Hey Tess,

Well said — we all fear being vulnerable and risking the opportunity for people to come and trample on our hard work for no good reason. Or maybe they do have a good reason and we should listen to them. Maybe our work does suck, but it doesn’t mean it will always suck and, most importantly, it doesn’t mean that YOU suck. (Suck is starting to sound weird now that I’ve said it 4x times lol why does this always happen)

I’d like to say that you shouldn’t care about views + stats because I’ve been there before. If I’m being honest, I’m often still checking my stats to feel validated and important. At the end of the day, what does having all of these followers and views mean? I’d rather have 10 people commenting on my writing, telling me that they enjoyed my work and found my words inspiring. Write what is important to you and constantly strive to improve how you communicate it to others. I believe this will be the only way forward that will benefit you, the people around you, and society at large.

Keep writing and publishing your work with courage Tess! The world needs more independent and loud thinkers. :)