you are when you’re drawing, painting, writing music or writing words. A piece of you is on display. It makes me very uncomfortable to share that with people I know. Sharing it with complete strangers is somehow easier.

I never said it makes any sense. I think part of it has to with the fact that I’m completely autodidactic. I’ve never taken an art class. I’ve never taken a creative writing class. I can think of little worse than having to read something I’ve written or display something I painted in front of a bunch of classmates. I need that anonymity in order to share.

There’s something about anonymity that makes me more comfortable with baring my soul to the world. I can write about my worst experiences and my deepest, darkest fears as long as no one knows who I really am. On the internet, I’m just another fish.

When I write something on here and people that I don’t know compliment my words, well, it makes my day. It means that that compliment is not jaded by personal knowledge of who I really am. My writing is judged solely on its own merits and not by knowledge of who I am as a person. I can think of no better compliment to receive.

So, thanks to all of you who read my ramblings and take the time to comment. I really do appreciate it. It helps keep me going.